New York University and ProPeru Create a Positive Impact in International Relations, Health Care and the Environment

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Release Date: January 24, 2008

New York University and ProPeru Create a Positive Impact in International Relations, Health Care and the Environment

By ProWorld Service Corps
January 24, 2008

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NYU students and staff collaborated with ProPeru on international development work including installing cleaner burning stoves, rural health outreach clinics, construction and reforestation to affect the lives of over 1,500 Peruvians.

PR9.NET January 24, 2008 - Cusco, Peru – 143 New York University students and deans built 262 cleaner burning stoves, treated 800 patients, built three bathrooms at schools and planted 6,000 trees over 10 days in the Department of Cusco. The students came to Peru as part of the Steinhardt and Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholars from NYU and put in 9 hour days to complete the development projects alongside Andean community members.

Students working on the cleaner burning stove project installed stoves in homes where families traditionally cook over an open fire without a chimney. The families inhale a dangerous amount of smoke, which is the fourth leading cause of death in the developing world. The stove funnels the smoke out of the home and reduces the amount of wood burned by 20 to 50%, improving lung and eye health and conserving trees.

Students working in the mobile health clinics traveled to communities to give workshops on nutrition and hygiene and help local doctors and nurses treat patients. Students worked in obstetrics, dentistry and general medicine, helping with teeth cleaning, anemia testing, treatments for stomach parasites and tapeworms and pap smears to test for cervical cancer. Without the clinics, many of the patients would not have been able to see a doctor or pay for the treatments.

The three bathrooms will go a long way to prevent future cases of parasites among the children in the communities. The students worked directly with community members to build hygienic facilities for the local schools. Before the construction, children could not wash their hands after going to the bathroom and caused the spread of disease. According to ProPeru Cusco Site Director Kenny Ewan, "Proper bathrooms are so important because parasites in children lead to problems with growth and development."

All of the students participated in one day of tree-planting to help replenish the native forests of Peru and reduce global warming. Because of Peru's location close to the equator, the trees are able to take in dangerous carbon dioxide and put out oxygen year round. The students also worked individually with community members to plant every tree, making a real connection to someone they may never have had the chance to meet in the United States.

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New York University and ProPeru Create a Positive Impact in International Relations, Health Care and the Environment

Contact Information of ProWorld Service Corps

Phone	877 429 6753
Website	http://www.myproworld.org
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About ProWorld Service Corps

ProWorld Service Corps is a company specializing in study abroad and volunteer work service projects in Peru (ProPeru), Belize (ProBelize), Mexico (ProMexico), India (ProIndia), and Thailand (ProThailand). Founded in 1998, ProWorld provides enriching experiences for volunteers while striving to make a difference in cooperative communities.