MMI’s work began in Peru in 1999 when Director of Field Operations Brian Piecuch moved to Arequipa in the south of the country with his family. The first project was held the next year. The work expanded quickly and now over 250 volunteers annually travel to the country. Tania Catacora has been MMI’s national director for Peru since 2010 and she continues to develop new projects and disciple local and international leadership.

New young leaders are being developed with the help of an innovative scholarship program. An ophthalmic technician from Peru has been trained at another MMI Health Center and now works for MMI in Lima, Peru. Annual courses in Physical Therapy have been offered to local PT’s for the past 5 years. With the arrival of Jodee Fortner, a PT from Pennsylvania, MMI’s fledgling permanent center in Arequipa is now providing both optometry services and physical therapy care.

MMI’s vision for Peru is to further develop it’s one and two week program, especially in Lima and the north of the country. Additionally, we would like to further develop our permanent center by finding/building a larger facility and train one or two Peruvian doctors in Ophthalmology. An alliance with universities in the USA and Peru is being explored as well for the launching of a certificate program in advanced physical therapy studies for Peruvian Physical Therapists.