Volunteer Programs in Trujillo, Peru

I had an amazing experience volunteering with VivePeru. The staff and homestay were very welcoming, and I had plenty of opportunities to explore my career interests. When something didn’t go as planned, it was clear that the staff went out of their way to find new opportunities. Overall, I highly recommend this program to people interested in global volunteering and medicine.

I had a really good time and it was really fun. It was hard to get me into the correct hospital but I understand it was due to change in directors. The staff was very welcoming and helpful but I wish I had more of a connection with the interns themselves.

Volunteering with Vive Peru has been one of the best decisions I have taken in my life. Since day 1 of the program, the coordinators and staff are dedicates to your well being and cultural immersion in a new country. You are exposed to different aspects of the culture that allows you to develop a sense of appreciation for it. Working at the clinical site opened my mind to develop clinical thinking skills and taught me valuable lessons on how it is to practice medicine in an under-resourced setting, on how to deliver compassionate care and exposed me to the basics on how to make independent clinical decisions.

I was recently in Peru during the end of December and beginning of January for 2 weeks. I was able to experience the rich culture, kind people, and different living conditions of Trujillo, Peru. I was also observing medical clinics/hospitals daily. The staff of the program were very helpful, structured, and kind. My home stay was amazing as well (and probably my favorite part because of the Peruvian food). All in all it was a 10/10 experience.

Peru has been the ideal place to feel comfortable and safe, whilst having such a different cultural experience, seeing things so differently from how people see things at home. The people are the most hospitable I have ever met and don’t seem to mind where you come from, they just love sharing with everyone and are super friendly. The kids are rewarding when doing work with them and they find it a novelty having an experience with someone from a different country so are some of the most engaging kids I’ve worked with. You will leave feeling so much more grateful for the world and communities around you, because the community culture and work here really leaves an impact for both sides.

It is a great experience to learn about the culture, improve your Spanish, acquire medical knowledge, and meet amazing people. I loved that I got over my fear of speaking Spanish and spoke to the locals.

It was nice and I feel like I learned alot from this experience. I enjoyed learning about the Peruvian culture and the language. The people you meet are very nice aswell. Made some friends so its good.

I really enjoyed my time with Vive Peru. I was able to stay in a beautiful home with good amenities and food. I also got the opportunity to shadow physicians alongside a translator to learn more about the medical system in Peru and improve my medical knowledge. I also got to teach kids English which was a rewarding experience.

This program is well connected with several health clinics, and is scheduled in a way that you can make it the way you want it to be. I had a great time in the clinics, watching surgeries, campaigns, and working with the public health project. In our free time we would explore Trujillo shops, cafes, and the night life. Over weekends we visited beautiful cities nearby as well. Overall it was a great program and I’ll definitely recommend it.

Based on your goals as a volunteer, Vive Perú does their best to accommodate you. I volunteered as a US medical student for my global health rotation. Overall this was a great exposure to the medical system and a great opportunity to meet and work with Peruvian health professionals. There were other aspects included in the program, including teaching English to kids and a medical Spanish course.

Great rotation for clinical experience for pre-meds or 1st/2nd year medical students. Incredible homestay and felt integrated into life in Trujillo. Vive Peru staff were so helpful and the translators were great in the clinical settings

Through Vivé Peru I was able to receive irreplaceable public health experience and personal development while living in Peru. I learned so much about community health and culture that I am so grateful for!

Vive Peru responded to this reviewNovember 15, 2023

Emmy, thank you so much for reviewing our program! Please tell us how we can improve our programs to reach those 10 stars!

My time in Peru was amazing. It was a great experience to be surrounded by an unfamiliar culture. Vive Peru did a fantastic job of making me feel comfortable and taken care of. My only negative experience was some of the organization components of the trip. There would be some days where I had nothing going on, and I struggled to keep myself busy. Other than that, everything was amazing. Amazing people, travel opportunities, community, and volunteers. My sister and I visited a different part of Peru every weekend and loved it. I 100% recommend this trip to anybody considering!

A summer in Peru with Vive Peru was an eye-opening experience. It's an incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture, especially in the healthcare setting. It's also a great way to learn Spanish on the fly and make new friends along the way! We had an amazing host mom who took great care of us and made sure we were safe and enjoying all the Peru had to offer. Peru is a beautiful country and I definitely recommend participating in an experience like this!

loved Vive Peru and the coordinators! the whole trip was a very independent experience and you were able to really submerse yourself into the city. it was truly an unforgettable experience and i’ve been planning on my return trip to Peru.

Participating in the Vive Peru program was so rewarding! I not only got to learn about the Peruvian health care system but also the culture in a way that would not have been possible without the program. Getting to live with a host family helped expose me first-hand to the culture and language of the country. This program helped immerse me into the history and culture of Perú by organizing events for the volunteers to go to. When I first joined the program I thought it would exclusively be a shadowing experience but was surprised at how open the medical staff were at letting me participate in patient evaluations and other activities. Overall I was really happy with the 5 weeks I spent in Perú!

Vive Peru taught me so so much about the Peruvian healthcare system as well as the Peruvian culture and history. I felt like I became part of the community here and will carry the memory of these 5 weeks with me forever.

I came to Peru not knowing much about the country. While I have been here I have not only learned about this country and the culture, but also so much about medicine. We interact with the locals every day and help with their care. Shadowing and helping so many different doctors in different specialties gave me a good view on what I think I might want to go into in the future. Working with teaching the kids English too was so fun, and the kids were the sweetest ever.

During my time in Perú, I had the opportunity to experience the medical system and learn a lot from different rotations and physicians. Also, I was able to emerge in the community and feel part of the locals. My host family was very welcoming and always made me feel like at home.

Viveperu surpassed all my expectations for a summer medical internship. I had access to view surgeries and procedures that I could never before, even as a nursing student in the US. I was able to learn and practice medical skills such as vaccinations, sutures, triage, and IV insertion. I have gained an immense amount of knowledge from the kind Viveperu staff and partner doctors and nurses. The hospitals we were placed in were very accepting and allowed us full access to all specialties. This program is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I would 100% recommend if you are looking for hands on medical experience where you learn by DOING.