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Filling in the Roof of the Union de Santa Fe Wawa Wasi
By Aidan Wells
“The sky is the limit if you have a roof over your head.”- Sol Hurok
There are many moving parts that go into the creation of a safe building, but in Peruvian construction, the roof is considered the most important. A completed roof symbolizes a completed project. The walls may need spackling and a fresh coat of paint, and the floor may need cleaning, but these are just aesthetic changes. No matter what, with a finished roof, a project is ready to be used.
Carlos Benavides, director of MED Programs Peru, stands with the materials required to fill in the roof.
On Sunday, June 25, 2017, just two months after the plans were finalized and the community agreement was signed, MEDLIFE Staff headed out to Union de Santa Fe to see the completed roof on the second floor of the wawa wasi. Union de Santa Fe community members, along with a few of the MEDLIFE interns, hauled countless buckets of rocks and sand to the cement mixer until the roof was finished and ready to be inaugurated.
With the addition of a cement mixer, a machine not readily available on project days, we were able to finish the roof in just one day!
MEDLIFE Summer interns, Brandy and Jana, pass a bucket of rocks down the cement assembly line.
Project days might be tough work, but they are definitely fun, too!
The first floor to the Wawa Wasi was completed in 2015 , and serves as a space for the Cuna Más program. Cuna Mas is a government program which provides trained childcare personnel and nutritional meals for kids. However, it is only available to kids between 6 months and 3 years old. In Peru, children don’t start primary school until age 6, so kids who are between ages 3 and 6 can’t enjoy the facilities. The new second floor of the Wawa Wasi will be used for a program called PRONOEI, a preschool for children ages 3-6. This addition aims to close the 3 year gap between when children age out of Cuna Más and start primary school, as well as provide a safe childcare facility for the children of working parents.
Members of Union de Santa Fe spread the concrete mixture on the Wawa Wasi’s roof.
Ricardo Ccasani, Union de Santa Fe community leader and MEDLIFE staff member, fixes a leak in the pipe carrying cement to the roof.
Thanks to the immense support of the Union de Santa Fe community, the Wawa Wasi roof was completed in just four hours!
The summer interns take a break from all the hard work to pose for a quick picture!
MEDLIFE Staff members, Martha, Rosali, Raúl, Edinson, Angie, and Dr. Nick Ellis, pose in front of the Wawa Wasi after the inauguration.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.