Travelers' Philanthropy Handbook - Center for Responsible Travel

My Role as a Guide in Promoting Travelers’ PhilanthropyJuan Carlos YanezGuide, Country Walkers, Patacancha, PeruPatacancha is an Andean community located at 13,700 ft. above sea level. It is predominantly afarming community and it is my home.Road infrastructure is very limited here.That’s why Patacancha villages are not yetsignificantly influenced by the outside world.Life is still much the way it was 500 yearsago.Education is a big problem in the countrysideof Peru because we have limited access tomodern schools, materials or techniques.Only 120 students go to school atPatacancha Primary. This represents 10percent of the children who should beattending this school.Patacancha women and children. Credit: Country WalkersThe distance to the school is an important reason why kids don’t go to school. For instance,Alejandrina Cusi Yupanqui, a 10 year old girl, must walk 3 hours to school and 3.5 hours backevery day.Tourism guides like me can get guests interested in Peru and educate them about the specificreal life problems faced by children in the countryside, such as lack of available education. Itake my guests to see Alejandrina’s school. We drive up to 14,100 feet, to Alejandrina’s home,and we hike the same 3 hour route that she walks every day to school. Ironically, what forAlejandrina is an everyday walk is a holiday hike for us -- except that Alejandrina doesn’t usewalking sticks like our guests. And she wears sandals made out of recycled rubber tires insteadof proper walking shoes.After our 3 hour walk, we visit a localPatacancha home where some friends of mine(Saturnina and her family) allow the guests usto see how life happens indoors. It is a verygratifying experience to share a few momentswith a local family who still speak the languageof the Incas in their everyday activities.We visit the Patacancha school that Alejandrinaattends, and meet the principal, MauroCrisostomo Masias Condori. He openlyanswers questions from our guests who at thatpoint are very immersed in the needs of thecommunity.Trout Farm Inaugeration, Patacancha.Credit: Country Walkers197