About Us
Bienvenido!
Vive Perú is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering understanding of Latin American and Peruvian culture and providing much-needed aid to Peruvian communities. We work to promote cultural understanding and implement innovative and self-sustainable programs in the areas of health, education, and social work.
Through its relationship with local organizations and institutions, Vive Perú is in continuous dialogue with the Peruvian community to design sustainable projects and initiatives that will have a long-term impact in the areas we work. Much-needed aid is provided through medical campaigns, health education campaigns, English workshops, music enrichment programs and Internet installation projects.
Volunteers are an integral part of our strategy in Peru. Their time, energy, creativity and fundraising efforts make our programs possible, and the relationships they form with the communities in Peru are signs of how programs like this not only support development but are also forming future generations to have a deeper appreciation for other cultures.
We invite you to browse our website to learn more about our work in Peru, read about volunteers’ experiences first hand and learn how to support our mission. We invite you to become part of a network of volunteers and donors who are working for a brighter future.
Sincerely,
The Vive Perú Team
The Volunteer Experience
Claudia Ramos
Medical Program Coordinator
Claudia has completed a Master of Public Health degree, majoring in Management and Health Policy. Currently she is pursuing a degree in Business Administration. She is an expert in management of local development and decentralization, as well as quality of care and administration, training, planning and evaluation. She is also knowledgable about training and counseling communities and analysis of inequities and social determinants of health and well-being.
Belina Alcalde
Field Coordinator
Beliña is a Trujillo native who studied the development of tourism from an anthropological perspective. She is passionate about gender equality and incorporating the entire community in order to break the traditional cycle of violence. Before joining Vive Peru in 2016, Beliña worked with Circulos Solidadio, a nonprofit organization committed to social engagement and empowerment. Beliña is an outstanding leader who values creating personal connections and making positive social change.
Rachel Jurkowski
Founder and CEO
Rachel first traveled to Peru in 2006 to teach music to children in the shantytowns outside of Lima. In 2007 she returned for a month-long visit and before she knew it, she had already lived in Peru for three years. Her desire to have a long-term impact on the community and deepen other’s understanding of the Latin American culture grew. Rachel launched Vive Peru in 2011 with a deep desire to expand volunteer impact in Peru and to focus on developing long-term sustainable initiatives throughout Peru.. Rachel graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Philosophy and Music. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
Blake Thomson
Advisor
Blake was ecstatic to have the opportunity to volunteer in a medical clinic in Trujillo, Peru in the summer of 2010 and fell in love with it — the people, the food, the culture, and most of all, the work — and returned in the winter. Blake graduated in May 2013 from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Global Health. After experiencing international healthcare to an extent that is rare for undergraduate students, as well as seeing the power of Vive Peru’s community development projects, Blake passionately encourages others to take advantage of this opportunity.
Tanny Men
Advisor
Tanny has an M.S. in International Development and Management from Lund University in Sweden. She has worked with several cross-cultural initiatives including working on refugee resettlement programs in Arizona, consulting enterprise globalization initiatives in Beijing, and research on the transport sector in Tanzania. She is fluent in English, Chinese and French, and hopes to add Spanish to that list after she finds time to have an extended stay in Peru. She currently works as a project manager for a start-up technology company in Phoenix and supports Vive Peru in their strategic development and website design.