This program was an amazing experience for me. I was only in Cusco for 2 weeks but I wish I could have stayed forever! My host family was very nice, my accomodation was great, it was clean and the meals were very good too. I loved my placement, I worked at the kindergarten and I loved working with the kids, I really felt like I was making a difference, the teachers there really needed the help. As for my coordinator, Jenny, she was amazing, she always answered all of my questions and was always there for me. She always made sure that we were safe. Cusco is a very beautiful place and there are a lot of things to see there, so I definetly enjoyed being able to explore the city and get to know the amazing Peruvian culture. One of my highlights was meeting other volunteers from different parts of the world. I made really good friends that I hope to keep in touch with for a long time. Overall, I loved it, it was one of the best experiences that I've had and I really recommend it.

I stayed in Cusco with a lovely Peruvian family. Gloria was my host mum, Reese, my host father and their two children, Luis, and Laura. They all made me feel very welcome despite a bit of a language barrier. Me an Luis would play football up on the roof of the house and I taught him some new games. Laura liked to draw and I would draw her pictures and make plasticine animals for her, I even helped make her a frog costume for a school project. My placement involved traveling to the outskirts of the city to help at a kindergarten. The kindergarten itself was a very small room and in one day could have as much as 30 children, ages 3-5, attend. My duties included marking and preparing homework, helping the children with their work, playing games with the children and generally helping the teacher take care of the class. While I was volunteering at the kindergarten the class was also preparing for a parade so I was also involved in leading the class through a marching routine outside and supervising the children.
As well as volunteering in Peru I was also given the opportunity to see some of the sights in my spare time alongside some of the other volunteers. I went to see many of the Inca ruins; Sacsayhuaman, Ollantayambo, Pukapukara and Machu Pichu, to name a few. I also rode a pony up Rainbow Mountain. My programme also included a visit to a bakery to see how some of the local bread was made. Overall I had an amazing time in Cusco, had many wonderful experiences and met many wonderful people. I would definitely recommend the programme.

This was an amazing trip! I went between my first and second years of medical school to get more patient experience and practice Spanish. I had previously lived in Spain for 2 years but had not used Spanish as much as I would have liked to since I returned to the US, so this was a great opportunity to immerse myself in the language again.

I worked in an underserved clinic from 8am to 1pm and helped triage, provide wound care, and provided medications and immunizations to patients. The nurses there were great to work with and would show me once or twice what to do and then every patient after that I was able to work with.

The host family I had was incredible! They were so interesting in my story, in my family, and in making sure that I had everything I would need while I was there. The people are truly what make these projects worth it. I was able to go to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, and as incredible as they are, nothing compares to the people that I worked with and lived with.

I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is wanting to practice Spanish, get medical experience, learn a new culture, and see the world.

I only volunteered for about 2 weeks, so I don't have a lot of stories... but here was something that struck me as memorable. I worked in the triage room for 1-2 hours every morning where we would weigh and take the heights of everyone that came to the clinic. I quickly noticed that about 90% of the women under 40 who were visiting the clinic were there to see obstetricians. All of the women were alone and many were in their teens...I couldn't believe how many young single mothers there were! I later found out that birth control pills were free, with or without insurance. I wondered WHY so many girls were getting pregnant. After speaking to another volunteer, I found out that there is a social stigma against birth control, deep rooted in the religious views of the country.

This program has been a truly wonderful experience for me. It was particularly meaningful to observe a doctor's life in great detail. I loved interacting with patients and assisting the clinic staff in simple tasks. I gained a valuable perspective that I would not have gotten elsewhere! It's a terrific opportunity for those interested in applying to medical or nursing schools.

Staying with my host family was really enjoyable. They did not speak much English and it was a perfect environment to practice Spanish all of the time. On weekends, I explored nearby attractions and traveled to places like Lake Titicaca, the Amazon, or Machu Picchu!

I would highly recommend this program. Working with Sahil and Jenny has been a real pleasure!

I absolutely adore children and teaching so we decided that working in the kindergarten for the street children would be a great place to devote our time! It was so great working with so many sweet little kids they were so great and loved learning! I especially loved the play time with them it was so great! I also loved that we got to stay with a host family. They helped us to understand their way of life so we could connect on a better level with the children!

It was the most amazing and meaningful experience. I did two programs, 4 weeks with street kids and 8 weeks in a Medical Facility. In my free time I took cooking and Salsa classes. My BEST SUMMER! I participated in three deliveries, 2 boys and a girl, and the work with the Cuzco Peruvian people was very interesting. I am fluent in Spanish, but I did not expect that many of my patients spoke Kachua, the local dialect, but Mama Norma helped me out...

I volunteered at Cusco, Peru in 2009. This was my first volunteer experience with volunteering solutions.It was also the first time I traveled alone. I had such an amazing time and am so happy that I did it, despite my fears.

The house that I stayed at was shockingly nice! I stayed with a family in a two story home. They were very friendly and helpful. They cooked great food every day and made sure that I never went hungry.

The clinic I volunteered with was a travel clinic. Every day we would meet at the same place and then travel to the remote villages in the Andes Mountain. We would give care to the beautiful people in those villages. It was amazing! We would work from Monday to Friday. Then on Friday afternoon, we would end early @ 1100. At this time, the whole city would meet at the fields to play soccer. I loved it!

I traveled with a dentist, nurse, doctor, phlebotomist, and an obstetrician. Together, we would set up our clinic in various areas of the city and care for the locals. It was an amazing experience. I felt like I was being given a tour of the city sights every time we moved to a new location.

Cusco it self was an incredible city full of incredible architecture. It was amazing to be standing in a city with architecture that dates back to the Incan Empire. The highlight of my sight seeing was visiting Machu Picchu. UNBELIEVABLE!

At the end of my trip, the team and I grew close enough that they all took me to lunch and then dropped me off at the airport on my last day. It was a sad time when I left but I have fond memories. I would love to volunteer with them again.