Help One Now is...

...a catalytic tribe committed to empowering and resourcing high-capacity local leaders who care for orphans and vulnerable children in order to transform communities and break the cycle of extreme poverty.  We work with leaders who are already working effectively in their respective communities. These leaders are friends and partners in the fight against extreme poverty. They are our greatest resource, and without them, sustainable change is impossible.

Our ethos is to remain invisible in our communities and focus our efforts on resourcing key leaders instead. For this reason, we don’t typically do “mission trips,” as they can be a distraction to the communities in which we serve.

Instead, we will lead a limited number of Learning Journeys for committed, long-term supporters of Help One Now  each year. On these Journeys, emphasis will be placed on connecting with a community, building deep relationships with the local leaders, and brainstorming how you can unlock your human capital to partner together and support their work back home.

On this trip, we hope that you will...

• meet and fall in love with our local leaders and the children they serve

• learn from our local leaders by hearing their stories and engaging in their communities. Doing this helps us, the visitors, understand the unique issues in different environments

• see the impact of our projects firsthand and gain a new understanding of how complex working in these communities can be

• be advocates of the country, people and orphans that you meet when you return home. You are the tribe; we need you to run with these stories and partner with us to make an impact

Goals...

• Listen. Learn. Experience.

• Visit 2 Kairos Schools and learn how we are investing in the lives of over 500 students!

• Hear and engage our local leader Mercedes Malpartida’s overall vision for our work in Peru.

• Visit Kairos Village and learn about the rescue and restoration that is on the horizon!

• Process various opportunities to be a Help One Now advocate moving forward.

Tentative Schedule...

Sun 8/5 

• Travel Day

Mon 8/6  

• Arrive in Iquitos midday.    

• Rest and settle in.

• Trip Intro meeting + Dinner with our local leaders.

Tues 8/7

• Visit both campuses of Colegio Kairos in Iquitos.

• Visit the community of Belen, settled in the bed of the Amazon River.

Wed 8/8

• Visit Kairos Village, the site of our newest Help One Now Village for rescue and restoration

• Boat tour on the Amazon River

Thurs 8/9  

• Travel from Iquitos to Cusco.  

• Potential adventure excursion/ shopping day 

• Stay the night in Cusco.

Fri 8/10

• Spend the day exploring Machu Picchu!!

• Stay the night in Urubamba

Wed 8/11

• Travel from Urubamba to Cusco and visit the Pisac Market

• Depart from Cusco to Lima and begin the journey home.  
  

 Thurs 8/12

• Arrive home.
  

Shots/Vaccinations

There are currently no required vaccinations for Peru; however, we recommend Hep A & B, Tetanus, and Yellow Fever. Some people choose to get a Typhoid treatment (pill or shot) as well.

If you take prescription medicine, make sure you bring enough for the entire trip and be sure to leave it in their original containers. The following medication is recommended as a precaution:

• Malaria Prevention Medication - There are several prescriptions available. Please check with your travel nurse.

• On this trip you will spend some time at extremely high altitudes, we recommend considering the prescription for Diamox, a medication to help prevent altitude sickness.

• Check with your travel nurse or doctor to see if there are other medications they recommend in case of stomach sensitivity to foreign foods.

Insurance

Help One Now has purchased trip cancellation and medical evacuation insurance for each of you (included in trip cost). An email will be sent closer to your departure date with your card attached. Please print your insurance card and keep it with your passport while traveling.

 Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

You will each be registered with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This is a free service provided by the US Government for citizens traveling abroad that will allow the US Embassy in Peru to better assist you in the event of an emergency.

 

Supplies / Packing List

Please do not bring anything you absolutely can’t live without (including jewelry and electronics). Be modest with the items you decide to bring to Peru..  We recommend packing light and limiting your bags to carry-on only. You are allowed one carry-on and one personal item. For example, this could be a rolling suitcase to put in the overhead compartment and a backpack that you can put at your feet.

Mandatory Items

• VALID PASSPORT (with atleast 6 months of validity) to be carried on your person at all times.

• Water bottle (to be refilled)

• Clothing to fit your needs for the allotted time period: It is hot and humid in the daytime. Please dress modestly (shorts are fine, but no short-shorts; underwear and bra straps cannot show). For church services, please include “church” clothes, i.e. long skirt/dress, short sleeves or cardigan to wear if top is sleeveless. A light jacket is recommended just in case you get chilly at night or if it rains.

• Closed-toed shoes

• Toiletries (no perfumes/colognes or heavily scented items please- mosquitoes like those)

• Bug Spray- DEET (anti-mosquito) spray or wipes

• All necessary prescriptions to be kept in original labeled bottles (TSA regulations)

Suggested Items

• Snacks for when you're on the go (protein bars, trail mix, etc- there may be times where it makes more sense to eat snacks for lunch if you are on the go)

• Backpack to hold passport/cash

• Cash for sodas, souvenirs, etc

• Hat, sunglasses, & sunscreen

• Hand sanitizer

• Medicines/Personal First Aids: pain/fever reducer, Imodium, sleeping aid, band aids, alcohol wipes

* You will receive more detailed information in a Trip Packet a few weeks before departure.