Despierta Corazón - a foundation helping people in the Andes region of Peru. Our mission is to save an ancient culture and tradition. Provide education, better nutrition, medicare and basic economical knowledge.

1. The Andes region Peru –
keep the culture and survive
Life in a rough world - mountains
more than 4000 meters

2. Who are we?
Contact:
Stichting Despierta Corazón
Uranusstraat 15
8521 LZ Sint Nicolaasga
Tel: O513-431701
E-mail: bbenecke@go4advice.nl
Board:
Liz Villagomez
Theo Timmermans
Mies Bartholomeus
Bettina Benecke

3. Latin america - Peru
Kaart Peru invullen
Puquio

4. Which region we support at the moment?
Departemento
Ayachucho Villages:
Urumayo
B
Negromayo
Puquio

5. Impression of the landscape

6. The „birth‟ of Despierta Corazón
In my memories I can almost feel the moment when I first got in touch with the
most facinating culture - the real indians of my country of birth Peru. I still see
them with their lamas and sheeps, fully packed, arriving in our village. You could hear
them from far away, because the animals were wearing bells around their necks. While
they came closer, the sound of the bells became friendly and harmonious. I ran outside
and saw a group of strange and enourmous colorful dressed people.
I asked my father who those people were and he said: „They are coming from the
highlands of the Andes – de Punas – about 120 km from here. They walked the
whole way with their animals and products to engage countertrade in the lower villages
and cities. They try to change their wool, alpaca meat and dry potatoes (chuño) for
wheat, sugar and oil.
“These people survive”my father said. I was so touched by what he said that I made
the decision what ever it takes I will do something to help those people. I grew up with
the message “you can always share your bread with your fellow men who are
less lucky” and we learned that actions speak louder than words. Now, many years
later, from the memories and warm feelings for those people in 2010 we
founded “Despierta Corazón “.
Muchas gracias amigos,
Liz Villagomez

7. Environmental circumstances (1)
 Highlands 3.500 to 4.500 meter height
 Extreme cold even in summer
 Small villages with communities of 100 to 200 people
 Mostly older people
 Young people leave the villages to try to find a better life in
Lima – the capital of Peru

8. Impression of the villages
Central building of the village
Typical stonehouses in the region

9. Impression of the villages
Alpaca the only source of income
Typical village in the mountains

10. Environmental circumstances (2)
 3 hours walking distance to the next city where e.g.
medicare is available
 Primitive houses – grotty, drafty and always cold
 Only source of income – trade of alpaca wool and meat
 No public transportation, some viallages don‟t even have a
connection to a road
 Lamas = transportation

11. Environmental circumstances (3)
 No schools in the villages and also almost no teachers who
could teach the kids
 No medicare
 Health issues because of insufficient nutrition
 Almost no help from the government
 Almost no contact with the outside world
 Ageing of the population

12. Problems (1)
 Primary source of income – trade of alpaca wool
 Alpaca's are the only animals could live in the highlands
 Much lower revenue for the wool in the past years
 Intermediates earn a lot with the luxury wool but pay less and
less to the people
 In some places the quality of the wool is getting less –
nutrition/grass for the animals has become worse (climate
change)
 More animals dying as the result of longer and colder winters
and the inferior nutrition

13. Problems (2)
 Almost no education
No schools / teachers resulting in a high illiteracy rate
 No perspective for young people – trek to Lima without a
chance to get a job or house in this daily growing megacity
 Forgotten people – no help of the government
 Poverty
 No good clothing for the rough environment – kids without
shoes in the freeze
 Bad and insufficient nutrition
 No medicare

14. Impression of the personal
circumstances

15. Impression of the youngest ones

16. What do we want to achieve?
 Approve the source of income:
 Helping to set-up small trade companies
 Trading the alpaca wool independently
 Teach the people in basic economy
 Schools for all children
 Medicare and better nutrition
 Safe the culture and traditions of the region
 Stop the trek to the big cities to avoid slums as e.g. in Rio
de Janeiro

17. Impression of the first steps

18. Small gifts – big impact

19. How are we going to do this?
 We believe in the „small gifts‟ any of us can effort. With our growing
network of „friends of Despierta Corazón‟ and our helping hands in Peru we
will step by step try to reach our goals.
 Al the year through we organize activities to collect money – e.g.
tombola‟s 2x a year, selling peruvian products on local markets, etc.
 Organizing events as e.g. “the original latin night” with peruvian food,
salsa music and latin spirit.
 Organize travels to Peru with or without guiding!
Want to know more? Want to join us?
Visit our facebook site and become a FRIEND! Hasta luego amigos!