Peru Medical Mission 

The Rotary Club of Homewood Illinois

 

International Humanitarian Program

 

2002 Medical Mission to Cusco Peru

·         Rotarians around the world have joined with the Rotary Club of Homewood, Illinois, in District 6450, to bring smiles, hope, and a better future to needy children and adults in Cusco Peru.

·         The Homewood Club’s 2002 Medical Mission brought 35 doctors, 15 nurses, 2 pharmacists, and 38 volunteers into the Andes Mountains of Peru to help those in need.

·         Working together with the Rotary Clubs of Cusco Peru, Bradley-Bourbonnais, Chicago Heights, Matteson, Oak Park/River Forest, with the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS), Volunteer Optometric Services for Humanity (VOSH), and with a Rotary International Foundation Matching Grant, to provide $3 million of medical supplies and equipment to an area that still needs so much. 

·         In the course of five days, the group saw close to 3000 needy, mostly indigent children and adults. Thirteen surgeons performed 138 successful surgical procedures.

·         The Homewood Club not only involved Rotarians, but also included their Homewood community. Homewood School District 153 collected school supplies and wrote personal notes that were delivered to a Cusco grade school.

 

2004 Medical Mission to Cusco Peru

After seeing such positive results and so much need, the Homewood Club worked on the May 2004 Medical Mission to a Cusco hospital in greater need. The goal is to provide quality medical and surgical care to needy children and adults while trying to improve the physical conditions at Antonio Lorena Hospital, Cusco Peru.

Homewood and surrounding communities, School District 153, Marian Catholic High School, the Rotary Clubs of Cusco Peru, Bradley-Bourbonnais, Chicago Heights, Homewood, Manteno, Matteson, Oak Forest, District 6450, along with PAMS, our local hospitals: Ingalls, Loyola, Advocate South Suburban, many medical and pharmaceutical companies, World Wide Logistics, Clarke Packing and Crating, and many others have opened their hearts and hands and are reaching out. Lives are being saved. Fellowship and friendships are being cultivated.

 

History of the 2006 Medical Mission to Cajamarca Peru

While the Peruvian American Medical Society (P.A.M.S.) continues its’ long history doing Medical Mission throughout Peru, in 2000, Rotarian Ruben Chuquimia (from Ingall’s Hospital in IL) approached his Homewood Rotary Club and asked if they would work with P.A.M.S. on a Medical Mission to Cusco Peru, his home town.

While most P.A.M.S. Missions take 12-20 people, the 2002 Cusco Medical Mission, sponsored by Homewood Rotary and PAMS took 35 doctors, 15 nurses, 2 pharmacists, and 38 volunteers that include the Volunteer Optometric Services for Humanity (VOSH) who put glasses on over 2,000 children and adults. The Rotary club collected and shipped over $3 million in medical equipment and supplies. This mission was so successful due to Dr. Chuquimia’s Mission experience and connections to his hometown, the Cusco Rotarian’s, funding from a Rotary International grant, Illinois local hospital doctors and nurses who volunteered, Homewood Rotarians, local volunteers, and funds from IL-P.A.M.S.

The Homewood Club not only involved Rotarians, but also included their Homewood community. A local school collected school supplies and wrote personal notes that were delivered to a Cusco grade school already familiar with the Rotary Club of Homewood. Just before the 2002 Mission, Homewood Rotary provided the school with a new feature - an 8-toilet lavatory structure with running water. Homewood Rotary also provides an adult literacy program and a tailor/seamstress program for poor adults in this same area.

In 2004, Homewood Rotary took a group of over 90 volunteers, shipped the same volume of equipment/supplies, and, while working at a needier hospital in Cusco, revisited the first hospital to make sure all was going well with equipment donated 2 years prior.  This Mission was also co-sponsored by Homewood Rotary and PAMS.

In March of 2005, Dr. Angelats (IL-PAMS member who participated in the last two Rotary Missions), from Loyola Hospital, approached Homewood Rotary and asked the Club to participate in another Medical Mission to Peru. The Club agreed and invited VOSH of IL to participate. Early in our planning, Dr. Angelats asked a MO-PAMS member who grew up in Cajamarca, to work with Homewood Rotary and IL-PAMS on their 2006 Medical Mission in his hometown. While we anticipated 80 volunteers, this mission had 120 volunteers and two–40 foot containers of equipment and supplies shipped from IL along with one-40 foot container from MO. Homewood and Bradley-Bourbonnais Rotarians (Rick and Donna Thiernau, Jim DeZwaan), along with Dr. Chuquimia and Dr. and Mrs. Angelats were the organizers and volunteered throughout. The majority of doctors and nurses were from Loyola Medical Center in IL. The Rotary Club of Homewood, with the help from a Rotary International grant, contributed $39,600, along with collecting $1,084 in private donations. IL-PAMS donated $21,500, and MO-PAMS donated $2,500. MO-PAMS, along with IL-PAMS and the Rotary Club of Homewood, aided two orphanages and a soup kitchen.

Rotarian DO make a Difference - please click to view!