Peru – Summer 2020

PERU – AMAZON

The Secrets in the Selva program examines healthcare from the perspective of the Amazon, offering insight into the Peruvian health care system as well as western and traditional approaches to heath and wellness. From the big bustling city of Lima to remote towns and jungles in Amazonia, we’ll explore the history of healthcare in Peru. We’ll learn about traditional practices in the lowlands and the country’s more recent transition to “modern” healthcare while exploring Amazonian ways of life old and new. We’ll visit local hospitals/clinics, dig into sustainable agricultural, taste Amazonian cuisine, interact with plant-based medicine, and examine holistic approaches to healthcare. We’ll work on innovative community initiatives and learn alongside local practitioners.

The immersive classroom will challenge students physically while pushing them to think critically about healthcare and service delivery in a unique cultural landscape.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS • Visit hospitals and clinics in Lima and Tarapoto to see first-hand how healthcare works in Peru. • Talk with healthcare practitioners, NGO workers and community members to get a variety of perspectives on health and healthcare in the highlands. • Learn about medicinal plants, explore holistic approaches, and examine how age-old traditions continue to serve marginalized populations in the Amazon. • Go off-the-beaten path and hike with Ecoaldeas in the Amazon forest!