Kaitlin Alayo of Redmond High School recently completed her Girl Scout Gold Award.

While visiting Peru several years ago, where her father grew up, Alayo discovered that access to basic health care is very limited and expensive.

When she returned from her trip abroad, she realized that many people in the United States who use hearing aids and glasses do not recycle or reuse their aids — leaving many devices forgotten in the backs of desk drawers.

For her Gold Award, Alayo created a program to collect unneeded aids from senior living facilities and optometrist clinics throughout western Washington. She returned to Peru and partnered with health workers to distribute more than 150 glasses and nearly 100 hearing aids to people near Cusco. She created a process for two clinics to ship their recycled items directly to medical professionals in Peru so people can continue to benefit from her work.

“Girl Scouts has helped me be a citizen of the world,” Alayo said. “I’ve learned how to be a leader.”

Alayo is a senior and will graduate from RHS in 2017 and wants to become a pediatrician.