By Piero Ponce

Ayacucho is a region located in the central Peruvian Andes and encompasses the province of Puquio, an extensive area with historical archeological sites and home of a living culture that mainly speaks the Inca language Runasimi. Through a visit to that area, I could experience a close touch with the rural world and Andean nature.

Puquio can only be reached by bus, thus it offers the chance to see marvelous landscapes among the route, such as the Nazca Lines and the majestic National Park Pampa Galeras, where a huge number of vicuñas, llamas, and other animals can be seen very closely.

Puquio is about eight-hour bus ride from the city of Lima, and the first thing that will capture the visitor’s attention is the construction of its streets, many of them built with stones, as well as an overview of the surrounding highlands, which perfectly represent the Andean structure. It was worth spending the night over there and I enjoyed walking around the area.

On the next day, we head to the Andamarca valley (three hours from Puquio), an impressive area where the Andenes (terraces that were built by the former Peruvian kingdoms for growing crops, such as potatoes, corn, among others) are still in use and match perfectly with the landscape. The valley is well designed on both sides by these impressive structures, and in the main town of Andamarca, there is also a preserved archeological site surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna.

The third day was planned for visiting the neighbor province of Cora-Cora (2.5 hours from Puquio by bus) and from there, the Sara Sara Mountain and the Parinacochas lagoon, two incredible natural sites located in the highland pampas, where we could enjoy the energy of the Andes and several birds completing the natural scene.

This was a good opportunity to enjoy the balance of the nature and calmness of the rural world. In the afternoon, we tool a local bus in the road and head back to Puquio, enjoying as well the several small lagoons along the way and watching camelids walking by freely.

This visit represented a nice experience getting to know a destination not yet well-known, and enjoying the living culture of a province that starts appearing in the map through the construction of an international highway which will connect it to Brazil in the near future. There is no official site for this province yet, but I would recommend interested travelers to search for further information on Wikipedia and other sites.

Piero Ponce

Piero has a degree in Economics with specialization on Global Management and vast international experience for 4 years, by analyzing and managing initiatives that promote cooperation among groups from different cultural background and activating leadership skills in youth worldwide. His life has been fortunately matched with his biggest passion: meeting cultures by traveling. Borned in Lima, Peru, his academic and professional actions took him to visit all continents. Because of this, he learned several languages and started working in the field of rural development. He currently lives in the city of Ayacucho and works as Director for Proyects & Research at the Regional Chamber of Tourism in Ayacucho, thus opening new opportunities for local organizations to further develop sustainable tourism initiatives.

It is no secret among the surf community that the Pacific coast of Peru is something of a surfers paradise, with consistent off shore winds and few crowds. With a few exceptions, many waves can be found still breaking clean and empty for the more intrepid surfers to discover and enjoy. Word spreads and things are changing fast though; every year brings new surf businesses, foreign investments, more accessible waves. Good news for some, but, as is so often the case, not so good for the locals, who typically become frozen out of developments in their own backyard.

Travel to the coastal town of Lobitos, however, and you will see just how ‘much better’ a surf holiday could be.

With consistent swells, a world-class left hand break, and other waves suitable for all levels of surfer, the small town of Lobitos, 65km south of the surf capital Mancora, is well placed for surf tourism. Seeing the potential, a group of travelling surfers who had witnessed first hand the grim reality of surf-related development elsewhere, decided to get in first and see if they could change the future, simply by empowering the local community to take control of their own surf destiny.

WAVES for Development started out a little over 2 years ago, and since clinching a donation of 400 surfboards, has gone from strength to strength. Their surf volunteer programs have delivered classes in swimming, surfing, English, photography, surf board repair, guitar, environmental management and social entrepreneurship among others.

WAVES for Development surfing class

They are also developing micro-finance initiatives to help local businesses establish themselves and service the growing surf tourism industry. The aim is simply to provide the local community with the skills, resources and knowledge to develop in whatever way they see fit. All this while giving volunteers plenty of time to enjoy the fantastic surf and to experience a side of Peru no tourist could ever hope to.

“We believe that surf travel should benefit the people and the communities where it happens.” – WAVES for Development

Much Better Adventure caught up with Dave Aabo, one of the Waves for Development project founders, to find out a bit more about the surf, and what lies in store for Waves.

Which break do you surf most at Lobitos?

While there are a number of waves around Lobitos, I typically surf the point the most. Generally speaking it’s the most consistent and offers the longest rides.

Hitting the waves in Lobitos, Peru

Is there normally a favourite among volunteers?

With options to surf heavy barrels at el Hueco, the Point sucking and peeling for hundreds of meters, and additional quality lefts at Muelles and Piscinas, there are non-crowded options for everyone. It is the sort of place where you can get surfed out every day!

Volunteers typically like the wave that’s working the best at any given point in time. The Piscinas wave can be a bit mellower of a drop than the point so intermediate surfers occasionally favour that wave. Other times it can throw tubes and even close out. The swell direction and amount of sand at the breaks oftentimes dictates where volunteers favour. For beginners, the protected inside of the Lobitos point has mellow waves offering ideal learning conditions. Peeling waves provide ideal opportunities to improve your surfing.

WAVES for Development volunteers

For surf travellers, where else would you recommend for surfing in Peru?

Chicama, Huanchaco and Mancora all have fun waves.

What activities can you locally do aside from surf?

Aside from surfing, you can take a trip to the local caves, go for a boat ride with the local fisherman, learn about the amazing history and culture of the area. Additionally, other nearby towns such as Negritos have attractions including the most occidental point in South America and beautiful flamingos.

WAVES Projects have being going less than 2 years. Are you pleased with progress and results so far?

February 2008 was our first two-week pilot program in Lobitos. At times I’m amazed at how far we’ve come in such a short amount of time. Adding Naomi Godden, our Program Manager, to the team in June 2009 really catapulted us forward in the development of the program. Now we have over 6 local staff and ongoing programs that over 200 youth have participated in (including school and after-school programs). That’s more that half the local youth population. We have anywhere from 10-20 regular participants aged 8-20.

WAVES local youth participants

Was it always going to be Lobitos? Did you consider anywhere else?

We discussed some other options, but we wanted a smaller community to get started. Our intention has always been to see if it can work in Lobitos then expand to other communities both within Peru and in other countries. In and around Lobitos was where the majority of us met for the first time.

What is your long-term vision for WAVES and Lobitos?

Our vision for Lobitos is that some of the younger participants, both male and female become the future leaders of the program. We have a few ‘assistant-ships’ that allow some of the more mature youth to take a leadership role in the current programs. Ideally, as an organization, WAVES will pass over the reins to the local leaders and start a similar program elsewhere.

We see you have been making a film. Where can we see it?

The screening schedule for CAPTURE: A WAVES Documentary will be posted on the production blog, where you can see the trailer online.

Any other exciting projects and plans in pipeline?

Keep your eyes out for new developments related to WAVES in the towns of Chicama and Negritos in Peru.

Find out more:
>> View surf volunteer program details
>> Learn more about WAVES for Development

Photos by WAVES for Development

Dave Aabo – WAVES for Development

Dave, a founder of WAVES for Development, has been providing his energy to making WAVES a reality since 2005. His love for adventure, curiosity of new cultures, and commitment to changing the world through social enterprises are contagious. Since 2000, he has lived and worked in Africa, South America and the United States. He has spent more than four years in Peru developing small business and conservation initiatives that incorporate tourism in rural communities located in the mountains, coast and jungle of Peru. Dave has also worked with ProNaturaleza, the Peruvian Foundation for the Conservation of Nature, to support the development of community-base voluntourism programs in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, located in the Peruvian jungle.

Dave will be presenting at the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2010 (ESTC 2010) (September 8-10, 2010, Portland, Oregon, USA) on a panel “Voluntourism: from a community project to a consumer product.” The session will take place Thursday, September 9th, 2010, from 4:15-5:45pm, sharing various local and international best practice examples of effective approaches to developing, implementing and marketing voluntourism projects.

Speakers:

• Liz Manning, Planeterra Foundation – “Travel, Connect, Give Back”
• Dave Aabo, WAVES for Development International – “Surf Voluntourism: The making of WAVES”
• Eric Berman, Cheeta Conservation Fund “Leveraging volunteers – a case study”

More about Much Better Adventures

Much Better Adventures are searching for the world’s local, sustainable and harder to find travel choices for adventure seekers, collecting them in one place. This is a community you can’t buy your way into – those that meet the criteria are offered free membership, so travelers can get in direct contact. Their mission? A wide, fair and independent collection to quench your thirst for adventure, while supporting not-for-profit, community and innovative ecotourism projects who often cannot afford to appear on mainstream travel resources.

Escrito por: Cedy Aronés, Especialista de Turismo Rural, DESCO – OUT Caylloma.

*English translation follows Spanish text.

El diseño de nuevos circuitos turísticos en el Valle del Colca es una tarea que demanda un análisis cuidadoso de los recursos, financiamiento y expectativas locales. Los circuitos, corredores económicos típicos ancestrales y hasta senderos peatonales de uso cotidiano, sirven como uno de los primeros elementos, a los que se van sumando atractivos no conocidos, actividades distribuidas a lo largo de un año cronológico como festividades religiosas, actividades agrícolas, eventos sociales, entre otros; a fin de generar una “experiencia de viaje” que sea atractiva y que complemente lo que ya se ofrece.

DESCO apoya en el Valle del Colca el diseño de circuitos turísticos que ayuden a fortalecer la oferta actual de la zona. Son dos circuitos temáticos propuestos a la fecha: “Las tierras altas del Colca” entre los distritos de Sibayo y Callalli, que ofrecen al visitante una oportunidad para conocer el lado mas antiguo del Colca en dos días y una noche, en casa de pobladores locales, recorriendo lugares que evidencian la domesticación de camélidos sudamericanos, compartir (en febrero) la ofrenda especial a la Yakumama, en el Choque Shisha; practica dirigida solamente por las mujeres de la localidad; compartir cuentos y alegría en las estancias de Callalli. Todo esto a más de 4100 m.s.n.m., protegidos con abrigadoras prendas en bayeta y tejidos multicolores de lana natural. De hecho una de las localidades mas conocidas en el Valle del Colca es Yanque, sin embargo la permanencia de los visitantes se reduce a solo unas horas, por lo cual se ha propuesto ampliarla con un paseo de dos días un una noche con la grata compañía de anfitriones y guías locales donde buscamos dar a conocer a cerca de la “Tecnología agrícola de los collaguas”, una interesante vista de la tecnología desde la vida cotidiana de los agricultores en las andenerías del Anfiteatro de Oqolle, Uyu uyu, y finalmente en Yanque, compartir rica gastronomía a base de productos orgánicos en hospedajes familiares.

Es un esfuerzo conjunto de los emprendedores en los distritos del Valle, hacer inversiones para mejorar las viviendas, capacitarse, adaptarse a las exigencias de turistas, y también de los cambios necesarios que deben hacerse en la familia, los roles, compromisos y usos que antes eran cotidianos ahora se han perdido casi por completo. Por eso los –pronto- microempresarios rurales de turismo tienen constante asesoría y capacitación; esta orientación comenzó desde reuniones de sensibilización y progresiva explicación sobre actividad turística, sus beneficios, riesgos, posibilidades y sobre todo la oportunidad de incursionar en una actividad que les permita mejorar su calidad de vida, así como recuperar su identidad cultural, ya que eso será el motor que les anime a revalorar su forma cotidiana de vivir y hacer las cosas. Los servicios se complementan con señalización de los recorridos, y variaciones según las festividades del calendario local, esto incluye entre otras semanas turísticas que se han programado a fin de promocionar las circuitos turísticos del distrito como la producción agropecuaria, gastronomía, artesanía y habilidades (tejedores, mishmiqkuna, aguakuna).

Las cadenas economicas de cooperativismo para ofrecer diversos servicios en las rutas de turismo rural refuerza lo que los pueblos andinos aun practican como norma social y autocontrol en las comunidades: la reciprocidad, solidaridad y trabajo compartido. En este sentido cada unos de los distritos, viene conformado Patronatos de Turismo Distrital, que como un espacio de concertación y diálogo promueve el desarrollo de nuevos emprendimientos y alianzas estratégicas para una mejora continua del turismo local; y, por ser multisectorial, transversal e inclusivo apoya la institucionalidad y genera una capacidad tanto de análisis como de propuesta a otros niveles. Una de las tareas inmediatas de los Patronatos de Turismo es reconocer su circuito, darle mantenimiento regular, y proponer acciones de mejora en los mismos, tanto para aumentar las actividades como para mejorar su presentación. Por ejemplo, la reforestación de mas de 10Ha. de terrenos, entre laderas, bordes de camino, cercos vivos y orillas de río, han sido ejecutadas con la ayuda técnica y económica de Desco; esto último permitirá a futuro contar un una paisaje agrícola mucho más sano.

Por su parte los Municipios Distritales, también aportan estos emprendimiento con partidas económicas especiales para capacitación, materiales de construcción y en la promoción de la actividad; aunque todavía su intervención es limitada por cuanto aun requieren asistencia técnica y conocimiento sobre las herramientas legales y normativas para un manejo y promoción más eficientes.

La oportunidad esta a la mano, a solo un paso: esfuerzo y consenso locales para lograr el éxito y desarrollo rural a través del turismo; es hora de prepararse, es hora de buscar armonía y es hora de llamar a la reflexión a todos los involucrados para contribuir a la mejora de la calidad de vida de nuestra gente.

———

*Text translated by DESCO, edited by TIES.

RURAL TOURISM IN THE COLCA VALLEY

By Cedy Aronés, Especialista de Turismo Rural, DESCO (Center for Studies and Promotion of Development)

DESCO’s Project to Improve Tourism-Oriented Agricultural Production and Rural Tourism Services in the Colca Valley aims to support the design of tourist routes in the valley and to help strengthen the potentials that the Colca Valley region represents.

The goal is to design new offerings for rural tourism in the Colca Valley, providing diverse local routes that can be easily accessed, to reduce traffic congestion between Chivay and Cruz del Cóndor, and to provide better opportunities for local families.

To design new tourist routes, historic routes, ancestral economic corridors, and even footpaths in daily use are utilized with careful analyses of local resources, finances, and expectations. In addition, the routes highlight local festivals, agricultural activities, and social events as attractions to enrich visitor experiences.

The project team started with a diagnosis of the local potential, examining existing and potential employment opportunities related to tourism in the each of the 13 districts involved in the project. As part of the planning of the new tourist routes, DESCO, with the help of expert facilitators, organized a workshop for neighbors, local leaders, rural tourism micro-businesses and tourism promoters, offering explanations of tourist activities, their benefits, risks, and possibilities.

This project offers an unconventional alternative that is respectful of the local people and culture, and serves as the positive face of the development of tourism in the region. With an emphasis on back-to-nature experiences, fair trade principles and care for the environment, the values that the project represents will be embraced by many tourists.

Two thematic routes are proposed so far, highlighting the natural and cultural qualities of each district, and reflecting the preferences and profile of the tourists who visit the valley.

The Colca Highlands route (Districts of Sibayo and Callalli) offers visitors an opportunity to get to know Colca’s ancient cultures. The route includes sites that depict the domestication of South American camelids and offers the opportunity to learn about Choque Shisha (in February) – a ritual conducted solely by the women of the community to make special offering to Yakumama – and to share stories and good times in the ranches of Callalli. All this at an elevation greater than 4100 m.s.m.n. (13,500’), warmed by traditional wraps and multi-colored natural wool woven goods.

While Yanque is one of the best-known places in the Colca valley, most visitors stay only for a couple of hours. To encourage more visitors to stay longer, the two-day Yanque route offers the opportunities to interact with local hosts and guides, and to learn about local agricultural practices and technologies from local farmers’ perspectives. The Yanque route also features a home-style meal with local organic produce.

The project is a group effort by local businesses and families, who have made investments to improve their dwellings, obtain necessary training, and adapt themselves to the needs of tourists, as well as to the necessary changes in family life. The local stakeholders are presented with the opportunity to engage in an activity that might help improve their quality of life, as well as to recover their cultural identity. Tourism could be the engine that motivates them to re-value their daily way of life.

The project is also a great opportunity for businesses to collaborate with each other, as some offer lodging, others walking tours, local guides, and still others offer attractions such as traditional dances, arts and crafts. This collaborative approach reinforces what Andean villages practice as a social norm for self-control in their communities: reciprocity, solidarity, and shared labor.

In this sense, each of the districts comes together to form District Tourism Trustees that promotes the development of new enterprises and strategic alliances to continually improve local tourism; and, because it is a multi-sector, transverse, and inclusive enterprise, the project supports local capacity-building and sustainable economic development.

About DESCO

DESCO (Center for Studies and Promotion of Development) is a Peruvian NGO focused on promoting social development and building capacity focused on excluded populations in Peru. We promote innovative alternatives for development aiming to improve their quality life.

Inkaterra develops and implements, through the NGO Inkaterra Association, various projects to help preserve the local environment and manage economic development in a sustainable manner.

These projects take place at the bank of Madre de Dios River in the rainforest – where Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica lodge is located – and at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, in the Machu Picchu cloud forest.

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

As a main project in the sheltered area, Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica has the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway, an interesting system of suspension bridges that are almost 30 meters high and about 400 meters long. This project started with the support of Global Environment Facility and the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group, with the objective of supporting and promoting environmental conservation and social responsibility in the local communities.

The communities of Juan Pablo II, Micaela Bastidas and Juan Velasco are among the beneficiaries of the Inkaterra projects, and have received capacity-building training in agroforestery, vegetable garden and family nurseries. The work with these communities in the area has been a constant battle due to the weather conditions, the threat caused by illegal tree felling and the informal mining industry that have been used as an economic alternative.

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

At Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, the nature of Inkaterra Association projects is different, since the community is near to an area with highly disorganized economic growth. Environmental education activities are developed targeting local kids, who in the future will be responsible for the sustainability of Peru’s tourism destinations.

Inkaterra’s community projects at the hotel own an orchid garden, with over 300 species, eight of which are new to science. These species are an interesting and important part of the initiatives to rescue and preserve the spectacled bear, a highly threatened species.

As the spectacled bear plays the important role as a pollinator and seed spreader, the species’ disappearance would seriously impact the life inside the South American ecosystems. To date, a baby bear in the growing stage and two male adult specimens have been sheltered for environmental education and research purposes.

How to Get Involved

There is a donation program where travelers and hotel guests have the opportunity to make a donation during their visit, and cooperate with the development of these projects. In addition, Inkaterra organizes volunteer groups to help with Inkaterra projects, and accepts applications from those interested in visiting these rain forest areas for research purposes.

About Inkaterra

Ecological Research and Conservation Funded by Tourism – Inkaterra has pioneered and promoted sustainable tourism in Peru for over 30 years, providing authentic nature experiences in Perú; while rescuing, presenting and showcasing Peru’s culture and nature for the world.

Birding in Tambopata

Boasting a species list of over 1,800, including over 120 endemic species, Peru either is or should be on anybody’s destination list who is even vaguely interested in birds. From coastal deserts to high Andes mountains, to the cloud forest, to the extensive lowland Amazon that covers 60% of the country, the range of habitats is immense. Each ecozone in Peru is home to unique birds, and nowhere are the numbers of birds greater than in the lowland Amazon rainforests.

Only a half hour flight from Cusco, Tambopata is mong the most accessible forest birding areas. Each of the rainforest lodges in Southeast Peru typically boasts bird lists of 500+ species. However, birding in the rainforest takes some getting used to. For best viewing experiences, you need a specialist guide, proper equipment and a lot of patience.

No trip to the Tambopata would be complete without an expedition to Colpa Colorada, the world’s largest and most species-rich macaw clay lick. To break the eight hour journey from town to get there, you can spend a night at one of the lodges on the Tambopata River that have a canopy tower, where you can enjoy uninterrupted views over the forest canopy to the foothills of the Andes a hundred kilometers away.

Mixed flocks of tanagers closer to the tower are a delight to the eye; members include Paradise, Green-and-gold, Turquoise and White-shouldered tanagers, accompanied by Green honeycreepers and Blue dacnis. Dusky-headed parakeets and Red-and-green macaws fly past to a nearby claylick, with a wary eye open for raptors such as Crane and Slate-colored hawks or Black and Ornate Hawk-eagles. A touch of luck may bring the majestic Harpy eagle into view as a few nesting sites are known from the surrounding lands of the local Ese-eja native community.

The Tambopata Macaw Project

The Tambopata Macaw Project, led by Dr. Donald Brightsmith, Scientific Director of Rainforest Expeditions, was founded in 1990 and has over the years become one of the world’s foremost studies on wild macaws. Rainforest Expeditions supports the project with complimentary food and lodging for researchers, logistical assistance and funds for researcher salaries.

The Tambopata Macaw Project is a long-term multidisciplinary study of natural history, conservation and management of large macaws and parrots. The main areas of focus include monitoring and observation of macaw nests, increasing survival rates of younger Scarlet Macaw chicks, documenting patterns of clay lick use by large macaws and other parrots, and documenting and understanding the impact of tourism on macaw clay licks.

The Tambopata Research Centre (TRC) is the only tourist lodge at Colpa Colorada, the world’s largest claylick, although camping with other operators is also possible. Home to the Tambopata Macaw Project, the TRC provides a place for researchers to interact with visitors and share their knowledge through frequent presentations on their research. It is a perfect place for first-time and returning to get to know Tambopata, one of the world’s most spectacular avian phenomena.

Clay Licks and Macaw Conservation

The Tambopata Macaw project has been working hard to understand the links between the clay lick, nesting, tree phenology (flowering and fruiting) and the movements of parrots in and out of the area. With over a thousand mornings of clay lick observation and literally hundreds of thousands of entries on these interactions, there is now greater amount of data available than ever before to better understand what drives the annual life cycles of the macaws and parrots in Tambopata.

The research findings have helped provider further insights into the importance of conservation efforts around the area. As the clay licks harbor very large concentrations of parrots, and serve as breeding grounds for many, it is critical that the forest environment be preserved in order to protect the populations of macaws and parrots in wider areas throughout the region.

Because these birds’ habitats are closely interconnected, it is expected that large scale destruction of the forests adjacent to the Tambopata National Reserve and an increase in pet trade resulting from the Trans Oceanic Highway would significantly impact the populations of parrots around Tambopata Research Center and other licks located deep within the reserve.

About Rainforest Expeditions

Rainforest Expeditions operates three award winning Amazon lodges: Posada Amazonas (30 rooms), Refugio Amazonas (24 rooms), and Tambopata Research Center (18 rooms), each offering a wide array of fascinating ecotourism experiencies in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Find Rainforest Expeditions on Ecotourism Explorer

>> Learn more about Tambopata (Rainforest Expeditions blog)
>> View photos of the Macaw Project

By Maureen Valentine

The city of Cusco, Peru – gateway to the world-renowned ruins of Machu Picchu – is said to be the oldest still-inhabited city in South America, as it was the capital of the ancient Inca Empire many moons ago.

A group of Sacred Valley residents gather to learn more about the installation
of the cleaner burning stoves in their homes. An overwhelming majority of
the population immediately recognize the benefits and sign on with the project.

In fact its very long history and rich culture are windows into Andean mores, Peruvians still proudly adorning themselves with the colorful wraps and bowler hats of years passed and giving any outsider an exciting sense of cultural immersion into something quite different from the norm.

However, deep in the Sacred Valley and off the Inca Trail, many indigenous rural communities are literally fighting for their survival, unaware that they themselves are part of the reason for their own demise. The majority of the rural people living in the Sacred Valley cook their meals inside their homes over an open fire, and without proper ventilation. This practice is causing rapid clearing of endangered forests and the inhalation of large amounts of injurious smoke. It is estimated that more people die from this type of indoor air pollution worldwide than from malaria every year!

To battle this disturbing trend, the Cleaner Burning Stove Project (CBSP) is a noble initiative by ProPeru (part of ProWorld) in the Urubamba province of the Sacred Valley. The CBSP replaces old, open-fire traditional hearths with wood-burning, clay stoves that have ventilation pipes. The advantages of this one little kitchen substitution are abundant: it helps to conserve nature by reducing reliance on endangered forests in the region while simultaneously improving the health of the local people.

In hard figures: the reduction in carbon emissions in one year is about a ton, there’s a 12% increase in locals’ lung capacity in three months, a 20-26% reduction in firewood and a cost savings of about 220 nuevos soles (about US$75) per year per family, which is quite a sum for this impoverished area. The actual stove is produced from homemade bricks and mud, costing about US$15 dollars.

An assembly line is created as the village members work together to help with the stove installation of their neighbors.

While CSBP has received support on many levels, one vital local partner is Chaska Tours, the whl.travel local connection in Cusco and a company known for its proactive stance on sustainable tourism, especially as it applies to the indigenous, rural communities of the Sacred Valley.

“Chaska Tours has taken a special interest in the CBSP because it is making astounding progress for the indigenous villages around Cusco,” commented its founder, Rocio Valcarcel. “The benefits of this program are clear and our group is tremendously proud to be a part of an initiative making so much progress in the lives of Peruvians. In particular, we will be helping to increase awareness about the project by displaying the improved products to the indigenous populations in villages like Cachin, Choquecancha and Cuncani, educating people about the advantages and then asking if there is a problem with changing traditional cooking methods.”

Unanimous community support for the CBSP has been translated into direct action. Starting in November 2009, the community of Cachin in Lares will be the beneficiaries of the first round of new stoves. Chaska Tours itself will be funding several stoves and paying for their installation.

Travellers visiting Cusco and interested in joining the movement to help the indigenous peoples of the Sacred Valley should reach out to Chaska Tours and ProPeru. CBSP is just one of the area’s many undertakings, so contact Chaska Tours in Cusco or read about volunteering opportunities at ProWorld.

As the whl.travel local connection in Cusco, Chaska Tours is a perfect partner with whom to discuss Cusco hotels, Cusco tours and more information about hiking the famous Inca Trail to the awe-inspiring ruins at Machu Picchu. Be sure also to ask about Chaska Tours’ reforestation initiative (they plant one tree for every person that walks the Inca Trail) and their assurances that the animals used for their tours are properly looked after. Chaska Tours also reaches out to the local communities by supporting indigenous people through employment with a fair wage.

>> View more articles on Peru
>> ecoDestinations Peru feature (October 2009)

“Amidst the mountainous surrounding, stunning architecture and rich culture of Cusco, you will see bitter reality of young children either working or begging in the streets. 35% of children working in the streets of Cusco are unable to cope with the stress of both working and going to school. This often results in their giving up their studies in order to provide for their families. Other children leave home because they have been abused, neglected or abandoned.”  – YouTube Video: “Planeterra’s Peru Streetkids Project”

Planeterra established the Peru Streetkids Project to give back to the people in the communities where so many travelers visit every year to explore the Inca Trail and Machu Pichu during their travels through South America.

The project partners with a local organization called Inti Runakunaq Wasin (IRW) (Quechua for “House of the People of the Sun”), a non-profit organization based in Cusco that was developed in response to the growing problem of children living and working on the streets. The House acts as a safe haven for children and adolescents who live in extreme poverty.

By providing these children with a place where they receive guidance and support, IRW helps keep the children off the streets and gives them the hope, confidence and skills needed to create a future for themselves. Planeterra, with the help of Gap Adventures and hundreds of travelers, has raised over $100,000 USD to purchase a permanent home for that will provide IRW with long-term security and support.

Travelers participating in Planeterra’s Project Machu Picchu voluntour will have the opportunity to support the Peru Streetkids Project by volunteering alongside staff and children at IRW.

>> Give back to ecoDestinations: Volunteer opportunities in featured destinations
>> Faces of voluntourism: Learn more about Planeterra, TIES voluntourism partner, and voluntourism opportunities worldwide

Erin Burke, IMBA Candidate, Schulich School of Business, York University

I came to Cusco at the end of May as an intern for Planeterra, the foundation established by what is now one of world’s largest adventure travel companies – Gap Adventures. I knew little to nothing about Gap Adventures or Planeterra until the first year of my International MBA at the Schulich School of Business in Toronto, Canada.

Originally from Seattle, Washington, I met a fellow northwesterner, the Director of Planeterra, at a networking event. Always curious about how business principles can be applied to help communities increase their standard of living, I accepted an offer to intern with the organization.

Since Planeterra started helping the women of Ccaccaccollo in 2006 through a number of small, but important initiatives, the group has seen a general improvement. More families are able to send their children to high school in neighboring towns or to Cusco.

However, with the global recession, there have been fewer visitors lately to Ccaccaccollo in the Sacred Valley area, buying fewer or small products. The beautiful hand woven blankets that tell stories with Incan images of condors, pumas, and sheep are not selling as well as they used to.

Ccaccaccollo women’s cooperative

After two months of living in Cusco, a city whose economy is almost solely dependent upon tourism, I have struggled to reconcile the positives and negatives of this industry. Peru is an incredibly diverse country, rich in history and culture, but one of the poorest of South America.

During my off days I sometimes think tourism is a necessary evil for the economic development of the country. Passing through the inspiring Plaza de Armas, I am usually bombarded with children selling paintings, wool hats, and chicle at all hours. I wonder what they think of us, the “gringos” or “extranjeros,” who visit their city for a short fun filled vacation, taking advantage of Cusco’s famous nightlife and refusing to pay full price for anything.

Planeterra aims to provide passengers, when visiting Ccaccaccollo, a chance to see first hand how people during Inca times and today make clothing using only natural materials found in their community. Yet with globalization and the increase in tourism over the years, competition for woven products has increased in Cusco.

It is impossible for the women of Ccaccaccollo to offer their products at the same price as those that are machine manufactured. Planeterra works to maintain a delicate balance of community economic development – enabling the women to improve their economic situation, while at the same time preserving their culture.

In an effort to offer a greater variety of high quality products, the women of Ccaccaccollo have approached us about their interest in buying looms they received on loan from a neighboring co-op. Planeterra was initially wary about the idea; fearful the women would forget the traditional Incan weaving methods. However, after listening to their reasoning – they will be able to finish more blankets, scarves, etc. faster and of better quality, putting less stress on their back, we agreed that this would be the most beneficial to them.

New loom for Ccaccaccollo women

Arriving Ccaccaccollo two weeks later, I notice a number of women formed in small groups and as they chat, a lady from Puno checks their work. In a short amount of time they have learned how to control five needles with ease, making socks, mittens, etc. of the same quality or better as those found in the Plaza Armas imported from China. Entering the community building Planeterra helped construct, another group is working on the looms. One woman is finishing a beautiful thick blue and red scarf.

Maybe not every passenger that visits Ccaccaccollo understands the time and effort that goes into making the blankets displayed daily under the palm thatched stands, but as the women learn different techniques they are able to offer a unique variety of products, ultimately translating into increased sales, greater revenues and better opportunities for their children.

Planeterra intern Erin Burke

“…The head of the boy asleep next to me falls on my shoulder as we wind down the mountain towards Cusco. He wakes up when the “cobrador” gently nudges for the 50 centavos to cover the trip from his hometown of Pisac to Cusco. In traditional dress, used for festivals, I ask the boy if he is performing in the Plaza tonight. It’s almost Inti Raymi or the Sun Festival, one of the most important and oldest festivals in Cusco. During the days leading up to the event, schools compete, each performing the dances from their town in the Plaza de Armas. Rubbing his eyes, he responds yes, proudly adding that his team won a number of the competitions already. I wonder if this is why people fall in love with Cusco. Although I feel like a tourist or gringa at times, there are some places where you can have such a unique experience, truly representative of the local culture.”

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Photos by Erin Burke

Heliconia Lodge guests can enjoy authentic Amazon experience through guided excursions with local bilingual (Spanish and English) guides who share with their expertise in the Amazon Jungle wildlife.

Heliconia Lodge, in association with the Rotary Club of Iquitos, has successfully coordinated and supervised the establishment of a new secondary school benefiting the local community. To help empower the local people living along the rivers, the Lodge has also supported the on-going education of the children and the youths of Yanamono and Santa Rosa communities through partnerships with Youth LINC, as well as the Yanamono Nature Center, which is managed by Heliconia Lodge.

Using puppets to teach children about the use of water.

Heliconia Operations Manager Carlos Acosta works with local and international partners to coordinate and supervise the Youth LINC activities by offering logistical assistance prior, during and after the Youth LINC group visit.

Through their ongoing work and long-term partnerships, Youth LINC, Rotary Club of Iquitos, and Heliconia Lodge have demonstrated how people from different backgrounds working together can make meaningful contributions to local communities. Youth LINC students have worked side-by-side with villagers to address local needs. Clean water and sanitation issues, which have always been pressing concerns in the Amazon, have seen significant improvements thanks to the water filtration system and bathrooms in Yanamono built by the Youth LINC team.

Local children at a newly-installed well in San Pedro.

In 2008, the Youth LINC team returned to Santa Rosa (another Yanamono village but miles away from Heliconia Lodge), a village of over 500 people living on the banks of the Amazon River. In this small community, Youth LINC participants helped complete the brand-new medical clinic for the village and stocked necessary medical supplies. The team also helped with the building of sidewalks in the village.

This year (2009), the Youth LINC team returned to Santa Rosa for a third and final year to finish up existing projects and spent an amazing last two weeks with this beautiful river village. Youth LINC participants built and painted a new library for the village and donated over 250 Spanish-language books to be housed in the new library.

Group of Rotary program participants and Youht LINC students
in front of the newly built library in Santa Rosa.

They also worked with the village health care worker in the medical clinic, treating and training the villagers on basic first aid procedures and bought and organized medical supplies for the village clinic. The students also spent a full week teaching in the primary and secondary schools on a variety of topics and held a carnival for the villagers at the end of the week.

The changes in the Yanamono area that have been brought by their work since 2004 have been phenomenal, proven by the smiling faces of the village children that bring a beauty to life that cannot be found in anything else.

Additional information – Heliconia Amazon River Lodge

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The park is inhabited by different Indigenous communities including the Matsiguenkas, Yaminahua, Amarakaeri, and Mashcopiro. While most of these Indigenous peoples have had contact with visitors, the Mashcopiro, who live along riverbanks and lakes deep inside the forest, has continued to subsist on fishing and hunting without much exposure to other people from outside the area.

The Casa Matsiguenka Lodge is located inside the touristic zone of the Manu National Park, adjacent to one of the most beautiful oxbow lakes, Salvador, and is owned by two Indigenous Matsiguenka communities, Tayacome and Yomibato. The lodge was built and financed from 1997 to 2002 by a German NGO, but communal income from the lodge’s profits has been minimal.

Qasana Tours has started to partner with Casa Matsiguenka Lodge with the goal of making the lodge a successful model of partnerships between community-owned and private enterprises. The partnership is designed to create a profitable ecotourism product that effectively catalyzes the conservation of natural and wildlife resources, while helping improve the lives of the Matsiguenka people.

Qasana Tours and Casa Matsiguenka Lodge encourage visitors to support community-based ecotourism in the Matsiguenka community, patronizing locally owned enterprises and, when possible, interacting with local people in an authentic environment. This type of ecotourism, we believe, can provide a sustainable form of livelihood for local community members.

The community-based ecotourism initiatives, moreover, aims to engage local people to be more directly involved in conservation. Their ecotourism product depends on the ability of offer opportunities for quality encounters with spectacular Amazonian wildlife, which in some cases include endangered animals.

Casa Matsiguenka Lodge plays a crucial role in providing a real community-based ecotourism experience in the pristine Amazon rainforest, while offering a comfortable lodging for visitors. The lodge, built with traditional construction techniques and native materials, helps maintain the local context within the native communities’ tourism endeavor.

How you help this project:

By participating in the Matsiguenka Volunteer Program and sharing your time and skills: The Volunteer Program is an approximately three-week trip, where volunteers will be able to interact with the Matsiguenkas and learn about their culture, while training the Matsiguenka people necessary skills to handle visitors’ needs, and teaching basic English. Volunteers will also be able to explore the forest with the Matsiguenkas and learn more about their ancient knowledge of the forest and wildlife.

By participating in the Matsiguenka Traveler Program in the Manu National Park: During this unique seven-day journey to the Manu National Park, you will learn about the Matsiguenka people and the forest wildlife. This is an excellent opportunity to experience this wonderful nature reserve and at the same time get to know the culture of the Matsiguenkas.

About the Manu National Park

The area was declared a National Park in 1973 in order to protect its expansive pristine areas. The park has been designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site since 1987.

More Information

>> Get involved! Volunteer and Traveler Program application information
>> Find Qasana Tours on Ecotourism Explorer!
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