Peru: Foundations of Global Health

Service in the sacred valley had to be the best possible way to spend a part of my summer and it may have been my best summer yet. I had my doubts initially as to whether the program was the right one for me; I'm pretty introverted, so I didn't know if it would be to much social interaction. However, I've discovered that GLA offers the perfect amount. In traveling to architectural sights and hiking through the mountains, you could choose to appreciate and reflect on your surroundings internally or you could choose to express them externally, where a group of people could relay how they felt back to you and you could share in that with them. Being apart of this program has made me realize how much I like working with children, and how I want to incorporate that into my future. The same goes with traveling: once you're bit by the travel bug, there's no going back. Gla offers you an opportunity to discover what you're passionate about or, if you have that passion already, to further discover the best way to incorporate what you love into your future. I would definitely do this again.

My three weeks in Andahuaylillas (a little town about an hour south of Cusco) were easily among the most magical times of my life and is something that I will never forget as long as I live. Being in the Andes surrounded by all the culture and history of the land and people was extremely enlightening, it helped put more of a perspective on the size of the world. The massive mountains around you all the time and the best view of the night sky I have ever experienced in my life are extremely high up on my list of favorite things about going on this trip. The only thing that surpasses that is the people who went through it all with me. I met thirty-something of the most amazing people i could have ever hoped to meet, I consider these people to be some of my best and closest friends on the planet. One of the funniest times of my whole life was the series of days that we travelled to Machu Picchu. Each day was super awesome in a different way, from a multiple hour bus ride with a soak in some sweet hot springs at the end, to a scenic walk along railroad tracks next to the beautiful Urubamba river on our way to Aguas Calientes. I remember everyone walking around laughing and having a great time while we looked around all the markets that had things that you don't generally see in the USA. This trip was absolutely incredible and life changing in so many ways. I loved every second of my time in Peru and I would recommend this to everyone!

It is very hard to summarized 3 weeks in to a paragraph, it is hard to believe but this trip has made a huge impact on how i viewed the world. I was very nervous and anxious before the trip because it was my first time ever leave the country alone. I was hoping that a member of GLA would somehow purchased the same flight I had but it did not happen. However, I was glad that I was by myself on my flight to Peru because it made me more confident and I even made friends with people. One thing I wish I knew was that I need to pick up my luggage when I arrived in Lima airport; when I landed in Cuzco, I found out that my suitcase was stuck in Lima and it would take 2 to 3 days before I could get it.

Flash forward to my arrival, I was the first student in my group to arrived. I was greeted by my mentors who made me felt right at home. When my fellow student arrived, they were so nice and sweet that I fit right in. The view I had of Peru when I got there was already amazing, but with the people whom I spend 3 weeks, I will never forget it.

The mentors were so friendly and sweet that our group eventually call them our dad, mom, and bigger sister. The locals were so sweet and amazing. The people i volunteer for treated us with respect and teaches us new skill;, they never made us feel uncomfortable at all and trusted us with all their heart. Even though the local live in poverty, you can never find them without a smile on their face. I have learn to be grateful for the privileges I have because the people in Peru always enjoy the little things in life even when things were rough.

The most unforgettable event that I will always treasure is when I learn how to knit with the women. It was the second to last week of my short trip and I promised my self I would learn how to knit, so I went to a workshop at the place I volunteered at and asked the women to teach me how to knit. Between my limited knowledge of Spanish and the women who couldn't speak English, they agreed to teach me. I spend an entire day learning how to knit in different patterns. The women were very gentle, they showed me the right ways when I was wrong, then eventually they allowed me to knit my first beanie. Leaving the women there was the hardest; they cried when I said goodbye. Even though I only knew them for a short period of time, tears didn't stop flowing out of one of the women's cheek. I promised her and myself that I would study hard and one day I will return and visit here and the people there.

I traveled to Peru last summer with Global Leadership Adventures and was completely blown away by the experience. I hadn't done a trip without knowing anyone going into it, so I came into the experience more than a little nervous and wary. But GLA exceeded all of my expectations. I felt completely safe and secure at every moment, and that was a big deal to me. The accommodations on the trip were great and the mentors on the trip were absolutely fantastic. Right from the start, I felt welcomed and supported, and as the trip went on I only grew more in awe of how cool they were. The other great aspect was they really take leadership, adventure, and cultural immersion into account, almost as much as they do meaningful service work.
Yet what made my trip truly exceptional were the other students. Before the trip, my friend who had done GLA Costa Rica told me that GLA attracts really cool people and I was going to make some really great friends, and that proved so true. Somehow I was lucky enough to get to explore Peru with 30 of the coolest, nicest, funniest people I had ever met. Lasting friendships just formed instantly and I'm so grateful for the relationships I formed, and my trip wasn't an exception to the norm. As I look at my opportunities in the future, I really don't know how anything could top my trip with GLA last summer.

Hello everyone! I was in the GLA Peru: Service in the Sacred Valley trip. My three weeks in Peru with Global Leadership Adventures were amazing! From hiking the Inca Trail to building a greenhouse for a local village in Cusco, the projects we worked on and the activities we did every day were unique and forced us out of our comfort zone to figure out new ways to achieve our goals. Our service project was to build the foundation for a greenhouse, and a major challenge was figuring out a system of transporting huge rocks up a hill and into the walls of the greenhouse. With the help of our mentors and other locals, we broke up into teams and built up the wall with impressive speed. The mentors on our trip were consistently dedicated to our success; they are inspirational people who taught me to look at the world in different ways and have helped me understand what I want to do in the future. At the end of my trip, I felt that I had made a definite impact on the village I worked in, and also that my worldview and understanding of problems faced by developing communities was deepened. I definitely recommend Global Leadership Adventures to anyone interesting in making a change while immersed in another culture.

If interested, you can visit their website at www.experiencegla.com or you can search "GLA Peru" in Facebook to read more about the trip and have questions answered from GLA Alumni.

My trip to Peru was amazing! As a 14 year old, I was the youngest in my group and was nervous at first, but as soon as I arrived I realized there was nothing to be worried about! My group had 30 kids in it with 4 consolers, and I was lucky enough to get to know them all. I made many friends on my trip (man whom I am still in contact with) and together we made every day exciting. My group worked on improving sanitation in a small community. Every week day we would volunteer and then take Spanish lessons, and during the weekends we took many adventure trips. Overall, I had a great time and would highly recommend Global Leadership Adventures.

The time I spent in Peru might of well been the most amazing time i have ever experienced. When i found out I had the privilege to go on this trip I did not no what to expect. I had never gone on a trip like this, by myself, for such a long time (3 weeks). This trip included 3 main focus's, the service, the adventure, and the language. Each part was a key component to making this trip as spectacular as is was. Another part that made this trip was the wonderful staff we had on hand. They provided us with the care we needed throughout the whole trip. I was very grateful for them all. I made life changing experiences on this trip and my life will be forever impacted because of it. It opened my eyes to the possibilities of change i could make in this world. I highly recommend the Global Leadership Adventures Peru service trip. Its a trip like no other!

Em meu colégio fazemos estudos do meio e trabalho social todos os anos. Imaginei que o GLA, Global Leadership Adventures, me proporcionasse uma experiência semelhante, em outro país e em outra língua. Mas foi muito mais, foi uma experiência de vida incomparável.
Como único representante latino, achei que minha adaptação no fosse ser tão rápida, até porque meu colégio tem como segunda língua o francês e não inglês. Me senti acolhido desde o início, pelos tutores e pelos outros participantes.
Embora a história do Brasil e do Peru tenham origem semelhantes, nossa cultura indígena nem de perto chega a cultura Inca. Tivemos oportunidade de conviver com a população local em Cuzco, um povo muito acolhedor e solidário. A construção da estufa (greenhouse) foi um desafio diário que resultou não somente na estrutura física do prédio, mas no estreitamento do laço afetivo entre os participantes. O trabalho em equipe e a convivência nos tornou amigos para a vida.
Os passeios históricos e nossas caminhadas não poderiam ter tido cenário mais bonito. A vista de Machu Pichu é espetacular e ainda vi neve pela primeira vez...para surpresa dos meus novos amigos acostumados com o inverno americano.
Nosso headquarters em Cuzco é um hotel simples mas bem localizado, só para os participantes. A comida peruana é muito boa e gostosa para o paladar brasileiro. Tive ainda a oportunidade de na volta para o Brasil ficar em Lima e os restaurantes são de primeiro mundo. A cidade é muito interessante também, mais historia e cultura!
Recomendo a todos!!!
Gulherme Missaka