I just got back from Peru on early Wednesday morning.It was truly a life-changing experience.Before this trip, I would always say, “I can talk about global hunger and the work of WFP until I’m red in the face, but I won’t truly understand it until I see it firsthand.”Well, this turned out to be true.As we were visiting the operations in Peru, I just couldn’t get over how impressive and efficient WFP was in implementing its programs.I saw how WFP does more than just feed people; it helps people feed themselves.
I was fortunate enough to visit a tile-making factory while I was in Peru.The factory was in the village of En Puruchcku. The factory looked very different than the ones we have in the United States. It was an open area, with a couple of huts and a big oven like building. Most of the work was done outside. The factory opened in 2007 and started out as a food for workproject.WFP and ABA (WFP’s non-governmental partner in Peru) taught the factory workers different methods of tile production.In 2007 and 2008, the project was able to provide roof tiles for 180 homes (with 400,000 tiles), 9,000 block tiles used for the flooring of homes and 1,000 tubes needed for a sprinkler and irrigation system used throughout the community.
The factory has had so much success that they are now receiving money, instead of food, for their work and are selling these tiles to other communities in the area, as well as several companies in the nearby city of Ayacucho.Prior to purchasing tiles fromEn Puruchcku, factories in Ayacucho were buying tiles from the capital city of Lima, several hundred miles away.
I found the people who worked in this factory to be truly inspirational.They were extremely hard workers and had a passion for their craft.It really shows you what someone can do with a little bit of help.
The people we visited migrated to the high Andes Mountains of Peru 6,000 years ago. They suffered horrible atrocities from 1980 to 2000 during a civil war started by a group known as the Shining Path. The World Food Program, by providing food for work and food for education, has helped them put their lives back together. This initiative by WFP is set to end in June. As a volunteer for Friends of the World Food Program, I was very fortunate to be able to experience their culture, share their food, and see the tremendous work they have done in cultivating their fields and building their communities. These gracious people will forever be in my thoughts. I would like to introduce these people to you.
The incredible opportunity to travel as a UN Delegate to Peru with the Friends of the World Food Program for the United Nations World Food Programme is an incredible honor for me. To see and experience first-hand the beauty of the people and their country, and learn of their joys and their difficulties makes my efforts with Music For Mankind® (www.musicformankind.net) very personal. To help in whatever way I can touches my heart in a way that words may not describe. I have produced a short video of the trip, included here (click on the photo), which will later become a full documentary. I hope you enjoy seeing some of the beauty that we experienced.
My sincere thanks to Friends of the World Food Program and all of my fellow travelers for such an incredible adventure!
Margot had prepared us for the rituals that were going to be
performed for us as we headed up into the Andean mountains, but little did I
know that I was in for a fun treat. We arrived in Union Potrero after a three-hour
bus ride through unpaved roads. Union Potrero is the headquarters for ABA,
WFP’s NGO partner that works in the Andean region. We were greeted with a warm
welcome filled with love and appreciation. As the villagers began playing a traditional
song on their handmade string instruments, they started asking members of our
group to dance. This is where it gets funny.
For those of you who don’t know me, I have rather long hair
and three earrings, which caused one of the men in the village to mistake me
for a woman. The man asked me to dance, and as we moved in front of the live
music, he noticed that I was a man and suddenly looked confused. The crowd
shouted with laughter, including myself. He then asked an actual woman to dance
and a woman of the village came to dance with me. There is so much more to
write, but I thought this would let everyone know that we are having a great
time. This is truly an experience I will never forget.
Brian Ward Outreach Associate Friends of the World Food Program
When I think of the most typical WFP operations, I think of programs in which food is provided to ensure that people survive until tomorrow and WFP food is the only food people have available. The programs we saw this week were not the typical WFP programs. They provided so much more: training and projects to help improve people’s lives.
This morning, we climbed high into the mountains again, this time to visit a man-made lagoon that helps people in local communities harvest rainwater. Without the lagoon, these families have water only five months or so out of the year. With the help of WFP and ABA, a local, non-governmental partner, the construction of these lagoons has ensured that people in the towns near Union Potrero have access to water for themselves and their animals throughout the entire year. They have even begun installing irrigation systems on their farms to make better use of the water and increase their harvests!
At the lagoon, we were joined by ABA and WFP staff, along with many of the villagers from Union Potrero. We got to watch and participate in a water blessing ceremony, very similar to the agriculture ceremony Meredith discussed in her latest blog post.
As the leader of the community stepped up to speak, he explained that when they first had the idea of creating the lagoon water reservoir, nobody believed it could succeed. The idea of building a lagoon with walls made of stone and land, rather than cement, seemed like an impossible idea. But they didn’t give up and even began building it themselves, using their bare hands to scrape away the land to create a large hole. This was extremely difficult work.
Luckily, WFP and ABA came along and offered their support for the project. Together with the villagers, they brought in machinery to dig out the lagoon and then worked with the community to perfect it and maintain it while it filled with water from the rainy season. In exchange for their work on this project, WFP provides food assistance to families that supplements their regular diets.
I am just so fascinated by the large scope of the WFP projects we have seen on this trip. Not only do families receive food, but they learn the skills needed to sustain themselves.
Jessica Lennon Communications Assistant Friends of WFP
From 14,000 feet high in the Andes mountains, our group of nine Americans – five WFP Committee volunteers and four Friends of WFP staff – watched in awe as the Quechua people of the village of Chakiccocha shared their ancient ritual to bless and prepare their land for the next harvest season. This ritual was truly a once-in-a-lifetime insight into the indigenous Quechua culture, and we were invited with open arms to observe and participate in this beautiful tradition.
It started off with an invitation for men and women to sit, on separate sides of the land, and face two village elders, who sat in front of a blanket covered with a lovely woven basket and a variety of offerings that would play an integral role in this ritual. With the backdrop of the Andes mountains, brown rock and red clay and all shades of green, broken only by an occasional home or patch of yellow or purple flowers, the setting truly could not have been more stunning. As the village leaders began to put fruits in the offering basket two by two, followed by cotton, coca leaf (a traditional plant that is chewed or made into tea by the people of the Andes), flowers and seeds, one of the Spanish-speaking villagers (most speak only Quechua) explained to us what was going on. When all offerings were placed in the basket, a hole was dug in front of a stone, and the villagers sang a song asking that the land open up and accept their offerings. As one leader dug this hole, a sense of happiness could be felt. It was determined that the land truly did open itself to accept the offering, as the soil was soft and there were no rocks in the hole. The basket was lowered into the opening on a bed of straw and then re-covered with dirt and then stones.
The villagers then moved on to the second portion of the ritual – the preparation of the land. The men stood in line and used a tool invented by the Incas to break the land. The women faced them and, with their bare hands, pushed the freshly broken soil to one side, creating rows in which the villagers would later plant seeds. As this was taking place, a rumbling could be heard, and the skies opened up, first with rain and then with hail. Our group took shelter, groping for our ponchos and coats, but the villagers were unfazed. They explained that the rain was like a jacket for them, and they welcome it. The rain proved an important symbol to close out this ritual, guaranteeing a good harvest to come.
I can barely put into words how special it felt to be welcomed with so much love into the lives of a people practicing such a magnificent, ancient culture. I can’t wait to sleep in another such village tonight and really experience a full day in their lives.
Meredith Slater Development Associate Friends of WFP
Today we soared to new heights in many respects, as we embarked on an impressive, all-day journey to around 14,000 feet. Fortunately, the high altitude did not have a major impact on me, thanks to natural preventative measures. The maginificent Andes Mountains were breathtaking. Around every bend was a unbelievable display of color, cliffs, mountainsides and villages.
We experienced so much today it is difficult to get it all in, so I will share one of my experiences with you. When we arrived at Union Petrero, a small village about 12,000 feet up, we were greeted by happy indigenous people. You could feel the warmness from their hearts radiating. During the welcoming ritual, we were greeted by the head of the community and presented with beautiful music, delicious food and sombreros. I even got asked to dance. Who would have thought I would have been dancing with a villager in Peru! I think that best part of the dance was trying our best to learn their style of dance. Don't worry, we will have pictures soon!
There are so many incredible views here. Every turn in the road brought us to another different and amazing sight. We are up over 13,000 feet. Villagers here are so kind and loving. There is such an incredible connection and love between the people here and the earth. We saw a beautiful ritual for the crops that should bring rain, which is considered a great sign for the growing season. There was food, music and dancing before and after. I'll have more about my experience in Peru later.
Our first full day in Peru started bright and early as we left our hotel for the airport around 5 AM. Even though we hadn't gotten much sleep and it was still dark outside, you could feel the excitement in the van as we went to catch our flight.
We flew in a tiny, 15-seater jet up to Ayacucho, a city at about 10,000 feet above sea level. I've never been a huge fan of small planes, but it's hard to complain when I look out the window and see the Andes Mountains sprawling before me and the other beautiful landscapes below. Not only is this my first time in Peru, but I realized it's my first trip south of the Equator!
After we arrived, we settled into our hotel to get some rest. With such a big altitude change, we didn't know how our bodies would react so we took it easy that day. I got especially lightheaded over lunch, but after drinking some matte de coca (coca tea, a local remedy for altitude sickness) I was feeling much better.
We spent the afternoon at the WFP Ayacucho office, and we met the staff who will accompany us on our program visits. We took this opportunity to learn more details about the journey. I just can't wait for tomorrow! We are leaving at 7 AM for the town of Union Potrero to visit the headquarters of ABA, a Peruvian NGO that works with WFP. Then we'll head into the field to see the incredible things WFP and ABA are accomplishing together on the ground.
Goodnight from Ayacucho!
Jessica Lennon Communications Assistant Friends of WFP
