Thanks to your wonderful support, Path of the Heart brought holiday cheer to over 5,000 children this past holiday season 2021. Washi created an arsenal of 15 volunteers who helped assemble, cook and deliver sweet breads, hot chocolate, small toys and popcorn to the beautiful children and their families in 50 sectors and communities of the Sacred Valley in Cusco. The smiles on their faces say it all!
The first harvest of our sustainable farming project is in! In accordance with our goal, we completed the process all the way through to the distribution of potatoes to the families who contributed their work.
On our own, at the beginning of April 2020, we cleaned and removed stones, bushes of thorns, and other naturally occurring impediments. We removed farmland with local tools that Alicia Kozuch collaborated with purchasing. According to our plan, native families helped us with the planting and harvesting process.
Seeds that Marci Silbert and her kind organization, the Shapiro Foundation, provided to us were transported from the city of Cusco to the fields by truck. We also transported various animal manures on this big truck.
The total number of families who participated in the process was 35. Upon harvest, each family received 3 sacks of potatoes, of about 60 kg each.
The remainder of the potatoes that will be harvested in approximately two to three weeks will be sold on the open market and the profits will be used to purchase new seeds for the next crops.
We received appreciation from every family that we have impacted in this great project and I am extending that appreciation to you all for your support and for helping us to help others with these important funds in these difficult times. We wish you are all safe and happy. Please enjoy the photos of our results!
Ollantaytambo, Peru - January 16, 2021.
Washington Gibaja Tapia
Peru - Path of The Heart Board Member.
Peru currently suffers the first highest per capita rate of death by COVID-19 in the world. The recent extension of the government-mandated quarantine means that the people in these communities will not be able to work to earn money to support their families until after the quarantine is over. In addition, tourism, which supports most working families, will probably not return to this area until sometime in 2021.
The communities close to Ollantaytambo have been severely impacted. The families in these communities have no access to cash to buy food. They have not received government or any other assistance. Food is scarce. In order to help combat hunger, a sustainable farming project has been started by Washington Gibaja on his family land. Over a one month period, local laborers have cleared 6 acres of the land, and made it tillable for crops. Approximately 40 families have donated their time to plant seed potatoes on the land, and then will return three times: twice to cultivate the dirt around the plantings, and one more time to harvest the crops. In return for their work, each family will receive two 100 pound sacks of potatoes. The two sacks will provide food for each family for approximately 6 months. The remainder of the potatoes will be sold on the open market, and the profits will be used to purchase new seeds for the next crops. Secondary crops will be fava beans, quinoa, kiwicha, corn, and other super foods. Again, families will donate their time to plant, to cultivate and to harvest the crops. Families will be compensated with food from the harvested crops. Excess crops will be sold on the open market, once again utilizing the profits for more seeds and supplies for the next crops. Path of the Heart has helped this sustainable project with a one-time financial investment, which will feed many families for years to come.
Path of the Heart would like to thank the Shapiro Foundation for a grant which has helped make this project possible. Their funding has provided for 2 weeks of professional laborers to help prepare the land for farming, and the purchase of the initial seed potatoes and manure for the intial crop planting.
Removing the rocks
Tilling the soil
Enriching the soil with manure
Planting potatoes
Planting potatoes
In this Christmas 2018 project, we had great success traveling to all the 34 communities that we served bringing hot chocolate, big special bread (Vizcochos) and beautiful gifts to over 4,000 children and families in those full 4 days, with all our Peruvian volunteers, who drove, cooked and served to every child and family member on their communities and on the road going to those incredible valleys. It was blissful to us all to see the beneficiaries, smiling and waiting for us with their hearts open and ready to enjoy the Christmas celebration.
The music on the trucks that we provide along with the items made the kids dance, receive and give more of their love. We have a place in the valley where we prepared the hot chocolate very early in the morning every day and in big containers we took them to the communities. Many of the communities were at 14,000 feet in the Andes and the cold and rain did not stop us to delivering the gifts that each of you contributed to make this an amazing celebration for all and we appreciate your kindness.
It is still rare that in the 21st century children and entire families are living under the poverty line with such an amazing abundance that exists in this land (mother earth) and this breaks my heart and also opens my creativity and makes me think how can we do more with only a little to make their lives and the world a better place for all - with the connections we have and to integrate more people in this kind of service and be part of the positive impact for others in need.
I want to also mention that for this celebration we haven’t used any plastic or other disposable cup materials that will end up in the rivers or beautiful landscape where these people live. We have persuaded the children and families to bring their cups and also we have brought some cups to share with them. This was incredible, contributing to preserve the environment and teaching them about not using items that will be garbage on their beautiful communities.
These children in difficult conditions of living at this high altitude sent their love to you all and our organizations for making every year the Hot Chocolate activity in Christmas and other important project all year long for the last 18 years that we are arriving to these communities and bringing Peace, Love and providing service.
For the hot chocolate we have used milk, natural chocolate, natural sugar, special bread, oat meal, cinnamon, cloves, Toys (Boys and Girls) and 2 transportation units for our volunteers and logistics. Please enjoy these incredible photos for the completion of the project this year 2018, In advance we thank you, because in Christmas 2019 we will make this celebration again, as the kids ask us not to forget them and we promised that we won’t. This will be done with your support.
We wish you all an Amazing New Year 2019 full of incredible success, Abundance, Love and Health for you and your loved ones from Peru and the US, Path of the Heart Members, Washi.
Path of the Heart is immensely grateful to have received a grant from the G. Johanneson Family Foundation to be used for providing Jackets, Pants, Boots, Socks, Gloves, and Hats to 160 children (Boys and Girls) in the communities of Marcani – Fusa and Ttio, which is located in the District of Calca, Cusco in the Sacred Valley - Peru. These communities are at an altitude of 12,000 to 15,000 feet in the Andes. Our initial number of children to serve was 130 with Jackets, Boots, Socks, Gloves, and Hats. We are happy to report that this project has superseded that goal and made a huge difference in the communities.
The children in these communities walk for 1, 2 or 3 hours each way to their school. You can see the children walking early in the morning and arriving home in the late afternoon from the school and their estancias or lomas (homes). Because they live high in the Andean mountains, it is impossible for all the families to live close together as they have to raise their animals such as llamas, sheep and alpacas in enough space for them to eat grass and Icchu (Straw). These children all speak Runa Simi, the language of our ancestors the Incas and the pre-Incas. We are able to communicate with them because we speak this amazing Language. With these clothes, the children will be warmer and make it through the year and have opportunities in their future, walking warmly in the snow paths with their boots. They will also be warm as they study in their classes, do homework and interact with their families in the evenings and mornings.
The photos show all the different clothing that we distributed for 160 girls and boys. To distribute the clothing, we had to travel at 4:00 AM from Cusco to these communities; because they are very far away and we have to use a big truck. It was very cold even if the sun was in the fields at that time of the day. The grass, plants, and water were frozen in the Andes. It is impossible to touch the water or to be outside in the afternoon because of the cold. On the way we passed lots of communities with children that also need our support – there are many thousands of kids of all ages that are living in these extreme conditions in these valleys all over the Andes.
The government does not arrive regularly to many of these communities because there are no roads and the community has to open a path for us and that way we can be able to arrive at the communities by foot and mules. The kids, Teacher and Community children’s mothers helped us to carry all these amazing items for the children. This clothing will make it possible for these children to resist the cruel weather this year and more to come. As you can see in the photos, these children’s faces are burned by the harsh cold weather all year. As I delivered the clothing, I could think about ways to help them and make this world a better place for all of them and the world.
We extend our sincere thanks to members of the Foundation. We are truly grateful for your support and your grant which has made a real difference in these children and thousands of lives in Peru and its communities.
With love and gratitude always,
Washington Gibaja Tapia.
