Flood Aid Response Update - February 26, 2013

Dear Friends,

First, once again my gratitude to PATH OF THE HEART (www.pathoftheheart.org) and to all of you for letting me being part of this magnificent opportunity to share the needs to the families who were affected by the flooding in Ollantaytambo’s native communities. This morning we left Cusco around 4:00 a.m. in the morning when was dark still. The arrival to the first community, Tanqac, was around 7:00 a.m. The families were there waiting for us in the cold, because all they had at that moment was a tent the government provided to them. At this moment, they are sleeping on the ground with one blanket and it was so sad to see the little babies having to be in that situation. They didn’t have much food. Then we shared with them all that we brought with your help. These families were just grateful to you and emotional enough that we saw their tears from both the ladies and gentlemen.

Then I said to them “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best and good never dies.” At that moment they started smiling, because the positivity on their side started to show and they spoke so many positive things.

Today we have visited and shared to approximately 70 families in Tancac, Phyri, Pallata,  Chucllaracay and Ollantaytambo area. Thanks so much for your positive contribution to the families. We will always continue to do our best to help the needy families. Today we had a great team, Alicia, Elizabeth, Felix, Armando, Santos and Pedro. Please continue supporting any unexpected urgent need in this part of Peru.

Washi

URGENT NEED: Letters from Washi - Flooding in the Ollantaytambo Regions

Current Urgent Needs: Flooding in the Ollantaytambo region has left families without housing, food and basic needs. This situation is described by Washi as he encountered a terrible storm just as he left the villages where the solar projects are being built.

Dear PotH Family,

After a break in the activity in Chupani, we decided to walk down the valley to Ollantaytambo starting around 8:00 p.m., and we faced a big rain and there wasn’t any transportation to take. The rain was cruel and the only thing we had was plastic to cover ourselves. There weren’t any bridges left on the whole way. The little channels became rivers and the only way to cross was getting wet and putting ourselves in a dangerous situation. When we arrived around 11 p.m. to Rumira Sondor Mayu, the school was filled with water and the homes were collapsing. The families were helping each other to be safe and we were there in action to help as much as we could. All the roads was collapsed and we had to hike hills in order to get to the next communities, but our mission was to get to Ollantaytambo. Because my thoughts were, if those things happened here in the mountain communities, what about Ollantaytambo?

We kept walking and finally arrived to Ollantaytambo around 5 a.m. the next morning, where everything was in a chaos situation. The little rivers took many homes and families were in pain and looking for help and there wasn’t much that we could do at that moment.

Please help in any way that you can. The smallest donation can buy a blanket for a family or food for a meal. Thank you so much for your understanding and your support. Knowing that some of these communities are isolated for transportation and the only way that we can get help to them is by walking to their places and the idea is to send food and other basic necessities to them by foot. Thanks for your prayers. I am hoping for quick responses to help these families.

Washi

Letters from Washi - Restaurant Report January to June, 2012

My dear family from PotH, I wish when you get this email you are all happy at home. Please, we want to appreciate all your work for the restaurant for the children. They all send you their love. I am happy that you can feel it at your hearth. We are happy that our storage is full every month because of the money you send. I am sure one day you are going to be back to Peru and see the happy faces of the kids.

We love you and wish you all the best.

Washi

Letters from Washi - May 28, 2012

Another letter from Washi on the recent chicken project. All chickens are doing well, producing eggs and quite happy living at 4,000 meters above sea level. Good evening to all the Family of POTH, We are really Happy and sending energy from Ollantaytambo – Peru.

Yes, the chickens of Tastayoc and other communities are giving eggs and other important uses, like reproducing them for the future of their children and eating some of them when is important to them.

Please all what we do for the families are important and it is thrive, and that is the feeling and the good thing is that chickens will grow anywhere, high levels or in the valley and they can feed them with what they have at home for food.

Here are some photos of how the chickens are happy in the Highland at 4000 meters about sea level like in Tastayoc (see chickens gallery).

Love and Happiness and wish you all the best and Greetings to all, Washi.