Volunteer

Help create a bright future for children in Peru!


Join our pediatric strabismus surgery project or

our vision screening project for adults and children!

 

**TRIP INFORMATION FOR 2025!  

We are planning two trips in 2025!  Please see the current information!

TRIP #1:  A four-day Child and Adult Vision Screening project in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Peru, Hospital de Apoyo II-2 in Sullana, Peru.  This project will be our second vision screening project in Sullana, and will provide vision care, referrals for cataract surgery and other care, and eyeglasses to adults and children over the age of 7 years, as directed by our partners in the Ministry of Health.  Vision screening team should plan to arrive the day before training and depart the day after the program ends.  Training will be provided the day before work starts.

When: August 25-28, 2025

Where: Sullana, Peru

 

 

2025 VOLUNTEERS!  Vision screening project:

  • Optometrists.  Documentation of education, licenses, and certifications as required by the Peruvian Ministry of Health.  We will have two optometrists to provide twice as many exams and services as we did in 2023!
  • Clinical volunteers: Volunteers with experience, or ability to learn skills related to visual acuity testing, ideally with Spanish.

 

TRIP #2:   A five-day pediatric strabismus surgery project in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Peru, Hospital de Apoyo II-2 in Sullana, Peru.  This project will be our second in Sullana and will provide surgery to 60 children identified by our partners in the Ministry of Health as needing treatment for strabismus.  Surgical team should plan to arrive the weekend before surgeries begin departing the day after our final surgery day.

When: September 1-5, 2025!

Where: Sullana, Peru

 

 

 

CURRENT VOLUNTEER NEEDS! Surgical project:

  • Anesthesiologist and/or nurse anesthetist
  • Scrub tech, experienced in eyes
  • OR circulators
  • PACU nurse

Who Can Volunteer?

On our vision screening projects we need optometrists.  Documentation of education, licenses, and certifications as required by the Peruvian Ministry of Health.  Enthusiastic volunteers for vision screening are needed.  Medical background and Spanish language skills desirable. Translators who are fluent to bilingual English-Spanish are also needed.

On our surgical project, pediatric ophthalmologists and anesthesiologists who are currently licensed and board certified are eligible to join us.  Also needed are experienced scrub techs, OR and PACU nurses, and circulators with current licenses, certifications, and references.  Translators who are fluent to bilingual English-Spanish are also needed.

 

 More information

2025

Lodging, Meals, Surgical Project Supplies

ACCOMODATIONS:

VER arranges lodging, breakfasts and lunches, and local transportation during your volunteer service. Lodging is at a local hotel in Sullana. Upon registering for the Peru project, volunteers receive a “Welcome and Orientation Packet” to prepare and plan for the trip.

Peru is a country of many natural wonders.  You may decide to book an excursion afterwards to one of many locations including Cusco and Machu Picchu, Iquitos and the Amazon River area, one of the many beautiful Pacific seashore areas, or historic and modern Lima.

SUPPLIES:  VER provides all surgical project supplies (via SEE International) and needed equipment and arranges for surgical facilities in-country.  VER provides all optometric supplies needed for Vision screening plus all glasses dispensed to patients.

 

Cost

VER is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that relies on donations to fund our sight restoring projects.

  • The volunteer participation fee for the Peru 2025 project for all volunteers is $350.
  • Volunteers provide their own roundtrip airfare from their home city to the Piura airport in Peru plus emergency medical/evacuation trip insurance.  Participants will pay for their own evening meals, except for the welcome and farewell dinners. VER also covers breakfast at the hotel and lunch at the worksite.
  • The flight from Lima to Piura needs to be coordinated with ground transportation provided by VER from the Piura airport to the city of Sullana, 25 miles to the north, please arrive in Piura on the designated date for your project.
  • Airfare, trip insurance, and the volunteer participation fee are considered donations and are tax deductible as a charitable contribution. Please consult your tax professional for details. VER provides a donation receipt as required by the IRS.

 

Interested?

CONTACT US TODAY