Tag Archives: Peru

Heifer Supports Healthy Soil

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Dolores shows us her composting recipe.

Today is World Soil Day. As you know, Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth. When we say “Earth,” we mean “earth,” too. It’s kind of a no-brainer that, as an organization promoting sustainable agriculture around the world, we’ve got a stake in helping our project communities improve their soil.

When I was in Peru, I visited the small farm of a woman named Dolores Delgado. The very first thing Dolores showed us was a poster illustrating the agroecological cycle of her farm. Part of this cycle was the  elaborate recipe for liquid compost she and her husband learned through the Heifer project. You could really tell Dolores has this science down. She collects manure and urine from her guinea pigs and adds it to her vermicomposting (composting with worms, in case you didn’t take Latin) pile. When that compost is ready, she puts it and a whole long list of other ingredients into a big drum to ferment into a product called “biol.” Then, instead of spraying chemical fertilizers (which, let’s face it, aren’t good for anybody), she and her husband us a simple spray backpack to apply the organic biol fertilizer.

Dolores has crafted her guinea pig cages so collecting their manure and urine is a relatively easy task.
Dolores shows us her worm composting pile.
Although the project she’s participating in was fairly new at the time of our visit,
Dolores had already taken composting and improving her farm’s soil to a scientific level.
In addition to knowing they’re improving the soil and protecting the environment,
Dolores and her husband don’t have to worry about exposing themselves or their livestock to dangerous chemicals.
This is what a lot of the terrain looks like in the parts of Peru we visited–a bit on the barren side.

Improving the soil on Dolores’s farm–and on any other–has many implications. In the part of the world where she lives, the soil is generally pretty poor. Instead of neglecting the soil, leading to soil erosion, Dolores grows nutritious fodder for her guinea pigs, which also means she doesn’t have to spend as much money feeding them. Her vegetable garden yields significantly better results than before she began using agroecological practices.

Compare this with the photo above. A huge difference, right?

Share a Sheep: Ewe Will Be Thanked

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Feliciana’s daughter, Flor Isabel. Photo by Jake Lyell.

Domesticated by humans nearly 12,000 years ago, sheep provide a number of benefits to families. Their wool has long been used for clothing, and sheep milk and meat are full of nutrients that are keeping children healthy around the world.

Feliciana Sanchez Calderon and her family live in the Peruvian village of Marayhuaca near the border with Ecuador. This area is characterized by high levels of poverty and malnutrition. But with training, Feliciana’s family is now thriving. Along with the gift of sheep, Feliciana and others in the community were taught organic gardening, semi-grazing and sustainable livestock production. With the animals and training, the family has established food security. “Now we are working together for a better future,” Feliciana said.


Wool
Depending on the breed, a single sheep can produce between two and 30 pounds of wool each year. The waterproof and durable fiber is both a valuable and a renewable resource for small famers from Brazil to the Ukraine, who can use it for clothing or sell it for increased income.

Improved Nutrition
Sheep meat is rich in iron and zinc, two minerals that are key in a child’s mental development (iron deficiency is the most prevalent form of malnutrition worldwide). The milk is also rich in calcium, another vital mineral in a child’s development.

Growing Flock
Given the right conditions, sheep can often give birth to twins or triplets. For struggling families in need of income, a fast growing flock provides even more wool that can be sold. It also provides them with a steady source of dairy and meat products, as well.

This holiday season, give the gift of a sheep in honor of your best friend, who can knit three hats a day. And read more blog posts about sheep here.

Empowerment in Peru: Reflections from a Study Tour Leader

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In September, we posted a series of guest posts by Ian Hands, a participant on a Study Tour to Peru. Sarah Donaghy, a member of Heifer’s Education team and the leader of the trip, reported back on camera some of the experiences the group had.

Farmers in Peru Eradicate Their Own Poverty

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Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

From the United Nation’s website:

October 17th presents an opportunity to acknowledge the effort and struggle of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognize that poor people are the first ones to fight against poverty. Participation of the poor themselves has been at the center of the Day’s celebration since its very beginning. The commemoration of October 17th also reflects the willingness of people living in poverty to use their expertise to contribute to the eradication of poverty.

There’s a reason we refer to the families and individuals with whom we work as “participants.” It’s because they are participating in the eradication of their own poverty. More than that, they are helping end their neighbors’ poverty, too, through Heifer’s Pass on the Gift model. Yes, we provide our participants with gifts of livestock, and we train them at no cost to themselves. The real work comes from the participants, however. We are but facilitators in a process that empowers them to analyze their situation, determine what work needs to be done to improve it, and make that work happen. Livestock and training are tools that provide the “leg up” our participants need. Without their Full Participation (which happens to be one of Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development), our successful model would fail.

Watch this short video about farmers near Andamarca, Peru, who have become empowered through Heifer’s model and now share their expertise in raising guine pigs and sheep with neighboring communities.

Travel to Cusco: Reflections from a Heifer Study Tour Participant

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Ian Hands is an employee of Elanco, one of Heifer’s corporate partners. He recently participated in a Heifer Study Tour to Peru and was gracious enough to share his reflections with us.

We took a one hour internal flight from Lima to Cusco, South Peru, to join up with Heifer staff there.  Cusco is a historic city and is positioned in the mountains at an altitude of 3, 200m, high enough to cause altitude sickness when going from sea level to 3,200 meters (10,499 feet) in one hour!

There are three main areas in this region:  Cusco (1.1 million people), Apurimas (404,000 people) and Puno (1.2 million people).  Politics seems to focus on welcoming large investors rather than supporting small communities.  Mining companies in particular are making investments that cause problems for small rural communities.  They take land close to water resources, which causes issues with supply and pollution.  Although promises of work, health care, schools, etc. are made, they sometimes don’t materialise or workers are employed from Lima instead.  Where offers are made to relocate farming families, they are left with the problem of what does a rural farmer do in a city?
Heifer is supporting 14,400 families in South Peru, working in 92 farming communities.  Projects are always suited to the environment and ecosystem that the families are living in.  For example, it is important to breed from native Peruvian sheep and select the best characteristics, as foreign breeds are too delicate for the environment.
Passing on the Gift is a major component of any project, and this is what will be seen tomorrow.

Community Transformation in Peru: Reflections from a Heifer Study Tour Participant

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Ian Hands is an employee of Elanco, one of Heifer’s corporate partners. He recently participated in a Heifer Study Tour to Peru and was gracious enough to share his reflections with us.

Today we saw an example of Heifer working in collaboration with other organisations with great success. Unusually, this is an urban project approximately one hour from Lima. (Most of Heifer Peru’s projects are focused on the high mountain communities.)

During the political unrest of the 1970’s many people moved out from Lima and its suburbs into relatively unpopulated areas outside of Lima. Of course, lack of resource and infrastructure meant that these communities were, and still are, in constant threat of poverty.

With gender equity being so important in Peru, this project focused on training women to grow vegetables so that they could feed their under-nourished children. Initially, the reaction from the men was not great as the women were leaving the home to attend training! With many literally starting with a 20-inch growing area, the results seen today were amazing. All kinds of vegetables are being grown – eggplant, celery, radish, onion, lettuce, spinach, yellow pepper. The growing is entirely organic. Aromatic herbs are positioned next to the vegetables to deter insects. Compost from vegetable leaves and guinea pig manure is fed back to the plants. Water is only available from the municipal supply for 30 minutes each day. With 70 women being involved and the success of the project, they were not only growing enough to provide for their families, but also enough to sell in local markets. Assistance was given in demonstrating that with a differentiated organic project, this could raise more money by selling the produce in the more affluent areas of Lima. They now have their own brand and a source of income.
Training was also given in the rearing of guinea pigs, which are a common delicacy in Peru. From knowing nothing about the rearing of the animals, one lady has expanded her breeding stock over a period of 10 years from 5 guinea pigs to 300.
It was amazing to see today that with basic training and the efficient utilisation of resources, a community can be transformed. What stood out more than anything was the pride with which the women show in abundance. They attribute their success to necessity and the pure will to succeed.
We were also shown a demonstration farm showing that self-sufficiency is possible by utilising Peru’s natural resources and bio-diversity. This included a bio-digester that used guinea pig manure to provide the entire farm’s gas supply. The gas could also be used to generate electricity.

Today was an inspiration and confirmation that a little can go a long way, not just in providing food security and income, but also in pride and self-belief.

Eating in South America

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I’m heading back home late late tonight, with a brain still full of things to write about my trip to Peru and Ecuador. But, as it’s Friday, I thought I’d just do a handful of photos of the food I’ve had the opportunity to try while in South America. Although a PB&J sounds great right about now, it really has been a treat to have such diverse culinary experiences. The farmers and communities we visited were extremely welcoming; generous with both their time and their food. It’s an element of travel I’ll never forget.
In Peru
Coca tea, which helps you adjust to the altitude of the Andes.

Alpaca and potatoes.

Farm cheese and giant corn kernels.

Cuy (guinea pig) with potatoes.


In Ecuador

Milk bread and colada de sambo.

Granadilla.

Organic strawberries.

Pambamesa (community food).

Pambamesa in a cabbage leaf.

Papaya.

Soup, squash and juice.

Pork, beets, vegetables and plantains.

Little banana.

Cocoa.

Orange of sorts.

Another orange.

Brown sugar and banana puree.

Cebiche, rice with seafood and a banana-seafood-mashed-and-fried thing.

Pierre Ferrari in the Andes

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Videography by Dave Anderson.

This first video was shot on our drive to the first field visit in Peru. It was chilly, the view was breathtaking.  We took a little break to stretch our legs and have some coca tea to help us adjust to the increasing altitude we were gaining.

The second video takes place in the Southern Andes in Ecuador. Notice the dramatic difference in the landscape. On our drive to the farm we visited, we could see the landscape shifting from the dry desert to a green, lush environment. 

Lucio of Peru: Part 2 of 2

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Yesterday I told you part of the story of Lucio Mandura, and here is the other part. (The bulk of this story was written by Maureen Goal, a volunteer with Heifer Peru.)

Lucio attended trainings from Heifer Peru, which, when combined with his diligent experimentation, a lot of his alpacas are already highly valued. He said, “Now my alpacas are the champions of any competition.” One of his alpacas recently won the colored male category at the Ocongate District Alpaca Fair.

Some of Lucio’s alpacas grazing in pastures.
Lucio uses a pasture rotation method with his livestock.

Lucio recalls a time when he only had a few alpacas, which were all from his father: all of poor genetic makeup and poor wool quality. He said, “Before, we had a very low socioeconomic status, and I could only afford shorts, not pants, and sandals made from discarded tires. But now we are better off and have better food.

In stark comparison to Lucio’s practically nonexistent production of vegetables and fruits five years ago, through his organic experimentations, he is now also a champion vegetable and fruit grower. He grows an amazing array of produce, such as a variety of lettuces, peppers, carrots, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, celery, tomatoes, melon, strawberries and an assortment of herbs. He has been dabbling in growing pineapple.

Lucio grows lettuce and fruit, among other things, in his greenhouse.
He has begun building a second greenhouse on his farm.

One final example of Lucio’s amazing drive are the biogas experimentations he has conducted over the past two years to improve cooking conditions in his home. He uses his animals’ manure in a homemade solar model oven he was inspired by his friend (an engineer) to make. This economical method, which does not require purchasing gas or electricity, is more sustainable and a lot healthier for the family, since the kitchen is no longer filled with smoke.

Lucio demonstrating his workshop skills for us on his farm lookout point.

Now Lucio facilitates workshops on his property to, in a sense, Pass on the Gift of his knowledge gained through Heifer and his own experiments to his peers so that they, too, can live a better life. Through the support Heifer has provided Lucio, not only have his experiments literally blossomed, but so has his experience-sharing. In this manner, Lucio and his family have increased their own self-sufficiency and quality of life–they have also passed on these gifts to others. He said that he and his wife, both of whom did not complete their educations past third grade, are dedicating their new earnings to the education of their children so that ”they will be able to have a better future,” just as he hopes who attend his workshops will.

Lucio fixes a sprinkler head in one of his pastures