A Month with EcoSwell: Reflections on a Medical Placement
As final-year medical students from the UK, my two friends and I recently travelled to Lobitos, a small coastal town in northern Peru, to spend four weeks volunteering as medical interns (medical electives) with EcoSwell. I arrived with a lot of nerves but driven by the aim of contributing what we could to the charity’s healthcare work. We were welcomed into an incredibly committed organisation and a generous community, to have an experience that will stay with us forever.
Three Medical Electives ready to assist in the local health post.
Working at the Health Post
Volunteer intern, Katie, assisting in eye testing of the local children
Each morning, under the supervision of Luisa, a highly skilled and compassionate nurse, we supported consultations at the local health post. With minimal equipment, we helped carry out basic diagnostic tests and assisted in managing conditions ranging from appendicitis and pyelonephritis to diabetes, asthma and menorrhagia.
Working in this environment made me reflect deeply on the importance of clinical skills—especially history taking and examination—when access to investigations is limited. It was a powerful reminder that good medicine doesn’t begin with technology, but with listening, observation, and trust.
Despite our limited Spanish, we were able to build meaningful relationships with patients and colleagues, thanks to the encouragement and support of Junior, our translator. Working alongside him was one of the highlights of the trip—not only for the help he provided, but for the cultural exchange and friendship that grew through our time together (not to mention the art workshops and chess matches!). We were also grateful to Genesis, a nurse at the post, who involved us in public health outreach initiatives such as TB screening and vision testing in both the primary and secondary schools.
Community Outreach and Anaemia Screeing
In the afternoons, we supported one of EcoSwell’s long-term public health projects—the campaign to address iron-deficiency anaemia, a widespread issue in Peru that disproportionately affects rural communities. We worked alongside EcoSwell staff Quenni and Carlos, and a local paramedic and his wife, Manuel and Mirtha, going house to house to screen nearly 100 individuals across Lobitos and Primavera, a neighbouring community.
EcoSwell’s medical volunteer interns supporting and working with the local Lobitos medical team!
It was an honour to be a part of the team, and their knowledge, care, and dedication to improving local health outcomes was very inspiring. The project was a lot of fun as we got to meet so many people and spending a month there meant faces became familiar, and we recognised lots of children from the school campaigns, which included going into the local school to test hemoglobin levels.
Living and Learning at EcoSwell
Beyond clinical work, I loved the opportunity to live alongside people from different disciplines and backgrounds in the EcoSwell house, all committed to the charity’s vision of sustainable development. Whether through shared meals every lunch, group reflections at Monday meetings, or supporting other NGO projects like WAVES' Mujer de Agua programme, which teaches local girls to swim and surf, I felt continually inspired by the scope and spirit of the work happening in Lobitos. EcoSwell’s multidisciplinary approach reminded me how human health is fundamentally tied to clean water, sanitation, food systems, energy access, biodiversity, and environmental protection.
Volunteer interns playing football on the Lobitos beach at sunset!
The Lobitos lifestyle is absolutely magical - you can start every day with a sunrise surf and return to a delicious cooked breakfast made ready on the table by the EcoSwell chef, Meche. After the working day you can surf again, run, swim, read a book on the sand or, my favourite, practice yoga with Emilie, another Volunteer Supervisor, overlooking the beach. Carlos, the Volunteer Coordinator is always there to bring a smile to your face - even when the electricity drops, the shower water needs pumping, or the dry toilet runs out of mulch (dry leaves from the native algarrobo tree); he is incredibly committed to every single volunteer, making you feel at home. We watched the sunset at South America’s most westerly point, swam with turtles, visited caves, spotted migrating whales… and if you are a foodie, you will not be disappointed by the chance to fish for your own ceviche, or enjoy local chaufa, saltados or pisco sours.
Watching local surfers at the Lobitos surf point
Final Reflections
Volunteers enjoying birthday celebrations in the EcoSwell office!
I came to EcoSwell hoping to contribute as a medical elective, but I’ve left with so much more. I gained a deeper understanding of what it means to work in true partnership with a community, and what sustainable, integrated healthcare looks like in practice. I am incredibly grateful to everyone at EcoSwell—and to the people of Lobitos—for welcoming us, teaching us, and inviting us to share in the magical life of Lobitos.
My friends and I joked that after visiting Lobitos you can’t help but feel you have a root there, that you are a part of a special community that enriches and celebrates each other. I hope one day I get the opportunity to return.
Interns enjoying the sunset at the local caves in Capullanas!
Sunsets in Lobitos