Volunteer in Peru with Maximo Nivel - Best Rated Projects

A special shout out to our group leader, Dominic, and our medical campaign organizer, Dina, for making this such a special experience for our group. We all felt that this experience deepened our desire to become healthcare professions and we are hoping to do a similar program in Guatemala through Maximo Nivel next year. I also hope to return to Peru some day because I fell deeply in love with the culture and the people throughout my time.

The other volunteers and I were able to complete upwards of 30 hours helping over 500 people in 4 communities around Cusco. This was such a great experience! We were able to provide healthcare to people who, otherwise, might not have been able to afford it, and we were able to gain more practical skills in the medical field which, the majority of us hope to go into one day. I am very grateful to the entire staff of Maximo which made this such a memorable experience for all of us. Thank you!

I took two classes a day of Maximo Nivel's native Spanish program for three weeks. The teachers were excellent as were the support staff and I was able to notice a large improvement in my ability to comprehend and speak Spanish. I think this class is a great way to learn a new language and help navigate Cusco and Peru! Even though I wasn't a volunteer there the facilities were great and the staff were always available to answer questions I had about classes, the city, and exploring the surrounding region.

I don't have enough good things to say about the staff at Maximo and at the Clinic I worked at. They were there for me through everything... even when I broke my leg on the last day. They helped me get the medical attention I needed and one of them, Dominic, even wheeled me through the airport when I was leaving in my cast. Such great people here. I really hope to come back to Cusco one day to do some more volunteering, hopefully through Maximo Nivel

I had such an incredible time doing the medical volunteer program through Maximo. My group only spent 10 days in Peru, and did a week long volunteer project, but I feel like I got so much out of the experience. Several fellow nursing students and I spent five days working at the Centro de Salud in Chinchero. We really got to put our skills to the test - taking vitals, administering injections, doing wound care, assisting with prenatal and well child check ups, working in triage, and sharpening our Spanish skills. Kristi was our coordinator and she did an excellent job! Dina, the coordinator specifically for the medical sites, visited us every day and made sure we had what we needed. She is a Peruvian nurse and was very helpful in teaching us the ins and outs of the Peruvian medical system. In spite of our short visit, we also were able to travel and explore quite a bit. One perk of Maximo is they seamlessly partner with American Inca tourism agency; they're even in the same building. We took all our trips through them and had a blast. Even though I accidentally drove my ATV into a cactus (I really don't recommend doing that), I had an incredible time in Peru and can't wait to go back. The Maximo team provided excellent support for getting my (many, many) cactus wounds checked out, and set up an appointment for me with an English-speaking, Maximo-affiliated physician. I was extremely well taken care of. I plan to do another (hopefully longer) trip with Maximo when I am a registered nurse in a couple months and can contribute even more.

Since I returned home I have told so many of my friends, family, and coworkers about this amazing experience I had in Peru.

When I arrived at Cusco airport, the first week of March and step outside into this cold, wet, and grey city I asked myself what the heck have I gotten myself into? By the end of the week I was so grateful to have been able to participate in this amazing experience, so grateful for the people I met, and so grateful that I was able to give. Although I am significantly older than the average participant age was never an issue as we were united in a common cause.

From the people I worked with, to Marco the head of the construction site, and to Maximo for handling every detail everything was well done. The work on the clinic, the activities sponsored by Maximo, and the free time to explore made this a one of many I want to do with them. If you are looking to volunteer for a week or weeks you couldn’t do it with a better organization than this. Thanks for one of the most memorable weeks of my life!!

I really enjoyed this experience. From being with the other volunteers to working for the community. It's always great to travel to a new country, it's even better when you meet awesome people who share the same goal: to help while exploring. It was great to see the progress we were making in a much needed obgyn. The Peruvian culture is awesome, and it's landscape breathtaking. It was a very fun experience. The staff at Maximo were excellent. They were very helpful, "down to earth", and I appreciated them having activities to do after your placements. So there was always something to do. Would definitely do it again.

From the moment I arrived in Cusco, I was lucky enough to meet the nicest people. I was a little nervous to go to another country alone to volunteer, but that quickly changed once I met the friendly and super helpful people at Maximo Nivel. I was greeted with a warm welcome by the staff who were eager to answer any questions I had. The wonderful people who work at Maximo not only became who we all could depend on, but they also became our friends.

Throughout my construction program, I had the pleasure of getting to know our Field Manager, named Dom, who would make frequent visits to the work site. He made sure that I was comfortable and happy with everything that I was doing in peru. I felt so lucky to have such an amazing person from Maximo to work with who was always so helpful and friendly!

Having an atmosphere that is so comfortable and positive, like the one at Maximo Nivel, makes all the difference in any situation. I came to Peru a bit nervous about what to expect, but when my final days in Cusco came, I did not want to leave. It felt like I was leaving my family!

Words cannot express how fantastic my time in Cusco was.  From the food to my host family, to all the amazing people I've met and the friendships I developed, my three weeks in Peru were ones that I will hold close to my heart.  I cannot thank Maximo Nivel enough for everything they have done for me.  I cannot wait to start my next adventure with them soon!