Our Beginning 2011
In 2011 we ventured out on our maiden voyage with two other volunteers and stayed with host families in Ollantaytambo to help our volunteers get a sense of Peruvian way of life, the unity of the family and community, the resources available to the locals, and the challenges they face. Together, we cleaned and painted the interior of the local church in Ollantaytambo. We learned from this experience that we need to include more of the locals in the maintenance and care of their church, as well as any future construction projects.
This trip also included a research and needs assessment. We identified children living in poverty with limited access to healthcare and education; displaced elderly living in poverty with limited access to resources including housing, healthcare, and nutrition; and remote farming families including women with challenges of running a household while also trying to earn a living through textile weaving. Young boys and fathers, working as chasquis (porters) on the Inca trail, are challenged with fair wages from the tour operators. |
|
|
Christmas
During the Christmas season that year, we rallied some local friends of Ollantaytambo and visited 3 villages outside Ollantaytambo including Yanamayu, Silke, and Piri. Yanamayu is located over a 16,400 foot pass, about a 3-hour drive outside of Ollantaytambo. There are 150 people living in the village. With limited transportation, villagers often walk 2-3 hours before being able to hitch a ride into Ollantaytambo for the remaining 1 ½ hour journey by car. They are farmers, textile weavers, and chasquis for the Inca trail. Project Inti brought the villagers blankets, soccer balls, toothbrushes, clothes, underwear, socks, and other toys for Christmas. Project Inti distributed similar items to the villages of Piri and Silke. Piri suffered a great loss in early 2010 during a record breaking flood. Homes were destroyed and they relocated to this region outside of Ollantaytambo. Efforts from other organizations have also contributed in the rebuilding of this community. |
Project Inti also bought a washing machine to give to the orphanage of Madre Teresa, the orphanage where Angie volunteered in 2009 and 2010. They house 30-40 children with disabilities—14 of which have severe disabilities. The orphanage turned down the donation because they felt the machine would take away a job of a woman washing all of the clothes by hand. Our mission was to support the employees and make them more efficient so it would free up for time for other duties in caring for the children. Nevertheless, there is always need somewhere. So we found a special family that could use the help.
The family who received the washing machine serves a family with 10 children. We identified a special family outside of Cusco where two generations live together. Nilde and her husband live with Nilde’s parents. Between the two generations, there are 10 children living in the house. Celia, Nilde’s mother, sells chicha to the local people and Nilde sells coffee, making 50-60 soles per week (approximately $23 per week). Nilde’s husband does odd jobs such as small construction jobs and selling hats. Nilde’s father used to work as a chasqui on the Inca trail, but he suffered an accident where a tree fell on him and broke his arm. He hasn’t been able to work ever since. He is a little more than 60 years old. It is an example of a family living and working together to make ends meet and the donation of this washing machine will help Nilde and Celia manage some of their household while also trying to earn a living wage.
This was an important lesson in understanding the nuances of working with other organizations, such as Madre Teresa run by the Catholic Church, and finding alternative ways to get help into needful hands. We are truly thankful to our donors who had the special heart to support the cause of the washing machine for the orphanage, but we hope the replacement in helping this family is equally as rewarding.
The entire Christmas project cost approximately $1,600 and we helped about 210 people—$7.62 per person.
The family who received the washing machine serves a family with 10 children. We identified a special family outside of Cusco where two generations live together. Nilde and her husband live with Nilde’s parents. Between the two generations, there are 10 children living in the house. Celia, Nilde’s mother, sells chicha to the local people and Nilde sells coffee, making 50-60 soles per week (approximately $23 per week). Nilde’s husband does odd jobs such as small construction jobs and selling hats. Nilde’s father used to work as a chasqui on the Inca trail, but he suffered an accident where a tree fell on him and broke his arm. He hasn’t been able to work ever since. He is a little more than 60 years old. It is an example of a family living and working together to make ends meet and the donation of this washing machine will help Nilde and Celia manage some of their household while also trying to earn a living wage.
This was an important lesson in understanding the nuances of working with other organizations, such as Madre Teresa run by the Catholic Church, and finding alternative ways to get help into needful hands. We are truly thankful to our donors who had the special heart to support the cause of the washing machine for the orphanage, but we hope the replacement in helping this family is equally as rewarding.
The entire Christmas project cost approximately $1,600 and we helped about 210 people—$7.62 per person.