Health/Medical Projects
 Primary health care is one particular program significantly lacking resources and attention among the widely-spread, impoverished people of Peru. In effect, knowledgeable and able-bodied volunteers are in great demand. Volunteers with a medical background or community health are strongly preferred for this project. In collaboration with local hospitals, Rustic Volunteer Travel wants to provide volunteers/travelers who have a strong passion for helping others and have compassion for others as well as a willingness to dedicate their time and energy to those who do not have easy-access to medical facilities. Participating in a health care volunteer project opens tremendous opportunities for volunteers/travelers to experience new opportunities in their lives and careers, allows volunteers to immerse themselves in another culture, and provides a positive contribution to the community where the need is the greatest.
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FAQs Peru
| Application Process: |
Please read Rustic Volunteer Travel's 5 steps of application
- There are two options for applying to volunteer in Peru through our program. You can apply online or you can down loan an application, fill it out, and mail it in to us. You will need to submit your application with a $200 deposit (this deposit will be deducted from your final program fee.) This program deposit is required to make an application valid.
- Once we get your application, we will immediately send it to Peru for processing. They go over your application carefully and find the best project possible for you. The decisions for room and food are made at this time, Arrangement for room and food depends on the location of the project. The vast majority of our volunteers stay in full immersion home stays though some orphanage projects are residential.
- Once we get the details of your placements, we pass it on to you with a final invoice. Your final payment is due six weeks before your start date, and in expedited cases, as soon as possible. The placement details have local contact information use them for contacts on your Visa application or to get in touch with the local staff and host family.
- Preparation for trips should include reading about Peru , immunization, travel Visa (entry permit), and booking airfare. If you face any problems our Program Manager is always available for assistance.
- Now, once you purchase your ticket, send your flight information to our US office by fax or by email. Your flight information will be forwarded to the Peru staff who will arrange an airport pickup.
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| Visa : |
United States citizens do not need a visa to visit Peru as a tourist for ninety days. You will be given a form to fill out before arriving in Lima , where your visa will be issued as you pass through customs. There is a fee, up to $30.USD that is attached to the visa. You may be asked to provide a letter from the school or project which you will be participating in, this is why it is important to have a copy of your placement with you. You may also have to demonstrate your Yellow Fever vaccination at this time. Both documents should be with you at arrival and easy to access.
You can request your visa in advance from the Peruvian Embassy, USA (High Commission of Canada) by sending in your passport, completed Visa form, cashier's check or money order, and a SASE for the return of your stamped passport.
General requirements:
- Original passport valid for at least six months
- Correct visa fee.
- Two passport-size photographs
- Supporting documents, where necessary
- Duly completed application form
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| Health and safety : |
Being informed is your first defense against disease and safety risks. We recommend visiting some of the following websites for health and safety information:
WHO website for international travelers ( http://www.who.int/csr/ihr/en/ )
General Health Tips for volunteer in Peru
- Drink only bottled or boiled water, or carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans or bottles. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes. If this is not possible, make water safer by both filtering through an "absolute 1 micron or less" filter AND adding iodine tablets to the filtered water. "Absolute 1 micron filters" are found in camping/outdoor supply stores.
- Buy bottled water from respectable outlets to guard against stomach upsets. Make sure that the seal of the bottle is intact as it is not uncommon for local street merchants to sell tap water in resealed bottles.
- Avoid eating food from road side stalls. Don't eat unpeeled fruits and avoid fresh salads, especially in small hotels. If you are forced to eat food at some place that you have doubts about, make sure the food is served hot.
- Limit display of jewelry and handle cash discreetly.
- In Peru , most modern medicines are available over the counters in drugstores, but it is wise to travel with a reserve stock. If any prescription drugs are required, bring enough for the duration of the trip. It is advisable that you carry a small health kit which should include remedy for upset stomachs, some antiseptic cream, mosquito repellant cream, sun block, band aids, etc.
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| Vaccination : |
We use the Center for Disease Control traveler's health recommendations (www.cdc.gov.) Your travel doctor will be knowledgeable about current epidemics and should be consulted.
Required:
Yellow fever is present in this region and vaccination is recommended if you travel to the endemic zones in any of the countries of Tropical South America ( Peru .) A certificate of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry into certain countries if you have visited an endemic area. For detailed information, see Comprehensive Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirements . Also, find the nearest authorized U.S. yellow fever vaccine center .
Recommended:
- Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG). Transmission of hepatitis A virus can occur through direct person-to-person contact; through exposure to contaminated water, ice, or shellfish harvested in contaminated water; or from fruits, vegetables, or other foods that are eaten uncooked and that were contaminated during harvesting or subsequent handling.
- Hepatitis B , especially if you might be exposed to blood or body fluids (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, or be exposed through medical treatment. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11-12 years who did not receive the series as infants.
- Malaria: your risk of malaria may be high in these countries, including some cities. See your health care provider for a prescription anti-malarial drug. For details concerning risk and preventive medications, see Malaria Information for Travelers to Tropical South America .
- Rabies , if you might have extensive unprotected outdoor exposure in rural areas, such as might occur during camping, hiking, or bicycling, or engaging in certain occupational activities.
- Typhoid vaccine. Typhoid fever can be contracted through contaminated drinking water or food, or by eating food or drinking beverages that have been handled by a person who is infected. Large outbreaks are most often related to fecal contamination of water supplies or foods sold by street vendors.
- As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles .
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| Money Matter : |
What is the exchange rate? Where should I change my dollars? Can I use a debit card or credit card? Should I bring travelers checks?
Your credit card information can be stolen and used fraudulently just by making a credit card payment. For this reason, cash and travelers checks are suggested to settle most accounts. You will have trouble paying with traveler's checks, but you will be able to exchange them at local banks or post offices. Traveler's checks are recommended as a safe way to carry money with you, make sure you write down the check numbers and contact information you need to cancel stolen checks. Different brands of traveler's checks work better in different countries so consult your local financial institution about which company you should buy your checks from.
Travelers should have a credit card for large and emergency purchases so you won't go broke if something goes wrong. If you've requested a pin number for your credit card, you can use it to get cash advances at the ATM.
You can also carry a debit card that can be used at ATM's to withdraw local currency. When using ATM's, be advised to bring a friend along, travel directly from the bank back to your home and stash your cash. Find a private, well disguised place to hide any cash. When you are carrying cash, break it up into different amounts and keep it in different pockets so if you get robbed you won't lose everything. |
| Field Support and supervision: |
How does Rustic Volunteer Travel help me when I am in the field? How can I maintain communication? Does Rustic Volunteer Travel visit volunteers?
Once the volunteer program start, our local staff stays in touch with volunteers. We visit our volunteers every 2 weeks (if possible) and you are always welcome at the office. Your project will have local staff as well, though not our own. The local doctors, nurses and administrators on your project will be there for you throughout. If your project is very far, then our local staff maintains communication by email and phone. |
| Communication : |
How do I communicate with my family? Rustic Volunteer Travel staffs? Is there internet?
Long-term volunteers can set up a web page through organizations like 'get jealous.com' where they have a forum to post and receive posts. Here is where all your friends and family can go to check in on you - we love this one.
You will have access to the internet in Lima and in Cusco . There are several 'Internet Cafes' that have numbered computers you can use for less than $1an hour. They also sell sodas and crackers.
International phone calling is easy from phone booths located in small shops, much like the internet cafes. The phone booths are numbered and once you've figured out how to dial international numbers it's quite inexpensive to talk to your friends and family. I don't recommend expensive calling cards because not all of them work once you arrive in Peru .
Good old fashioned mail! Sending a letter from Peru costs around $2 and makes it home in 1 to 6 weeks. |
| Climate of Peru: |
Yahoo Weather forecast ( http://weather.yahoo.com )
Weather channel ( http://www.weather.com )
Weather Underground ( http://www.wunderground.com )
I n the world, you can find a total of 32 kinds of climate and Peru has 28 of them (87.5% of the total!). In other words, a trip through Peru can lead through hot deserts, dry forests, humid savannas, plain rainforests, cold plateaus, cool steppes and icy mountains.
A s a way to explain its average weather we can say that in the time of the typical northern hemisphere summer, in Peru you will have winter in the coast, and summer in the Andean highlands and the jungle. In the opposite, winter in northern hemisphere, you will have in Peru a rainy season in the Andes and the jungle, but a hot summer all over the coast. |
| Materials to Bring |
Passport and Documents
Volunteers should hold a valid passport and necessary documents while traveling in Peru . Please carry photocopies of your passport and travelers checks while in Peru , to make replacement easy if they are lost. Medicine If you are under medication, please do not forget to pack enough medicine for your entire trip; your brands of medicines may not be available in Peru
Footwear
Normal leather shoes or tennis shoes, which can be brushed off or wiped off, are appropriate for working in the placements. You will want light comfortable footwear for evening walks and other leisure activities.
Clothes
T-shirts, jeans, and shorts are common. If you are coming to the coast of Peru please bring your bathing suit.
Please note that while it may get quite warm during the day, it will get pretty chilly after dark, and you may need a sweater even in the summer!
If you are in the highlands you need to bring winter clothes.
REMEMBER THAT PERU IS BELOW THE EQUATOR AND SEASONS ARE REVERSED FROM THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE!
Medical Kit
It is always useful to carry a small personal medical kit. This should include: plasters (Band-Aids), personal medication to last the duration of the program, fungicidal foot powder/cream, antiseptic cream, mild painkiller (aspirin), tweezers, scissors etc.
Insect Repellent
Do not forget to bring insect repellent, and use it often to reduce the possibility of mosquito-borne illness, if you are traveling in the jungle find a repellant with DEET, the more the better, you can pick it up from a local sporting goods store like REI.
Other
Please do not forget to pack a torch (flashlight) some rural villages won't have electricity all day or after dark and you may have to use an outdoor bathroom (at night) at some point. Also pack a camera, film and maybe a personal stereo. You may wish to bring a diary, pens and pencils, and a book to read on the plane. Bring a rain coat during the rainy season. |
| Gift for Host Family and Project: |
What gifts should I bring for my project and/or host family?
It is a common courtesy to bring a small gift for the staff that will be hosting you. You are not required to do so, but if you choose to bring something it can be pretty simple. We suggest a box of chocolates, a t-shirt with a hometown/country logo, or pictures of your family and local post cards.
If you want to bring gifts for your project and if you are working for an orphanage or a school, please bring pencils, pens and paper, art supplies like markers and construction paper pads, as well as games for the children to enjoy. Remember that every child will need these items so you may wish to bring enough for a number of children. |
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