Ayacucho Mission 2011 Dates Announced

Ayacucho Mission 2011 has been scheduled for two weeks in July 2011.


Week 1: Mon July 11 – Fri July 15
Week 2: Mon July 18 – Fri July 22

The activities of the two weeks will vary slightly, so volunteer selections for each week will reflect the specific needs for that week.  Volunteer applications will be made available on the website on February 1, 2011.

In the meantime, please look through the website an think about whether you would like to be involved as a volunteer, as a donor, or both.  We need help both in Peru and here in the U.S. as we prepare for the mission.  

To stay in the loop, please join our email list, follow us on Twitter, "like" us on Facebook, or subscribe to our RSS feed.  Please don't hesitate to contact us at main@ayacuchomission.org to learn more about how to get involved!  We appreciate all your support!

Website updates

We've made a few updates to the Ayacucho Mission website to help provide a richer glimpse of what we do.

First, take a look at the new Photos and Media section.  There you can find a beautiful video slideshow prepared by Mission volunteer and graphic designer Mila Arrisueño, and music arranged, recorded and donated by Peruvian classical guitar quartet Temple Diablo.

Second, have a look at the updated Volunteer Experiences section, where in addition to the Job Descriptions of the various types of volunteers who have help us out, you can find the Stories from the Field blog.  This blog is filled with stories and reflections from real volunteers during their downtime during the mission.  This may be the best way to get a feel of what the volunteer experience is like.

Please spread the word of the mission and these new features.  Thank you all for your ongoing support!

Please help support relief efforts in Pakistan

A man marooned by flood waters, alongside his livestock, waves towards an Army helicopter for relief handouts in the Rajanpur district of Pakistan's Punjab province on August 9, 2010. (REUTERS/Stringer).  See more photos and information about the floods at the Boston Globe website http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/08/continuing_pakistani_floods.html

In times of crisis, help is welcome from all sides.  Recent flooding in Pakistan has displaced millions of people and caused untold damage and hardship.  Members of the Pakistani community have been extremely generous contributors to Ayacucho Mission and to the people of Peru both after the 2007 earthquake, and on a year-to-year basis.  Just as we reached out to people in need in Haiti, I hope supporters of Ayacucho Mission will help the people suffering in Pakistan.

For more information on relief efforts, please visit http://www.shinehumanity.org or contact Dr. Faisal Khan at faisalkhanmd@gmail.com.

Details on sending contributions can be found at: http://www.shinehumanity.org/donate.php

Below is an invitation for a fundraiser being held in the Los Angeles area this weekend.  You can support relief efforts by attending this event, or by contributing directly to Shine.  Please give generously.

The Indus Overflows …

A Gathering to Learn, to Converse, and to Help

SATURDAY 28^TH August

7 P.M.

15960 ALCIMA AVENUE
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA, 90272

With 20 million people displaced and vast tracts of agricultural lands and livestock destroyed, the flooding of the Indus is the largest catastrophe in Pakistan’s history. We must respond knowledgably, intelligently, and with collective strength.

Speakers from Doctors Without Borders and SHINE Humanity will describe the state of preparedness of their healthcare professionals to contain possible epidemics that could affect millions, now and after the floods abate.

IFTAR & DINNER comprising dishes from traditions along the length of the Indus

Live Sufi music

RSVP, and for more information:

HINA ABIDI: 310 454 9934

SALMAN NAQVI: 949 231 9678

SHAILA ANDRABI: 909 263 2383

DURAINAZ FAROOQUI: 626 403 2940

This is a fundraising event

RSVP for Ayacucho Mission Reunion Luncheon

The 2010 Reunion Luncheon for Ayacucho Mission will be held on Sunday, September 12 from 12:30 to 5:00 pm at the Khan Family Residence at 666 Pomander Place, La Canada, CA 91011.

Please RSVP by either 

clicking here (if you are not on Facebook)

or 

by clicking here (if you want to RSVP through Facebook)

Lunch will be provided, but to avoid using Mission funds for something not going directly to the people we serve, we are asking people who attend to bring $10 to $20 in cash per person to cover the costs of the food.  This is not a fundraiser for the mission, so these donations would not be tax-deductible.  Any excess proceeds collected, however, will be used toward the mission.

Rock For Peru a big success!

On Friday July 20, over 200 rock fans and mission supporters came out to Memorial Park in La Canada, CA to attend the Rock for Peru Benefit Concert.  The event raised $500 for Ayacucho Mission 2010!!

Special thanks to Colin Ring (on drums above) for leading the charge to organize and perform in the event, and to the bands Misplaced Priorities, Survivalist, Legion, the Emovores and all the musicians that performed at and supported the event.  Also big thanks to La Canada Pizzeria and Grill for providing refreshments.  With acts ranging from classic rock to metal, the night rocked hard and made a big difference for the people of Ayacucho.  Thanks to all who attended and donated!

2010 Ayacucho Mission Reunion Party

SAVE THE DATE for The 2010 Ayacucho Mission Reunion Party, to be held in the afternoon on Sunday, September 12 in the Los Angeles area (La Canada, CA).

This is an annual tradition when everyone who participated in the mission (and people who are interested to learn more about it) get together for lunch to exchange pictures and stories.  Mark it in your calendar and make sure you are free from work!  We'll be putting out an invite with the exact time and location soon.

Rock for Peru Benefit Concert!

Click here for full size poster

Rock for Peru Benefit Concert in LA Area this Friday Night!

Come join us on Friday July 30 from 4:00-10:00pm at Memorial Park in La Canada, CA for Rock for Peru, a benefit concert supporting the Mission.  The event will be headlined by Copperhead (featuring Mission Volunteer Colin Ring) and will feature several local acts including Emovores, Survivalist, and DJ eyelove.  Admission is free, and you can can come and go throughout the event as you like.

Click here for directions to the concert.

We hope to see lots of you there for a good time and a great cause!

Facebook users can click here for more details: Rock for Peru

Mission team departs Ayacucho

By bus and by plane, the team of Ayacucho Mission volunteers left the Andean community at the end of a very successful mission.  At the Ayacucho Regional Hospital, at the Puericultorio Juan Andrés Vivanco Amorín Orphanage, and in the towns of Huanta and Quinua, the team saw well over 1,000 patients during the one week mission, and laid the groundwork for an expanded scope of work to include the surrounding communities.   The Mission thanks the people of Ayacucho and the surrounding towns for welcoming our work and partnering to help the most needy in the community.  And of course, we thank our families, friends, donors and other supporters who made the mission possible.

As the team returns from Peru, the work to plan next year's mission will begin promptly.  I hope you will find ways to get involved to help build another successful mission.

Group Photo from Ayacucho Mission 2010

Click to Download Full Size Photo

Stories from the Field: A Blog of Volunteer Experiences

A number of our volunteers have been writing about their experiences at the mission, and sharing their stories.  We'll be posting some of their reflections on their time in Ayacucho in a blog called Ayacucho Mission: Stories from the Field.


The stories can be found at: http://ayacuchostories.blogspot.com/

Click the link to see the mission through the eyes of the people working on it.

2010 Mission Day 2

Today the group completed a second day of work in all three sites--Ayacucho, and the surrounding towns of Quinua and Huanta.  The excursion to Quinua was especially fruitful and interesting.  The day began with the Director of the AsociaciónVidas Community Health Center, Raquel Yupanqui, leading some members of the community in songs of prayer and welcoming the Ayacucho Mission team.

Dr. Chris Hougen developed a system in which two sets of medical students and translators took the basic health history from each patient, allowing him to move from one patient to another, complete the examination, and prescribe the appropriate treatment.  Medical students Ryan Campbell and Ashley Colter set up a smooth-running field pharmacy, and the Center's staff provided health education and instruction on using the medications for the team.  Petra Duran and Deisy Nava led the diabetes screening effort, and nurse practitioner Tammy Tran tested patients with gastritis for H. pylori, a particularly problematic bacteria in the region, to help assess the best way to address the health needs of this community.

At the end of the day, over 65 patients were examined and treated, and the team was treated by the Center's kitchen to a favorite meal of the Ayacucho region called puka picante.  In addition to the full day's work at the Regional Hospital in Ayacucho and in Huanta, the work in Quinua, made possible by the open-armed welcome by AsociaciónVidas, capped off another successful day on the Mission.

2010 Mission Day 1

Ayacucho Mission 2010 began with parallel campaigns in three locations.  At the Regional Hospital in Ayacucho, over 260 patients were triaged and most of them treated.  Small teams dispatched to the surrounding towns of Quinua and Huanta provided care to additional 100 patients, and will return throughout the week to meet the large demand for medical services

Teams of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, medical students and volunteers, some experienced in missionary work and many new to it, tackled the day with selfless enthusiasm.

In response to a late surge of patients, first time volunteer and Los Angeles physician Esperanza Ramirez and her team treated patients in pediatrics into the evening.  The huge smile on her face as she returned to the hotel summed up the sentiment of the group:  Hard work for others brings joy and satisfaction.  The rest of the week promises to bring much needed help to the people of the Peruvian Andes.

The full team arrives in Ayacucho

After long flights and an 11-hour bus ride from Lima, the full team arrived in Ayacucho to prepare for work Monday.  After a short nap, the group of 87 doctors, nurses, mental health providers, med students and other volunteers attended an orientation meeting at the Health Ministry where they were greeted by the medical director of the Ayacucho Regional Hospital, and the hospital staff who will make their work possible.

The orientation meeting was followed by a welcome dinner at El Mirador, a beautiful scenic outlook about the city, as the sun set behind the mountains.  Folkloric dancers from the university entertained the group, and served as a symbol of the energy and beauty of the Peruvian people the mission sets out to serve.

Ayacucho Mission 2010 Begins!

On Wednesday morning, the advance team of Cesar Aranguri, Loretta Rihbany, Chris Hougen, Taif Kazi, Keren Call, Carol Stegink, Judith Polanco and John Billimek arrived in Ayacucho, and got to work arranging things for next week's campaign.  The team has met with the key officials in Ayacucho and the surrounding communities of Huanta and Quinua to begin work in all three sites on Monday.  Already, they have triaged over 250 patients for next week, treated more than 50, and consulted in the hospital wards on some unique cardiac and pediatric cases.

The remaining volunteers will arrive Saturday morning, and will begin orientation and other preparations to launch the full health campaign at all sites next week.

North Texas PAMS Returns from Ayacucho

This year's mission has been divided into two teams.  The first team, led by surgeon Dr. Pablo Uceda of the North Texas Chapter of the Peruvian American Medical society, returned after a successful campaign in June.  In spite of an ongoing strike, Dr. Uceda's team completed 48 surgical procedures and identified cases for follow-up by the second team.

The second team will build upon this effort in July

Keren Call recognized with Humanitarian Award

Colorado pediatrician and frequent Ayacucho Mission volunteer Keren Call was recognized with the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS) Humanitarian Award for her tireless service to the children of Peru.  Dr. Call’s charitable work has extended throughout Peru, and most recently with a team working in Haiti.  

At the PAMS National Business Meeting in Los Angeles, in front of a crowd of dignitaries, business leaders and missionaries who work all over Peru stories, her friends and colleagues from Ayacucho Mission shared stories of Dr. Call’s endless energy, desire to learn new ways to help, and one-of-a-kind sense of humor. 

Information Meeting in LA/Orange County area

On Sunday, March 7, 2010, we will be holding an information meeting for our medical mission to Ayacucho starting at 12:00 pm.

The meeting will be held at the home of Blanca and Aaron Youngerman at

1701 Summerfield Circle, Brea CA.

Please RSVP to via e-mail to lrihbany@gmail.com so we know how many people to plan for.  Because most volunteers from out of state will most likely not be able to attend, we will send out an e-mail with the results of the meeting.

Of course, everyone is welcome to attend. If you have other family or friends who are interested in the mission, please invite them to come.  Hope to see you there, and thanks to the Youngerman’s for their generous hospitality!

Ayacucho Mission volunteers helping in Haiti

Dear friends and supporters of PAMS and Ayacucho Mission, 


Even though it happened in 2008, it seems like it was yesterday when an 8.2 Richter scale earthquake struck our beloved cities of Chincha and Pisco in Peru. The response of PAMS to this tragedy was immediate, working with Direct Relief International to ship medications and medical supplies to the affected region. The help was available within 24 hours of the event. 


Today, our brothers and sisters in Haiti are experiencing the tragedy of another disaster with hundreds of thousands injured and in desperate need of help. Once again PAMS through the Ayacucho Mission team will join the international aid effort, this time in Haiti. 


On February 19, a medical-surgical team headed by Dr Faisal Khan, Co-Chief of Surgery of the Ayacucho Mission will travel to Haiti to team up with the charitable non-governmental organization Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS). The team is composed of Family Practitioners, Internists, Surgeons, Pediatricians and Cardiologists.   


All members are well experienced in working under a diversity of conditions with ample capability to adapt to the most challenging conditions and get the best job done with what is available.  The team is having its vaccines and preventive medications initiated and updated and ready to tackle any obstacle.  Each team member has the indomitable heart to work with and bring relief to the thousands of needy people in Haiti, with no hesitation to face limited resources, lack of commodities or the unknown.


The team, which includes Ayacucho Mission regulars Ralph Kuon, Cesar Aranguri, Loretta Rihbany, Keren Call, Joanie Weiss, Laura Cruz, Kathleen (Candy) Sopp and others, will help staff a hospital and four tent-based clinics to provide direct medical care to individuals affected by the recent earthquakes.


The Haiti Mission team will be working there from February 19 through March 1. Donations are welcome, and badly needed.   Any help is appreciated and your donation will make a difference in a person’s life. 


Your tax deductible donation can be sent to:  


Faisal Khan, M.D.
President, Medical Staff
White Memorial Medical Center
1720 Cesar E Chavez Av
Los Angeles. CA 90033


Checks should be made out to WHITE MEMORIAL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, and in the memo section please note “Dr. Khan’s Mission to Haiti”


To learn more about how you can help, please contact Dr. Khan atfaisalkhanmd@gmail.com .


Yours Truly,
Cesar Aranguri, MD
Ayacucho Mission Medical Director.

Apply to Join Ayacucho Mission 2010

Application materials are now available here on the website.

Check out About Us to see who we are and what we do.

Click on Volunteer Experiences to learn about some of the different ways our volunteers help, and Working In Ayacucho for details on some of the logistics of being there.