Ayoshna Ganesh

This trip has literally been the experience of a lifetime. I have so many stories to share and so many people I am going to miss so much.

I started this trip with so many different ideas and expectations. I never could have imagined that I would get to see a C-section and help, or give an injured man a suture, give shots to babies and adults, run the triage center and so much more. The doctors were so helpful and they taught me so much, but importantly medicine isn’t just a science, but you also need to use your senses to feel for the patient’s distress. The medical classes that we had were a blast. I learned how to take blood pressure, temperature and heart and breathing rate. Above all that, I learned how to suture and give shots. I am so glad I got to meet Dr. Giancarlo, he was so fun to work with and the experience I got examining patients was so cool.

I also didn’t think my Spanish (or lack thereof) would be enough to survive there for five weeks, but I truly learned so much with the help of the Spanish classes and just learning to ask and for explanations! Everyday was a new lesson and although I felt like I knew the basics every class taught me something new.

I also loved working every Wednesday with those kids in La Libertad and taking the time to get to know them and be around their bright personalities! It was such a heartfelt experience and one I would love to experience again. It brought me to tears when all the kids gave us group hugs on our last day there and it made me want to come back every day. One of my most favorite things though was the Medical Campaign. It was so much fun and such a worthwhile experience getting to help those in need and putting all those skills we learned in the program to great use. Running the triage center with all my friends and getting a system going was  hard at first, but once we had it, it was so smooth and really fun.

With all this I got to see so much and be a part of the Peruvian culture for more than a month! All those weekend trips… No matter how fun they were also added a key part to the whole experience and helped me learn so much. My host mom was the sweetest and I learned that there was no end to the variation of bread, rice, eggs, and potatoes! I am going to miss the manzanilla tea. I couldn’t believe all the friends that I made on this trip! All you guys are the best and I am going to miss you all so so much! I really didn’t think that I would make so many wonderful friends and get to be a part of such a great family. Each and every friend that I made changed the way I thought and added just another level of fun to this whole experience. All you guys made my experience in Pacasmayo great and a blast!

Last but not least was ending this trip with all the people I met from Trujillo, Otuzco, and Pacasmayo to see one of the seven wonders of the world. Although it was so cold and there was a never ending number of stairs the view was breathtaking. I am so glad I got the chance to be a part of Vive Peru and be a part of this great experience.

Ayoshna Ganesh is a junior at Arizona State University studying Biochemistry. She volunteered in the Clinical Medicine program in Pacasmayo during Session One in the summer of 2016.