Sights on Health, Inc.

This is the first time I have been on a mission trip. I had a great time and got to feel like I was giving back to the world for everything it has blessed me with. As an ophthalmology resident, I got to see and learn a whole new side to my field. I got to laugh and cry with people who taught me the real importance of sight and vision. I cannot wait to go back on the trip with the group again.

My sister has worked with them for many years, and I’ve had the chance to see firsthand the dedication and impact this organization has in underserved communities in Peru. It’s truly inspiring to see how they provide real, sustainable support, focusing on the specific needs of each community while operating with integrity and transparency. Every time she returns from a trip, she shares heartfelt stories of hope and positive change that are only possible due to the relentless effort of this team. I truly admire their mission and commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those who need it most. I highly recommend supporting their work in any way possible!

My trip to Peru with Sights on Health was a genuinely rewarding experience. I saw firsthand how restoring sight changed lives, with patients experiencing the world again after years of difficulty. The warmth of the community and their gratitude were truly moving. The team I worked with was fantastic; everyone brought dedication and a positive attitude, making the experience even more enjoyable. Each interaction reminded me of the importance of compassion in healthcare. This journey gave me lasting memories and a stronger sense of purpose in wanting to make a real difference in people’s lives.

I’ve been fortunate enough to complete 3 missions to Peru with Sights on Health and am always impressed by the dedication to patient care. They make a huge impact on the communities they serve

I have had the good fortune to serve with this organization in Peru on 4 different occassions. The medical personnel and support team are incredibly dedicated and talented. They have restored sight to hundreds of people over the years and provided much-needed primary care health services to countless others. Sights on Health is making a profound and lasting impact on the health of people in disadvantaged communities around the world.

Volunteering with Sights on Health has been one of the most uplifting experiences of my life. The opportunity through vision restoration to make a direct impact on the lives of so many underserved but deserving patients and their families was memorable. I fondly remember some families happily crying after their loved ones received cataract surgery and were able to discern faces after so many years of being blind. Others were finally able to work again, read, and do activities they had missed for so many years. I hope to continue volunteering with this organization and would definitely recommend this nonprofit!

This last mission to Peru was my third. And again I was humbled, amazed, thrilled, excited. A rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. The people we worked with in Peru were fantastic, warm and responsible. The organization was seamless and I felt taken care of and safe. Because of this I could focus on my work and my patients there. There was so much camaraderie and professionalism. We worked as a team so much. As an example I saw a 30 week preemie baby that had no eye exam done for retinopathy of prematurity. I called the eye team and even if they were really seeing adults they went the extra mile and saw this baby and could advise and reassure this family. It was so rewarding and the family was so happy. We are still in touch and this lovely baby has been thriving!!!!!! I would go on another million missions with Sights on Health without hesitation.
Carolina Pombar, Pediatrics.

I have been part of the group for years and honestly every year is a great experience. Love to be part of this organization.

SOH operated on a 30 yr old man with 2 very young children. He was deaf and became blind due to a congenital illness. Once he was operated on, he could see from both eyes and was now able to once again provide for his family and be a father for his children... what a story.

Along the last decade, I have had the opprotunity to participate and see the life changing impact of Sights on Health free cataract surgery and ophthalmologic care missions to Cuzco Region in Peru. Hundreds of peasants and rural towns people have benefited not only recovering or improving sight, but also from general medical campaigns held or supported by Sights on Health, we are deeply grateful to this great non profit organization.

Sights on Health is a wonderful organization with volunteers that travel to other countries to help restore functional vision to those less fortunate than us. These volunteers do amazing things! The patients these volunteers treat are so grateful for the care and kindness they receive from the Sights in Health group and are thrilled to regain some normalcy back in their lives. The volunteers, doctors and support staff alike, are so humbled by the experience and the kindness and gratitude the receive from the locals they help. They truly come home touched by the locals and a little different from this experience. This a a wonderful group. I support them wholeheartedly!

I was able to volunteer with Sights on Health for the first time this month, on a cataract surgical mission in Calca, Peru. It was an eye-opening experience to provide medical evaluations for almost 100 patients before they underwent cataract surgery. I am grateful for the opportunity to be taught by this non-profit, to be able to give care to an extremely deserving community, and to be inspired by all the donors and especially the other participants, from those performing admin roles to our surgeons! Sights on Health is beyond a great non-profit and I look forward to continuing to work with them!

Just finished my third cataract surgical mission trip with this wonderful nonprofit organization. What a tremendous group of people! I can’t say enough about them!

This is my third year participating in the Sights on Health, Inc. surgical mission and my first trip to Peru with them. As always, we had a skilled and hard working team who gave the best possible care to the patients in need. Even though I do not know the language, I can feel the patient’s gratitude when they leave with smiles on their faces. I am grateful for the leadership of Sights on Health, Inc. who always ensure the mission runs smoothly and is a success. I look forward to participating in more missions in the future.

I have been Volunteering my services as Treasurer for this outstanding organization for the past 5 years, we run an extremely efficient operation consisting of 100% patinate volunteers so our operating costs are minimal and donations are maximized for the causes we support. I had the honor of volunteering my time along with many other wonderful volunteers to execute our Peru Cataract Surgical Mission in Calca. The experience was life changing not only for the 49 patients we were able to provide the gift of sight, I too will for ever be changed, my heart is so filled. It is so true the gift of giving has a profound positive effect on those who do the giving. I'm looking forward to supporting our outstanding organization in whatever capacity it may require of me to help others in the future.

I really appreciate the dedication and sensitivity this organization brings to the table.

I just want to say that this organization changed my career path! Outstanding team of medical professionals and volunteers travel to Peru to help those that are ignored and neglected by their own government and medical system.Sights on health helps people see again! How unbelievable is that and it is all done through volunteer work and love. I became and interpreter and translator because of my volunteer opportunity in 2017! Changed my life and this organization changes peoples’ lives giving them back their basic right to be able to see again!

I did a mission trip as a premed student with Sights on Health back in 2014 in the Urubamba Valley Peru also known as the sacred valley. It was a rewarding experience working directly with Dr. Debra Messina along with the other talented physicians in helping this marginalized region obtain proper treatment and healthcare screenings for their sight. The indigenous people were kind and appreciative of the mission and it was a privilege to serve in this organization.

I have volunteered with this non profit, Sights on Health, for many years both as a trip participant and as a fundraiser. I dislike doing any kind of fundraising but I successfully do it for this organization because I believe so strongly in their mission and the integrity of the people who run it. Many of my close friends and family donate too because of the assurance I can give them that every penny is meticulously watched and spent in the maximum way to ensure high quality care for our patients.
No one who runs this organization takes a salary at all, that's how dedicated they are to the patients in greatest need of healthcare and eye surgery etc. that Sights on Health provides. You just don't find this kind of selflessness and commitment to serving the poor everyday.
An amazing charity doing amazing work!

My wife and I have been supporting Sights On Health on many fund raising activities throughout the years. We have seen first hand how Sights On Health has helped thousands of people with various medical needs who would have otherwise have none. It's an organization that puts 100% effort towards the needs of people. We will continue to support and spread the word of the wonderful work they do. May God bless them for all they do.

I went on one of the first missions with Sights on Health, and witnessed first hand the selfless work they do to provide medical care and eye care to those in need. I've been following their journey ever since, and year-to-year they continue expand, spreading good will, health education and health care to people who need it the most. - Paula

Sights on Health is one of the most thoughtful, personally compassionate and hard working organizations I have had the pleasure of working with. As a donor, i was able to travel with the group to Equdor and watch as they gifted clear vision to over a 100 individuals who were no longer able to properly see due to long untreated cataracts. For these people and their families, it was a game changer as they were now able to regain not only their sight, but their lives as well.
The team is incredible and their work is life-changing.

The year was 2011. A group of doctors, nurses and student volunteers decided to spend their vacation by self funding a trip to Peru with the purpose of providing modern eyecare to the local villages. The people they wanted to help travel on foot paths and still live without electricity. The logistics and 13,000 foot elevation did not hinder their philanthropic mission.

Such a dead did not go unnoticed. Word spread between family and friends and with private sector donations more supplies were purchased for next year’s mission. A nonprofit organization, A PROMIS TO PERU, was born. With each subsequent mission more and more people were helped. The organizations statistics are awe-inspiring and available for review.

In 2018 the opportunity arose to expand their eyecare mission to native Americans. The organization overcame bureaucratic restrictions and gained the trust of the Lakota Sioux people in South Dakota. With the expansion from South America to North America the organization changed its name to SIGHTS ON HEALTH.

In 2020 the Covid pandemic brought life in New York to a standstill and overwhelmed her hospitals and healthcare facilities. SIGHTS ON HEALTH found the means to provide nutritious food to hospital and staff who were working
triple shifts.

This may sound like a testimony.
It is not.
It’s an acknowledgment.

The work this organization does improves the lives of their patients tremendously. Truly life changing. I personally have relatives that go on the missions and know how well they are run.

I have had the opportunity to meet several board members at Sights on Health fundraisers over the years and am always impressed with their passion, integrity and transparency in all that they do; delivering high quality medical care and restoring vision to many individuals in need.
I feel very comfortable in donating to this wonderful non-profit, knowing every dollar goes to supporting their global mission.

My family has been involved with Sights on Health for years. It is a wonderful organization that truly changes lives. I always feel comfortable donating my money to sights one health because I know every penny gets put to good use.

Sights on Health, Inc. is a remarkably intelligent, efficient and adept nonprofit organization. When it became apparent in March 2020 that its customary travel across the USA and abroad to provide medical care would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sights on Health rapidly pivoted its fundraising and organizational expertise to create a GoFundMe Charity page “Feeding our NY Frontline Healthcare Heroes”. In just a few weeks thousands of meals were delivered to NYC public hospitals, post-acute care facilities and hospitals on Long Island. I was so impressed with what Sights on Health, Inc. could do to fill an immediate need in such a short period of time. It is truly a first rate, efficient and compassionate organization that gets things done!

Sights on Health have changed the lives of thousands of people around the world, who are a vulnerable population without access to medical care ( Peru, Ecuador, and South Dakota for our native Americans) by providing medical care, restoring people's visions, and creating opportunities for health care providers to volunteer in medical missions.

Due to Covid 19, our medical missions were canceled for the safety of all, however, we became involved in creating a campaign to raise funds that provided thousands of healthcare workers delicious meals, while they were working non-stop to save people lives in the ER, ICU, at the epicenter of Covid 19 ( New York City and Long Island). We worked long hours to find the perfect logisitic to distribute the meals , when most restaurants were closed. We did it with all our love in honor to our true heroes. Its very rewarding to see theirs smiles of gratitude.

I think Sights in Health its is one of the best non profit organization, we are like a family.

THey have a great cause and every penny of donations seems to go towards their cause. They are now working with the native americans in South Dakota, some of the poorest in our country. THis is a wonderful charity.

The team at sights on health are true humanitarians and extremely professional. It’s amazing what they can get done and how adept they are at securing the best equipment possible for remote high quality medical and sight restoring surgical care.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattie

To me, Sights on Health, Inc. perfectly embodies the message of this quote. I am thankful to this non-profit organization for providing me with opportunities to be a member of team that partners with in-country staff and works as one cohesive unit with our heads, hearts, and hands in harmony. As a medical student, I have aimed to seek out positive experiences with mentors who demonstrate humility, respect for diversity, and cultural competency while providing patient-centered care. I have found an abundance of such mentors through my most recent cataract surgical mission in 2019 with this non-profit organization to Riobamba, Ecuador, as well as my experiences in Sacred Valley, Perú in 2017 when I co-led the medical and surgical mission. The important work being done by Sights on Health, Inc., including community empowerment through increasing healthcare access and performing sight-restoring surgeries, has been instrumental to my evolution into a physician. I look forward to the great work that will continue in the coming future and hope to contribute as I advance in my training. Thank you!

This was my second mission trip to Ecuador with Sights on Health. They are a tremendous organization. We operated on 96 patients with cataracts and glaucoma with excellent results. The patients were all extremely grateful to get their vision back. The days were long but extremely rewarding. I highly recommend this great organization and was proud to be affiliated with them! Dave K

The 2019 mission in Ecuador was the first mission where I have participated. The team of physicians, nurses, technicians and volunteers were excellent. To be able to be a part of a team to serve those in need of medical care was a powerful experience; one that I will never forget.

I would like to thank Dr. Messina and her team for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful mission. I made some wonderful friends and felt like I was part of the team that contributed to helping improve the lives of many Ecuadorian people.

The patients in Ecuador were so appreciative of the medical care. Each day you could see the appreciation in their eyes and hear their gratuitous, heart felt words. The experience gave me a tremendous sense of appreciation as well as pride knowing that our team did so much good for so many people.

If you have ever considered volunteering your time, I strongly recommend you serve. It will change you for the better and help make the world a better place.

I had the opportunity to join Sights on Health as an RN on the team. The experience is immeasurable to any other. Dr. Messina is an incredible woman with unbelievable leadership skills. She organized an extremely successful trip and I was glad to be a part of it. Giving the gift of sight to the beautiful Andean people from mountain regions, refugees, and citizens of Riobamba was very gratifying. The kindness, happiness and sincerity of these patients as well as my team made the difficult work, achieved with limited resources, both possible and enjoyable.

I participated in this year surgical mission to Riobamba and as always it was life changing. Sighs on health has done an amazing job coordinating this trip. Dr Messina and her amazing team performed an outstanding job, hope to continue to be part of this amazing group and helping to continue to improve the quality of life of the most disadvantaged groups.

I participated in a cataract surgical mission with sights on health in Ecuador recently. The amount of voluntary effort and coordination with local providers was astounding, and truly all of the resources invested went directly to patient care that impacted the lives and well being of patients who otherwise would not have had access to care.

This was my first time volunteering with Sights on Health/A Promise to Peru to help provide eye care to the beautiful people of the Sacred Valley region in July 2019. It was a wonderful experience working with fellow humanitarians, all who dedicated themselves to months of preparation, organization and fundraising to make this mission such a success. The patients were so incredibly gracious and gentle and the country of Peru hosted us with incredible hospitality. This is a phenomenal team of people who truly care about improving the quality of life for fellow human beings.

’ve been on five mission trips with Sights on Health/A Promise to Peru. All of them life changing both for the patients and for myself. But I was not ready for what I witnessed in the city of Maras. The need and the ocular issues we saw were unlike any other.

A lot of preventable blindness, some neglect, a lot of trauma. And a lot of patience in the part of the people.

The health post in Maras has pharmacy and the only eye drops they have are prednisolone acetate!

We set up our traveling eye clinic in the health post and the people came.

This elderly lady presented with mild cataracts that have started impacting her vision. She was having a hard time seeing which of her family members was walking down the road. Luckily we had glasses in her Rx and got her down to 20/25. And we also had reading glasses for her in her Rx. She was thrilled. We provided her with detailed information, in her language, on where to seek additional help as her vision changes. And she was educated on the importance of annual eye exams and wearing sunglasses with UV-protection when working out in the fields ������.

Very well organized clinics in various towns of scared valley. Patients were very appreciative of the care which included medications as well point of care lab tests (blood glucose, Hemoglobin A1C, Urine tests) and ultra sound examination.

Volunteers (Medical, Nursing and College students, physicians, pharmacists)were also well taken care of at very comfortable accommodation in city of Urubamba.

Will be happy to be part of this wonderful nonprofit organization and participate in their other sites where cataract surgeries are also performed.

Our journey was amazing. Travel was affordable well planned, orderly, comfortable & safe. We worked hard and helped many people. I hope to continue to serve with this organization.

This was my first experience volunteering medically outside of the U.S. I have to be honest and say that I was definitely a little nervous about what I was getting myself into but Promise to Peru did a great job in making me feel comfortable once we were there. I think that this organization does a great job in helping the people of Peru and working with the Peruvian municipalities in order to organize follow up care after we saw the patients. I would highly recommend A Promise to Peru to anyone considering doing a medical mission.

This past summer was my 5th time joining A Promise to Peru. Each experience has reinforced how much preparation and thought goes into the execution of each trip to make sure that the necessary materials (medications, supplies, etc) are brought down, and that public advertisement of the team's arrival is made to maximize the amount of patients that are seen. Every volunteer, both professionals and students, makes it clear through their tireless work each day that they have joined the mission because of their genuine desire to use their skills to help those who need them. Most importantly, all of the work that Promise to Peru does, whether it be via their cataract or medical mission, is geared towards the unique medical needs of the region that is being served. The cataract mission offers a safe, permanent cure to a life-altering disability with the appropriate post-operative follow up and the medical mission is able to distribute medications such as antibiotics and antihypertensive medications that can be costly and hard to come by in the local market. I have been lucky to volunteer so often with an organization that is so committed to delivering medical aid in a sustainable and thought-out way.

A Promise to Peru by far exceeded my expectations, I am beyond grateful to have been able to take part as a medical student. A mission that works hard to respect the people, and culture of a country is one that should be highlighted. I hope one day to return to Peru with this organization and continue to make a positive impact. I highly recommend it to others.

I participated in a medical mission trip to Peru with this organization. It was incredibly well run and organized. It was an invaluable experience for me as a medical student. I hope to participate again in the future and would recommend the experience to anyone interested in an international medical trip.

I volunteered with this nonprofit for the first time in June 2017 and it was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my medical school training. I am graduating in May 2018 and this trip fortified my interest in international medicine; it provided the perfect exposure to establishing a sustainable and impactful relationship with underprivileged patient populations and their local medical providers. I am forever grateful to the leaders and organizers for granting me the opportunity to participate.

I have participated in two trips with A Promise to Peru, once as an undergraduate and once as a medical student, and both trips were some of the most memorable and fulfilling moments of my life so far. Under the guidance of Dr. Messina and the multitude of team members the trips are well organized (from travel to packing everything necessary for a functioning OR) and make it possible to make major impacts on the lives of the people we are fortunate to work with in Peru. I was able to assist with translating, taking medical histories, performing eye exams and visual acuities, and was also able to work closely with the physicians and surgeons on the mission during patient encounters and surgeries. Being able to work with a patient through all of the steps: from initial eye exams to post-op instructions, and being on the receiving end of their thankful hugs and smiles following the procedure is truly a life changing experience and definitely puts all of the hard work/education into perspective.

Every time I accompany this medical mission I find myself growing as a person and with the individuals involved. This is a great organization that does very meaningful work! I volunteer to help others and myself.

I stumbled upon this organization several years ago when I attended a fund raising dinner on a Thursday evening when my wife was working. I thought they’d have a dozen people show up, so I went in support of a friend who told me he was going on this medical mission. I was quite surprised to see over a hundred people turn up for this event. I was so intrigued by the concept of the mission and the zeal of the leadership that I signed my wife and myself up to join the mission on that year’s trip to Peru. We have both become quite involved in helping the organization, volunteering on multiple missions, helping organize fundraising activities, packing and unpacking supplies and equipment, and participating in planning and Board of Directors meetings. The mission work involves taking time off as vacation from our jobs, paying our own way to travel to South America, and volunteering long hours each day during the mission week. The people that we examine, treat and operate on are truly thankful, as am I from the satisfaction I receive from being able to help these individuals who would otherwise not have their sight. Promise to Peru is a not-for-profit organization that raises funds and organizes individuals to volunteer to improve vision and restore sight to poor and impoverished people, a truly wonderful mission.

I am very grateful to have been able to participate on a trip to Peru with this organization. As a medical student, I was able to participate as a Spanish translator, take medical history, perform eye and physical exams on patients, observe cataract surgeries, and work with a group of amazing volunteers who appreciated each other and enjoyed working and learning from each other and from the patients.

My participation in Promise to Peru solidified my desire to become a physician. I truly enjoyed helping enact a meaningful and visible change in these patients’ lives. The team of volunteers who came to Peru were an excited and inspiring group of individuals that made this experience even more special.

This non-profit is an amazing organization that provides health care to the rural populations of Peru. As an ophthalmologist I had the opportunity to see many diseases that I have only read about and deliver care to people who desperately need health care. The mission provides general health care as well as ophthalmic care. I highly recommend this nonprofit.

I had the incredible experience of participating as an ophthalmologist/surgeon on the June 2017 mission to Calca, Peru. It was a life changing experience and one I will never forget. The ability to care for those who truly need our help without the hindrance of computerized medical records, needless bureaucracy and governmental interference was wonderful. The gratitude of the many patients, the team work of the excellent volunteer health care workers, physicians, surgeons and local staff was a true pleasure. Dr. Messina's and the board's efforts in organizing the mission were worthy of the highest praise. The organization is well named. It keeps its promises!
Arnold Prywes, MD

This was my first mission and what a great experience it was! A Promise to Peru is a well run organization that afforded me the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many in a remote area of Peru. It was a truly rewarding experience. I worked with wonderful people from many parts of the US who came together to provide medical and ophthalmic care to an underserved population. It was a week that changed my life!
Louise

I have been volunteering and giving back to the community both in the U.S and outside with a number of organizations for over 20 years. I recently did so with this organization and I am truly happy I did so. The leadership and organizational activities were excellent. Providing high quality care and being genuinely caring for the people of Peru , working long hours but seeing how appreciative the patients were and helpful each participant were ,was encouraging. This organization provided a number of resources to ensure that patients were well cared for. I will recommend this organization to anyone who wants to willingly give back and help to make this our world a better place. Even though many of us did not speak Spanish fluently, Interpreters were put into place. In addition none of us knew Quechua - Language , but yet again Promise to Peru facilitated interpreters so we could have communicated with the patients. Bravo Promise to Peru!! I will be willing to serve with you again and continue to recommend this organization to others.

J. Gulstone Family Nurse Practitioner Brooklyn .N.Y

This was my second trip with A Promise for Peru. I have nothing but the best to say about them. I thank the organization very much for the opportunity to contribute.

Loved my time as a volunteer for a Promise to Peru. The team did a great job a bringing everyone together, building amazing chemistry between all members, and supported us throughout the entire mission. (Before with meetings and get togethers, during with team leaders, transportation, logging, and food, and after with a reunion planed)

Thanks A Promise to Peru!!!

A part of the medical team stayed at our hotel Las Casitas del Arco Iris, part of the foundation of Niños del Arco Iris. Students of our school helped the mission by assisting to the logistic part with the patients and above all as translators Spanish-English and Spanish-Quechua (the language of the local people. I personally visited the project in Calca and was very impressed by the great number of patients who were present. Incredible. I was also very impressed by the great spirit and dedication of the medical team. A ot lof respect for them and we will welcome them with wide open arms anytime they will be in Peru again.

Hello, I will like to tell you about my experience with "A Promise to Peru," a nonprofit organization. When I met the members of the organization I felt like we were family working together for a goal to give vision back to people in need, in very poor areas where they don't have any medical assistance near them.
I work as a surgical technologist at Island Eye Surgicenter, located in Carle Place, Long Island NY; I work assisting in cataract surgeries every day for seventeen years, and I thought this was the time for me to give back what I learned throughout my time.
I love what I do every day and I love to help people, especially when I see the results when they can see again makes me feel very happy that I did something for someone who needed it.

An incredible experience that really opened my eyes to what the field of medicine can bring to the world.

As someone who's gone on multiple other missions in the past, I wasn't sure what to expect in comparison. Promise to Peru was well run and well organized, and I was amazed with how well the participants worked together from pre-planning and packing onward. Highly recommended mission trip whether on the medicine or eye care side.

Participating in a surgical and medical mission with a promise to Peru was both a humbling and a gratifying experience. Experiencing the joy of providing sight to individuals who were disabled by cataracts for years was a truly incredible feeling. Thanks to the hard work of everyone involved in A Promise To Peru, hundreds of patients are repeatedly given an opportunity to return to work and to function normally in their communities.

This organization is made up of local medical students and health care providers who volunteer their time to provide health care to those in need in areas of South America such as Peru and Ecuador. Students are actively involved in the organization and implementation of the medical mission and gain valuable knowledge about global health care and barriers to health care. The care given to the patients is often life-changing such as sight-restorative surgery, and witnessing this effect is both inspiring and memorable.

As a medical student volunteering on my first medical mission, I wasn't sure what to expect. A Promise to Peru blew me away. Even before we left, the mission preparation was so thorough and detailed that the organization was something to marvel at. Once at our site, all of our preparatory work was put to good use. With a team of 50+ dedicated volunteers, we were came very close to accomplishing our lofty goals despite a few hiccups along the way. The leaders did an excellent job of keeping the large group organized and focused, and got the most out of everyone during our long days. Regardless of education or professional level, every team member was essential to the operation and definitely felt their value to the mission. As A Promise to Peru continues to grow over the following years, I hope to return and help them do so.

I had the pleasure of joining A Promise to Peru on a medical mission to Guayaquil, Ecuador this year. We traveled as a group with a medical clinic, an optho clinic, and a cataract surgery team. As a nurse that works primarily in an inpatient hospital setting, I had very little experience with cataract surgery. What was amazing to be a part of and to contribute to was the huge, instant life transformation of providing sight to patients. By their first follow up (and in one pediatric case, while still on the OR table right after the operation) patients could really see for the first time. We helped grandparents see their grandchildren for the first time, young women and men excited to be able to work or to be able to cook and take care of their children again. The organization is well run, everyone works as an equal part of a team, and the drive to help as many people as possible was inspiring.

I have been part of a promise to peru for 4 yrs and I can tell that it is the most rewarding experience... Every year is different and great.. We are a family that work together as a team for a great cause..

We make a difference by the gift of sight via cataract surgery and glasses. Long preparation, hard work, thrilled patients.

I had the privilege of joining this incredible organization and mission twice during my medical school career, first in 2012 and again in 2014. It's difficult to put into words the incredible experience I had in Peru, but I can say with confidence that it changed my life. It only took a day at clinic in the mountain village meeting and treating local Peruvians to realize that serving the underserved and understanding the ins and outs of successful, sustainable global health is what I want to do with my life.

Each mission is made possible by the talents it attracts and the efforts of each member, regardless of background. The organization is still evolving to meet the changing needs of the people of Peru and is constantly striving to create positive, sustainable changes. It has changed the trajectory of my medical career and I hope it continues to do so for all who participate in the future.

I have been involved with the organization for the last 2 yrs. travelled to Peru and my function was that of pre-operative and post-operative evaluation and optimization. After having been involved in numerous medical missions in the past, this has been one of the most rewarding. It is an extremely good feeling to change someone's life in such a short time. Patients who walk in unable to see and an hour later, had a Surgey that results in a life changing experience. The gratitude of those operated on was also very satisfying. The mission coordinators put their heart and souls into the mission and it shows. I will continue to participate as a physician as long as they will have me.

Life changer. For the health care providers and the patients alike. Your donation can help Peruvians who suffer blindness from debilitating cataracts see again and rural mountain villagers receive high quality western medicine in settings that they otherwise would never have access to such care. Changed the trajectory of my medical career. Allowed me the opportunity and experience to see medicine practiced outside the extremely controlled and regulated walls of an American hospital. Learned more in two weeks in these surgery and medical clinics than I did in months of medical school. Received immense gratification from the Peruvian people who were all sincerely grateful to receive the care we offered. Increased my cultural competency and cultural humility to increase my capacity to be empathetic towards future South American patients. Blessed to learn of the rich cultural history of the Peruvian people and privaleged to gain perspective towards western life, South American life, the pros and cons of living in a modernized society, and care for the local people who live on a society where common public health practices (routine dental care, hand washing, teeth brushing. Etc, is virtually nonexistent). The local people may benefit greatly from return missions in the future and this mission is made possible almost entirely by donations from the public and back breaking tireless work of volunteer health care providers. Truly made possible by a collaborative effort of providers, benefactors, local laypeople, local physicians, and people like you. In all, a truly inspiring experience that is the culmination of what our world's people and resources are truly capable of with the support of strangers that comes from a place of deep compassion and willingness to share their time, energy, and resources with those that need it the most. I see this trip as a model for a more global community that will be the near future of our world

I had the pleasure of joining A Promise to Peru on their trip to Peru in 2014. It was an incredible experience. I cannot describe how fulfilling it was to talk to and treat these patients who were so patient, so grateful, and so impoverished.

I saw and learned so many things about optometry, ophthalmology, and common medical conditions. I practiced my history taking and physical exam skills while working one on one with residents and attendings. They were always eager to teach us things and were patient with us.

The patients were so kind - they trekked long distances to see us and waited on line for hours. One even gave us handmade earrings in gratitude. The hardest thing was turning away patients because we just did not have enough time to treat them that day. The health care politics in Peru truly make receiving medical care difficult and it was a joy to bring that to the indigenous population. The hospital that we were working out of was closed aside for obstetric emergencies (I believe) due to the health care workers being on strike. An entire hospital!

So much care, time, and effort is put into making this trip possible. Any donations would greatly improve the quality and the extent of medical care that is provided to these indigenous populations.

I am a current medical student who joined this incredible group on the mission to Peru in July 2013. This one step in my schooling has changed my passion in medicine forever. In this "promise to Peru" not only did the team help with cataract surgeries, but we also followed the next week with a traveling medical clinic. We took a bus filled with the supplies we brought from the US to the tops of the hills in the beautiful Sacred Valley of Urubamba. When we got to the top, we met with the village healer who called the locals to come to the spot for a wellness check. We treated many UTIs, GERD from H. pylori, and chronic back pain from misusing back muscles during agricultural work. In addition to providing medications, we also educated our patients with counseling on UTI prevention, clean water consumption, diet modification based on the local cultural foods, and lifting PT techniques to avoid low back pain. That year we had the privilege to start a "women's health" component to the traveling medical clinic. With our new handy dandy portable U/S we were able to do wellness checks on our pregnant mothers. In addition we were diagnosing many patients with symptomatic gall stones, and referring these patients to the proper areas in the city-- Cusco for treatment in the next following days. For us it was important to have continuity of care to avoid "medical tourism." Volunteering in Urubamba was truly rewarding because we were targeting groups that really didn't have any access to medical care in the hidden Sacred Valley region. This experience has kindled my interest in global health and allowed me to continue my passion for medicine beyond the lines of the US. Lastly, the entire group works as a team so if you are looking to do some volunteer service, learn some medicine not in the US, work in a fun group, and visit a new place in South America, you have come across the right program. Please take a look at the stories on the website for more information on past missions. If you cannot travel with the team, you can still help the team in the US by gathering the supplies we need for these missions. Contact the mission director via the website for more information.

I joined this group on their cataract surgical and medical mission to Peru in July 2014, and my life has been forever changed. Seeing first hand the impact we can have in areas that have limited or no access to this type of care is incredibly humbling. The team of ophthalmologists we worked with were inspiring. As a direct result of this mission, I have decided on a career in ophthalmology. I intend to make every effort to continue the same type of work throughout my career.

We were able to touch so many lives thanks to the generosity of all of our donors as well as the organizing team. The doctors and other staff who organize this trip are tireless, work as volunteers (i.e., no salary), and make extra effort to make sure everything is covered. They solicited large amounts of donations for surgical and medical equipment, especially eyeglasses and sunglasses. They made arrangements with the Peruvian government to obtain additional volunteers (especially translators) and to make sure we were going to the areas of highest need. They coordinated with JetBlue to get a substantial amount of flights donated in order to offset travel expenses for team members. Without their support and the support of our donors, this trip would not have been possible. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been a part of such an important mission.

I have been on two missions with this charity and am preparing to go on the one in June 2015 to Equador. It is extremely well organized, not a penny is wasted, all funds raised goes to patient care, no one gets a salary not even the director. We pay our own expenses and use our own vacation time to participate. The people in charge try to get as much donated as possible so costs can be defrayed. The doctor that created and organizes these missions did so after finding herself unable to do eye surgery anymore after being severely injured in a car accident in which she was hit from behind. It broke her heart not to be able to bring sight to people so she started this mission to bring doctors to the poor to restore their sight and give them a chance at a normal life in their villages. A Promise to Peru truly restores the dignity and self esteem of people as they can once again return to their jobs, in the fields and in their villages and feel productive once again.