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As part of her gap year, Andrea Arcamone—a Master’s student in the Grande École Program at IÉSEG—decided to take part in a volunteer mission in Peru. For several months, she lived alongside the inhabitants of a small Peruvian village, supporting local entrepreneurs and immersing herself in their daily lives. Today, she looks back at her experience, her journey, and the lessons learned along the way.

How did you first get involved with Impulso for your gap year?

Another IÉSEG student was looking for volunteers to join a mission in Latin America with Impulso. I did some research on the organization and thought it could be a really meaningful experience during my gap year. So, I applied. Impulso then paired me with a teammate, Philippine de Solages, who was studying at another business school. We met up and quickly agreed that our main focus should be connecting with people. We really wanted to live with the local community. Impulso suggested a project in Peru, in a remote desert village called Quilmaná, about 200 kilometers North of Lima. It was exactly the kind of setting we were hoping for.

Can you tell us a bit more about Impulso and its mission?

Impulso is an NGO created by two IÉSEG alumni. Its purpose is to give young people the opportunity to support micro-entrepreneurship projects in Latin America. For example, business school students can share what they’ve learned about management, financial planning, and other fields. In Latin America, men often reinvest microloans directly into their businesses, while women are more likely to use them for their children’s education or family health. Impulso partners with microfinance institutions in Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Peru to help these women grow their entrepreneurial projects through skills-based volunteering.

How did you prepare for this trip?

Before leaving, we had six months to raise funds. Part of the money covered our expenses—flights, housing, and living costs—while the rest went to support the organization itself. Philippine and I raised the necessary funds through family, friends, company sponsorships, and a fundraising event we organized, which was a great success.

Beyond counselling, did you have other responsibilities?

Yes. On site, we each had specific roles: I was in charge of communications, while Philippine handled finance. Impulso gave us a camera to document our experience. I filmed interviews, daily life, and landscapes, then put together a short documentary about women entrepreneurs in Peru, now available on Impulso’s YouTube channel and titled Palabras Peruanas. I also interviewed the founder of a microfinance institute who had an amazing story to share—he left home at a young age with the equivalent of one euro and went on to build his own institution, which now employs several women. We also created a newsletter to keep our sponsors updated throughout the mission.

What was it like working with the local population?

At first, it was quite difficult to earn their trust, but little by little, we built strong relationships. We supported several people, including a couple of tailors. Helping them was particularly rewarding—they needed advice on many aspects of their business, from inventory management to production planning. I was really inspired by their resilience and their positive outlook despite the challenges they faced. It was a real-life lesson.

What did you take away from this experience?

So many things… First, I learned to slow down. In Peru, life moves at a different pace, and that forced me to take a step back. I’ve carried that mindset with me ever since. During an internship afterward, my manager told me something I had never heard before—that I was “phlegmatic.” At first, I was surprised, but then I realized it made sense. In stressful situations, I stay calm. I’m convinced that this ability to take things in stride came from my gap year. Overall, it was a true life lesson: seeing people who manage to be happy despite having so little—no hot water, no electricity, constant daily struggles—really makes you reflect on your own life.