It’s Yampu-sponsored MEDLIFE student, Ian’s, fourth week in Peru. This week’s update really emphasizes the hard work the MEDLIFE team has been putting  in, not only to promote a healthier community, but a happier one in Lima, Peru. Check out the video and update from Ian below to see the great strides they have made in community development.

Week 4

This past week was amazing! Working on this project for three days has let me see the progression of the garden project we started and the amount of time, money and energy that went into it. I was very impressed with the relationships MEDLIFE has created and maintains with the community, as well as with the school and the municipality for supporting this project and projects and clinics in the surrounding area.

At the completion of the garden and mural project we celebrated with the children, teachers and community by having an inauguration of the wall and garden. It was so amazing to see both of the projects being used and to see how they have already made such a big impact on the children and surrounding community.

On the weekend we went to the Parque de la Reserva to see the Circuito Mágico del Agua (The Magical Water Circuit) it was so beautiful to go through the gardens and see the water and light shows. We also watched the main light show which was probably the coolest thing I’ve seen in Lima! They projected videos and crazy designs on the mist and water to share the story and culture of Peru. It is definitely a place to go when visiting Lima, Peru, especially since it costs less than $2.

During this weekend we also went to the Red Bull Flugtag in Playa Agua Dulce in Chorrillos. It was a free event and it was so much fun! We watched home-made flying crafts try to glide the furthest in the air off of a large pier in the Pacific Ocean. We also were interviewed for Peruvian television and were brought to the VIP section to enjoy a better view and complementary food and drinks. It was a blast!!

With the weekend ending I was very excited to be heading to Iquitos Peru, the world’s largest city inaccessible by car (it’s only accessible by air and river). We took a week off from work to enjoy our time in the jungle and it has been such a blast already. We arrived to Iquitos and started to explore the city from amazing sunsets over the amazon to a river, taking creepy reflection pictures to taking a boat to a floating restaurant, we are having an amazing time! Later this week we are going to be spending two days in the jungle and I cant wait to see what we do!!

-Ian

About Ian
Hometown: Hamilton, NJ
School: University of Vermont
Major: Biology
Minor: Community & International Development

Ian is a mentor for two awesome mentees Keshon and Kiki, a volunteer at the University of Vermont Medical Center on the pediatric floor, the president of MEDVIDA, his local chapter of MEDLIFE, and a member of the UVM Triathlon club. He loves being outdoors hiking, snowboarding, and camping.

Ian first got involved with MEDLIFE at the University of Vermont by joining his local chapter during Freshman year. He went on his first brigade that summer to Cusco, Peru and it changed his life. During his Sophomore year he became Vice President and Brigades Officer for his chapter. That summer he went on my second brigade to Esmeraldas, Ecuador where he first learned about his current internship in Lima, Peru. In his Junior year he became the President of his chapter at UVM and he is now a MEDLIFE Volunteer Affairs Intern.

His goal for this internship is to connect his Biology major and Community and International Development minor through helping with the planning and implementation of sustainable community development projects that help bring medical access to vulnerable communities.

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