Program Reviews

I was volunteering over the summer and just happened to be there during the 4th of July, so the other volunteers and I (with the help of one of the awesome host families) put on a celebratory independence party/barbeque since we weren't able to celebrate in the United States. We made American food like hamburgers and macaroni and cheese (and got Oreos, of course), and we even set off fireworks at night! Some of the Peruvians in the park nearby were a little confused, but our own Peruvian friends had fun with us. We even had a student from England celebrate with us!

Hours after we arrived in La Merced Peru disaster struck. A mud slide had taken out dozens of houses, leaving people homeless and in distress. As a group of 17 we came with many different specialties. We broke up into groups and assest the situation. A group of engineers were able to build and demonstrate a water filtration system using natural resources, another group came up with a health talk and provided gift bags with hygiene products, the last thing this community needed was an outbreak. Another group was in charge of helping the children cope with this tragedy by bringing toys and games to make them smile. This was an amazing experience for us to be able to use the donations we brought to help in a crisis, and make an impact on this community.

One patient came into the consultation room after waiting almost all day for her turn. As she explained her situation to the doctor in Spanish, all the while tears running down her face, we all sat patiently waiting and watching. The patient left after giving the doctor and huge hug and with a smile on her face. As the doctor explained what had just occurred, slowly each and every person in the room couldn't help but shed a tear. The lady, married and with 3 children (a fourth on its way) had recently been diagnosed with HIV. Considering she got married to this man 30 years prior, it indicates he had not been faithful. So here was her first issue - a cheating husband. When he learned she had become pregnant with a fourth child, he left her. So here she was, raising 3 kids and carrying a fourth, alone. Her disease gave her only a short amount of time to live. Without her husband she had no one to raise her children after she passed. Looking desperately for help, her brother took her in for a short while. She was forced to leave, however, when her brothers wife kicked her out with fear that she would "spread her disease" to their family. Without the proper knowledge and understanding, she was not able to properly explain to the wife that this was not possible. The only place she had left to turn was a friend who lived in a town a few hours away. This friend was willing to house and help the women and her family, but the women did not have enough money for a bus tickets to take herself and her children. She came to the clinic looking for her medication, but couldn't help looking to the doctor for a shoulder to cry on. The kind hearted doctor took pity on the strong women and provided her with not only bus fair but a little extra to help with food and other necessities.

The family my family and I stayed with were so loving and welcoming! With our lack of Spanish, there were times to where we were speaking English, french, and Spanish all in one sentence! The food was AMAZING. Dreaming of the day I can have lomo saltado again...

I first came across FIRMC by a simple google search. I wanted to find something to do during the summer. I wanted to get exposure in the medical field but more importantly I wanted to help. The program gave me this opportunity. I went to Peru by myself, not knowing anyone and with little Spanish skill. Once I met the rest of the group, everyone was so friendly that making friends was very easy. The host family was amazing at making us feel right at home and making us feel like a part of their family. When we went to the hospitals, it was very useful that we had atleast someone with us who could translate. The doctors were very good about giving you as much information as you asked for. If you had a question, they were willing to explain the answer to you. I remember spending two hours in the Internal Medicine area in Huancayo learning about CT scans and EKG results. I was exposed to all of medicine and if I had a question then I could ask. After the morning hospital rotations, we were able to volunteer in dental campaigns or at local schools. The goal was to give us exposure in the hospital setting in the morning and then take us outside of the city into the rural communities to see how the need to medical intervention process works. The language barrier was not an issue at all. You would be surprised at how much knowledge you can pick up without such a short time. If you put yourself out their and try to use the language then you will see that the people will really appreciate it. This was a lesson for me when we did a health campaign about Nutrition and Contraceptions. The experience was amazing I can not wait to go on another adventure where I can use my skills to help others.

Coming from the UK to Peru by myself was a pretty daunting experience so I was so relieved to meet such welcoming people in Huancayo and La Merced! I spent 4 weeks in each site and had an amazing time!

The work days were mostly very fun. Some days we would shadow doctors and speak to patients in the hospitals and there's a wide variety of things to see across the 2 sites. Other days we would go out into communities and teach them about health topics relevant to them, take blood pressures, do glucose testing and the medical students in our group would speak to patients and examine them. We all enjoyed working with local people and the queues of them waiting to see us showed just how much they appreciated it too. Some afternoons we would get to visit local schools or orphanages and teach a bit of english or do activities with them which was really fun too.

There was a great social aspect to the groups I was with. We would try and meet up on an evening and at weekends and there's loads of stuff to do around both places. There's the glacier and market in Huancayo and waterfalls and a mini zoo in La Merced. A few of us would stay in each homestay and we loved being there - we were made to feel very at home with great food and were very well looked after!

I would thoroughly recommend this programme to anyone wanting to get involved in volunteer healthcare abroad. They are developing the sites in Peru and have lots of projects to help the local people there which you can get involved in. Peru is a great country to visit and FIMRC are a great charity who were very willing to help with any problems we had and organised everything very well in a country where organisation can be difficult!

I was the site intern of Project Restauración from October 2014 to March 2015—and without a doubt it was one of the most incredible half-years of my life. Not only was the staff at the site engaging, fun and incredibly helpful, but the communities of Restauración, Dominican Republic and Tilori, Haiti truly opened their arms and hearts to me. My host family, whom I lived with for the entirety of my stay, became such a huge part of my life— I am still in touch with them today through what’sapp and letters.

As the site’s Intern, and a person who loves data and research, I decided to do some research of my own in Haiti and the DR. Through FIMRC’s connections and the help of local doctors, nurses, other healthcare workers, and a lot of translators, I was able to compile data on common ailments of patients in Haiti and the DR. More specifically, I was able to understand more about the common ailments of Haitians on both the DR and Haitian side of the boarder. Many times this demographic group suffers from particularly acute health problems compounded by their poverty and precarious political situation.

When I wasn’t collecting data I was traveling with my FIMRC family to other nearby communities who need extra medical support through our mobile clinics. Sometimes the villages were close enough to take a truck ride to, other times, the location was so remote and rugged, donkeys were hired to carry our supplies and we hiked through the mountains to reach our patients. Whether near or far, we were always greeted with smiles and warm welcomes.

FIMRC also runs weekly school courses to help educate school children and teens about their personal and community health. From explaining how to maintain self-esteem and keep up good nutrition, to debunking myths about Malaria and Cholera, there were always inquisitive minds, and thought provoking questions. Though adapting to the language barriers and the different philosophies about education could sometimes be difficult, it was all SO REWARDING. I loved playing with the kids in the quart yard after class, and getting that feeling of excitement when I asked a question and everyone’s hands shoot up—they all remembered the answer. Success!

Diana (my site manager) always took time to brainstorm ideas, answer question, edit curriculums, and translate with me. Tania, and Dr. Ricardo, the two local FIMRC employees pulled me right into the swing of Restauración culture and healthcare. They both became my personal Spanish coaches (because I had arrived knowing essentially no Spanish) and it was FANTASTICO! The entire FIMRC team was amazing, and I could not have asked for a better, more rewarding experience, or a more loving community to become a part of.

I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to volunteer in Restauraciόn. I was fortunate to participate in a variety of medically-based support in the community. In Restauraciόn, I shadowed at their only hospital. The doctor was very patient and explained medical procedures to me as he was seeing the patients. One of my favorite parts was helping out with the mobile clinic. Dr. Ricardo came with us and we helped over 100 patients in one day. I also helped with the girls’ empowerment group and charla talks on diabetes, dental health, and chikinguyna (an outbreak virus spread by mosquitoes). Our talks were interactive which helped involve the children and get them excited about what we were teaching them. Since I didn’t speak Spanish, I was especially grateful of the other FIMRC staff that helped me translate throughout my stay. Playing games with the local children throughout the day was one of my fondest memories of my experience. These kids always had smiles on their faces and I loved playing games and laughing with them. Overall, the experience was beyond incredible and I value the relationships I formed and lessons I learned about others and about myself.

I served a 9-week ambassadorship with FIMRC, working with the Alajuelita clinic from the Philadelphia headquarters for a month and from within the clinic itself for another 5 weeks. Going into this experience, I was hoping to be given real responsibility over a project that makes a real difference. I wanted to learn what it takes to successfully perform social justice and I wanted to immerse myself in a new culture. With these goals in mind, I can honestly say that my experience with FIMRC exceeded my dreams. The staff from headquarters to clinic were exceptional - friendly, professional, trusting with responsibility, and very interested in my personal experience. Through FIMRC I was able to directly participate in providing healthcare to a severely underserved population. Away from the clinic, FIMRC set me up with an absolutely wonderful host family and managed logistics meticulously. I would say the focus of the FIMRC Alajuelita experience is to show you all sides of what is required to provide primary care to a community in need, and this is done by immersing you in the fight.

I had a great time in my trips to Restauracion, so much so that I went twice! The program gave me the opportunity to shadow in the local hospital and see the practice of a different doctor every morning, as well as participate in various community outreach activities throughout the week. We event spent one day going to a neighboring community in Haiti to give a short lesson to the orphan school there. My favorite part was helping operate a diabetes club, where we helped local diabetes patients monitor their disease and gave a short lesson with tips on how to improve their condition. The trip was one of my favorites, and I am so glad I went!