Our MEDLIFE volunteers in Lima, Peru are making a big impact during their Service Learning Trip. We chatted with a few of them to hear about their experience so far, what they have learned from being in our partner communities and MEDLIFE Mobile Clinics, and what they would tell others who are curious about volunteering abroad.
Meet the medlife Volunteers
Yaheia Mussa traveled all the way from the University of Detroit-Mercy to assist our local doctors and experience the atmosphere of the mobile clinics first-hand. We asked him a few questions about his MEDLIFE volunteer experience so far:
MEDLIFE: “What’s the most important thing you learned today?”
A lot of people deal with poverty, and we have to gather together to see what we can do to make the biggest difference for those in need.
MEDLIFE: “What advice would you give to someone thinking about coming here?”
Oh, it’s 100% the trip to be here, if you love medicine. Just even helping people. I know I learned a lot of Spanish. I definitely made a lot of interactions and connections with people, and, you know, these memories are going to stay with me a long time.
MEDLIFE: “How did you feel coming here today for the first time?”
Honestly, it was amazing, I couldn’t stop smiling. I love dentistry, so, anything I’m doing with that I’m just extremely happy. And just like all these kids, I really wanted to do the most I could with them, as well as the parents and everybody.
We also got to speak with another MEDLIFE volunteer, Casey Cestary from Miami University-Ohio, about what she has learned so far from this experience and what lessons she will be taking home with her.
MEDLIFE: “What’s the most important thing that you’ve learned so far?”
I think I learned a lot about empathy and just realizing what other people go through and kinda taking that with a grain of salt and learning that some people are less fortunate and don’t have the opportunities that we do, and I’m very happy that we get to help.
MEDLIFE: “What advice would you give to somebody who is considering coming here?”
Definitely do it! I’ve learned so much so far. My older sister got to do this trip a few years ago and that really helped me decide that I wanted to go in.
Another student from the University of Miami-Ohio, Sarah Folkenroth shared some of her observations about her SLT experience.
MEDLIFE: “What’s the most shocking thing that you’ve seen so far?”
I would say just the conditions that people live in, and, it’s different sanitation. No toilet paper in some places, different plumbing. So, I would say that. And just the amount of dogs that are around here.
MEDLIFE: “And if you could describe your trip so far in one word?”
Eye-opening, I’d say.
Conclusion
Chatting with MEDLIFE volunteers is always a pleasure, considering they can provide insight into what the Service Learning Trip experience is like for someone who has more of an outside perspective. Our staff can always boast about how incredible of an experience our trips are, but getting to hear it from someone who may be in the same position as you can mean a lot more.
Are you interested in helping to provide healthcare, education, and infrastructure to low-income communities in Latin America and Africa? Get started with MEDLIFE today by filling out the interest form below to join our mailing list, or download our brochure!