Quechua Benefit
Quechua Benefit is an organization dedicated to helping the Quechua people in the highlands of Peru.
Nestled in the heart of Peru’s Sacred Valley and only one hour from Cusco, we recently discovered the Apulaya Center for Andean Culture. Apulaya is a small but fascinating place that allows visitors to learn about traditional Quechua culture through Andean music, textile arts, Quechua language, and indigenous cultural studies.
Through the generosity of longtime supporters of Quechua Benefit, Don and Julie Skinner, the Snowmass Community Health Clinic in Chivay will expand its operations to provide year-round dental care and eye exams for Colca Valley children, as well as prenatal care and ultrasounds for expectant mothers.
We began implementing our Healthy Communities program in September 2016. We are proud to report that we recently re-tested the children who received anemia treatment in eight towns of the Colca Valley, the cure rate was 70%.
Quechua Benefit learned this in January as we conducted our first listening tour in our service areas to understand issues and concerns directly from the people we work with.
The Madre Antonia Community Kitchen was officially inaugurated on March 27th in a joyful community celebration. It will provide a minimum of 108,000 hot meals a year. We are extremely grateful for your efforts to make this possible and bring back a source of stability for this small community in the Colca Valley.
We are happy to report that Ichupampa is rising from the rubble left by an earthquake in August 2016. Thanks to you, the Sister Antonia Memorial Kitchen in Ichupampa is nearing completion. The Quechua Benefit team was onsite last week, and the building will be up and running no later than March 15th.
It all started at Kansas Airport, returning from being the the official colour checking assistant to senior US judge Jude Anderson during the US Futurity Show. We were joined at the departure lounge by Amanda VandenBosch, who had judged the show together with Peter Kennedy, and was now focused on her next mission.
We are thrilled to release our newest video, “Searching for Siomera.” This short film tells the story of how one little girl became the inspiration for the Quechua Benefit Healthy Communities campaign. Watch to find out how this initiative promises to positively impact the lives of thousands of children in the Colca Valley and beyond.
I have created an itinerary intended for people who have visited Peru already, and probably visited the star bucket-list attractions. Based on my travels, I promise that there’s much to be explored in northern Peru. I have led small-group trips to southern Peru since 2012, but am itching to share a few secret places in the north, featuring little-known archeological sites, stunning natural wonders – and adding yet another dimension to Peru’s culinary reputation!
Construction has been progressing extremely well on the Sister Antonia Community Kitchen in Ichupampa. The crews got the foundations in, the first floor walls up, and the second floor poured in record time. We are currently ahead of schedule.
