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Cerro Cachito, a community unified for a cause

 

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Before hosting a Mobile Clinic in a new community, Carlos Benavides, Director of MEDLIFE Peru, understands the importance of visiting the community first to learn more about its needs and how MEDLIFE can help. Last week, Carlos took the other interns and I to the community of Cerro Cachito to do just that — learn about the needs of a community.

Located in the Ventanilla district of Callao — a two and a half bus ride from our offices in Lima — the community of Cerro Cachito sits in the hills that overlook the Pacific Ocean. Founded about 10 years ago, this community is unified by one mission: helping persons with disabilities. Though it is comprised of both persons with and without disabilities, everyone living in Cerro Cachito shares the common goal of addressing the needs and improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities.

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Upon arrival, we were greeted by Rosa Marreros, a community leader who showed us around. As we walked through the streets and met with different community members, we learned about the establishment and development of Cerro Cachito, as well as its needs. Though many people in the community need extensive medical care, there is a lack of medical facilities in the area. As a result, several people are not getting the medical attention they deserve.

After the tour, we had a meeting, lead by Carlos, with different community members to discuss the needs of this community and what MEDLIFE can do to help.  As community members rallied together to discuss their points, I could see the light in their eyes sparked by their desire to move their community forward. It’s heartwarming to see so much passion not only in this community, but also in all the communities we work with.

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During our visit to Cerro Cachito, we met a handful of prospective patients for our Follow-Up program. Among them was Christopher, a six-year-old boy who is hard of hearing and is unable to speak. As we walked into his home, we could see the excitement rush through his as he greeted us with a huge smile, one that transcended any communication barriers between us.

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We look forward to many more visits to this community and to hosting a Mobile Clinic here in the near future.

Find out more about mobile clinics and the Patient Follow-up program here.

 

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Reya Seby
Western University

This trip motivated me more to pursue a career in the healthcare field so that I can use my resources to help those who need it the most, similar to MEDLIFE’s mission.

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Victoria DiCanio
University of Connecticut

It was most enjoyable to finish the hard work and see how big a difference a group of individuals can make. It was such an amazing experience.

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Anita Woo
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I enjoyed the mobile clinics the most, especially the dental and triage portions. I would definitely recommend a MEDLIFE trip, it was a great experience.

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David Saff
Maclay High School

The most enjoyable part of my trip was hanging out with the amazing group of kids I was with. I would highly recommend a MEDLIFE volunteer trip to others.

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Sydney Sansone
Nova Southeastern University

This trip made everything that I was learning in my public health courses come to life and immersed me in a new culture while also learning about medicine.

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Abygail Youmans
College of Charleston

Being involved with MEDLIFE is not like joining another club - its bigger than that. It is about joining a movement that seeks to help change people’s quality of life for forever.

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Emi Hofmann
University of Central Florida

Not only was I able to participate in a week long Mobile Clinic, shadowing doctors of all types of specialties including pharmacy, dentistry, gynecology, and more, but I was also able to learn about the culture and visit incredible places.

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Julian Takagi-Stewart
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One thing that I really loved about this trip was that MEDLIFE made sure that the volunteers got an understanding of the complexity of issues that lead to underprivileged people in communities outside of the main city

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Hannah Van Hofwegen
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Whether it was basketball with the local kids, assisting the doctors, talking with families, building washrooms, holding babies, or spending time with the people who were on the SLT with me, this was an amazing opportunity that I would do over and over again.

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Isabelle Holt
Cornell University

I loved learning about the patients MEDLIFE has followed and how they offer real help to people with chronic/urgent conditions. It is amazing how the organization formed real connections with the communities.

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Valerie Lindeborg
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Our family had the privilege of participating in multiple trips with Nick [founder] and his amazing staff. Their expertise made the trips unforgettable while instilling in my boys the fundamentals of good character: selflessness, compassion, and empathy.

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Harry Vildibill
University of Georgia

As an aspiring physician, MEDLIFE motivated me to further continue my goal of becoming a doctor. In fact, I enjoyed the Tanzania Service Learning Trip so much that I decided to go on another trip to Cusco, Peru.