Project Corazon y Alma ~ Peru 2016

I didn't go to Peru this summer thinking anything other than I'd be going on the trip of a lifetime and how fortunate I was to be able to have manifested this dream into a reality. I had no idea the magnitude of influence this trip would have on me. I had no idea that my presence in Peru made a difference ~ until I got home.

More often than not, while we are traveling, we're awe struck by what we are experiencing. We're moved. We're elated and joyous. We're in the moment ~ as we ought to be. It's not until we return home that we begin to feel the deep impact that our experiences have had upon us. It's not until we walk our daily walk again that we realize we feel different in our steps. 

I came home from Peru feeling softer in my soul. I poured over my photos and brought the experiences back to life. It was in doing this that I had the idea that it wasn't enough for me to just be touched by the experiences I had or by the people that I'd met. I'd developed such a deep sense of respect for the hearty people of Peru and their perseverance even in the harshest of conditions that I felt compelled to show my gratitude for them by doing "something" to help soften the blow of their arduous daily life that regardless of it's difficulty, they still loved. In fact, while in Peru, I met a family who lived on a floating island on Lake Titicaca. During our conversations, I asked them what they needed to continue to live and thrive on their island home. What they needed was really simple actually, a few supplies to grow their island and keep it steady, some books for their kids and some clothes and, more tourists to help them earn money by selling their weavings. I vowed to Martin,  the man of the island, that I'd find a way to help them. I returned home with a calling to follow through on my promise to his family but I had no idea how to do it.

I approached my colleague , Jorge, at Apumayo Expediciones, who had run our tour in Peru and said, "Hey, If I do a fund raiser for the family I met on  on the floating island, can you get the donations to them?" He was more than willing to help me fulfill my promise to the family; in fact, he was completely inspired by the idea and wanted to be able help out as well. The people in the mountains near Puno had been having record cold temperatures at the time the project idea came to birth and my colleague suggested pulling together the people of Peru to collect donations of blankets, hats, mittens and jackets for those struggling to stay warm. It was with my promise to help one family that the desire to help more families grew into what I affectionately named, "Project Corazon y Alma" or Project heart and soul. 

Apumayo Expediciones put out their request for support of the project and the people of Peru responded with an overwhelming amount of generosity. Donations were collected in Lima and Cusco and brought together to fill truck loads destined to be delivered to those struggling with the cold. Meanwhile, back in Minnesota, I set the goal of raising $1,000 to help my family on the island as well as to aid in the distribution of donations in Peru. I'm proud to say that I met that goal and $1,000 was raised. To be honest, I had a great fear of not raising the funds I'd set out to raise. Everyone has their preferred places to donate to and this particular project really was a personal endeavor and only people who had been to Peru or had shared similar feelings would be a moved to donate, or so I thought. Low and behold, the people came out of the wood work from all across the globe and donated.

Project Corazon y Alma was born out of a passion to help others who had touched MY soul beyond words.  It happened quickly and within 1 1/2 months, piles of donations were collected in Peru and $1,000 was collected here stateside. The donations were sorted and bagged and driven into the freezing mountains of Peru by a whole host of devoted people. Hundreds of people were helped in this endeavor and it was with happy hearts that the donations were given and it was with even happier and gracious hearts that the donations were received.

My partner in this project, Jorge, from Apumayo Expediciones has this to say about Project Corazon y Alma:

Extreme cold weather conditions in the highest parts of Perú are getting worse over the years. People currently living in this remote area of the country are not only suffering from the cold but also from altitude effects. They say that living in 5,000.00 meter above sea level is inhumane and can be fatal. This summer,  Apumayo Expediciones together with Viva la Vida Travel launched a Project named Corazón y Alma. We visited and supported the most forgotten communities in the Peruvian Andes and donated clothes, medicine and vitamins to them . During the month of July we received large amounts of clothes donations and cash from Viva la Vida Travel's fundraiser and we managed to fulfill  our objective. The first week of August we departed from Cusco to Pitumarca district which is approximately a 3 hour drive. Upon arrival we spent the night in town and we reorganized and separated the donations we had managed to bring. The following day  we departed from Pitumarca district to the highest parts of the área to visit communities such as Phinaya where families are currently living over 5,200 meter above sea level. Conditions where extreme.  Extreme Sun at day, extreme cold at night, ice all over the place.
Children, young and old ones were barefoot, dried out skin, sunburned and scared of what the following days may bring to them. We managed to cloth over 400 people in 4 different communities and all it was sad watching this reality. It was a very fulfilling experience as we could share, talk,  and support all these people. We learned more about them and we now have a clearer picture of what we can do for them for 2017. We are always trying to find new ways to give back to the people and the places that we visit in our tours, Project Corazón y Alma exceeded my expectations and it gave me an experience I will never forget in my life."

Another one of the volunteers involved in this project told me this about his experience with Project Corazon y Alma:

"I decided to participate in this project because of the issues of the children and adults dying alongside their animals in the cold. And seeing that a foreign friend of mine had this initiative alongside a good friend of mine, I decided to participate personally. My heart was filled. . . The nicest thing that happened to me was to give a big jacket to a man, his face was filled with happiness, he wanted to take a picture with me. The same thing happened with so many children, babies and mothers. The towns and communities were waiting for us with smiles and that is priceless. Thank you for all that we were able to live out with this project. Next year will be so much better. "

So it happened. I took a trip to Peru. I had the time of my life. I felt moved to make a difference, so I did. We did. All it takes is one idea and a few passionate people to bring the idea to fruition. My personal donations made it to what I affectionately call "my family" on the floating island of Lake Titicaca and they were grateful. The truck loads of donations made it to those in the small towns suffering from the extreme cold. Heads, hands and hearts are now warmer for all parties involved.

Two of the recipients of Project Corazon y Alma

Whenever we travel, we can never be certain as to the adventures we'll have.  We may have an itinerary that we follow but along the way, magic always seems to happen in the quiet and introspective moments of our trip as well as when we return home. There's a reason why I call myself a Travel Ambassador. It is because I feel a deep commitment to the  people and places  that I visit to put my best self forward and to ensure that what I bring to the interactions is meaningful and positive. 

It is my vision as owner of Viva la Vida Travel to provide travel experiences that allow YOU, the traveler to get inspired. Maybe you won't start a project or maybe you will! Maybe your conversation with a local inspires you do do different in your life or maybe your conversation with a local inspires THEM to think and/or do differently. There is no harm that can be done when traveling with your heart and soul open to the beauty around every corner. 

Viva la Vida!