Eight Weeks That Change Lives

Ian's MEDLIFE internship in Lima shows how Yampu-sponsored volunteers build homes, futures, and lasting community bonds.

Eight Weeks in Lima

Ian arrived in Lima as a MEDLIFE Volunteer Affairs Intern, sponsored by Yampu Tours, ready to spend his summer building sustainable community development projects. Over eight weeks, he moved from office planning to hands-on construction, from strategy to impact. Week Eight marks the culmination of this journey: Jorge's Ramp is about to be completed, Santusa Collo's house renovation is nearly finished, and the fall semester fundraiser—Foundations for a Future—has just been presented and approved. What began as an internship became something deeper: a lesson in how small actions ripple through communities.

Ian's Journey

Week Eight: Work, Collaboration, and Discovery
Three days that shaped a summer of service in Lima.

Building Santusa's Future

Building Santusa's Future

Hauling cement up a hillside to complete the roof on a home for a woman who had lost everything to illness—back-breaking work that became the most rewarding day of the internship.

Foundations for a Future

Foundations for a Future

Presenting an international fundraiser that became one of MEDLIFE's best, built on careful planning, team communication, and the willingness to listen and improve.

Huaca Pucllana

Huaca Pucllana

An ancient adobe pyramid standing in the heart of Miraflores, a reminder that meaningful work and cultural discovery belong together.

A House, a Meal, a Lesson

Santusa developed breast lumps that made work impossible. Thanks to MEDLIFE's medical support, she finally had surgery. But her home was collapsing—minutes away from becoming uninhabitable. Multiple MEDLIFE chapters fundraised to rebuild it. On the day Ian's team hauled cement to complete the roof, Santusa stopped by with eggs, rice, and beans she'd spent all day preparing. It was her way of saying thank you. In that simple meal was everything: gratitude, resilience, and the quiet truth that our smallest actions ripple far beyond what we can see.

What This Week Taught

Three lessons from Week Eight that shaped Ian's understanding of community development work.
What This Week Taught

Small Actions, Big Impact

Building Santusa's roof was exhausting work, but watching her prepare a meal to thank the team revealed something deeper. Every action we take in community development—no matter how difficult in the moment—ripples outward. That lesson applies whether you're in the field or the classroom.

Project Management Matters

Completing the Foundations for a Future fundraiser taught the power of organization, clear communication, and listening to feedback. Using project management tools, coordinating across teams and offices, and refining deliverables based on fresh eyes made the difference between a good fundraiser and one of MEDLIFE's best.

Skills Translate Across Borders

Ian came to Lima with classroom knowledge and left with proof that academic training becomes real-world impact. The ability to plan, communicate, and execute—learned in school—directly enabled him to create an international fundraiser that will fund future community projects.
What This Week Taught

Small Actions, Big Impact

Building Santusa's roof was exhausting work, but watching her prepare a meal to thank the team revealed something deeper. Every action we take in community development—no matter how difficult in the moment—ripples outward. That lesson applies whether you're in the field or the classroom.

Project Management Matters

Completing the Foundations for a Future fundraiser taught the power of organization, clear communication, and listening to feedback. Using project management tools, coordinating across teams and offices, and refining deliverables based on fresh eyes made the difference between a good fundraiser and one of MEDLIFE's best.

Skills Translate Across Borders

Ian came to Lima with classroom knowledge and left with proof that academic training becomes real-world impact. The ability to plan, communicate, and execute—learned in school—directly enabled him to create an international fundraiser that will fund future community projects.

Meet Ian

Ian arrived in Lima as a Biology major with a minor in Community & International Development, carrying a mission shaped by years of MEDLIFE work. From his first brigade to Cusco as a freshman at the University of Vermont, he knew this path was his. He rose through the ranks—Vice President, Brigades Officer, and eventually President of his chapter—before returning to Peru as a MEDLIFE Volunteer Affairs Intern. Between mentoring two mentees, volunteering on the pediatric floor at UVM Medical Center, and competing with the triathlon club, Ian has built a life around service. This internship is where his Biology degree and development minor converge: planning and implementing sustainable projects that bring medical access to vulnerable communities.

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