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Yuncaypata: Photoblog

This winter clinic season in Cusco, MEDLIFE began working intensively in the rural agrarian community of Yuncaypata, located in the mountains about 45 minutes outside of Cusco. MEDLIFE choose Yuncaypata as the site of its first fuel efficient stove project. Volunteers worked for a couple of weeks renovating kitchens here. Walking the streets of Yuncaypata is bittersweet, as the extreme beauty of the natural surroundings and the residents of the community is contrasted with the extreme poverty experienced by those who live there. These photos hold a sense of the former.

1

Backyard with flowers on a stormy day.

2

A beneficiary of the stoves project stands in her kitchen.

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Child of a beneficiary stands against an adobe wall, a material many houses here are constructed from.

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The streets here are unpaved, and turn to thick sludge in the rain.

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Guinea Pig on the floor of a beneficiaries (pictured below) kitchen, before MEDLIFE renovated it. Guinea Pig, or cuy is a typical food here. Many people keep them in their kitchens like this.

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Portrait of beneficiary. You can see the wood pile she uses to fuel her kitchen behind her.

7

Child of beneficiary with his mother in kitchen.

5

Home in Yuncaypata as storm clears above.

6

Compound where several families live on a sunny day.

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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
University of Toronto

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
University of Toronto

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
University of Ottawa

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
Parent

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.