Help Peruvian Porters during Covid-19
Donation protected
One of the most heart breaking phone calls I got last month, whilst still in Cusco, was from Marcelino, a porter and muleteer from Quishuarani, near Lares.
“Jefe, donde estan los turistas y cuando volveran?” he asked “Boss, where are the tourists and when will they come back?”
I honestly did not know what to say to him and I had to make something up about staying safe and being patient. It was heart wrenching and I felt utterly useless.
Covid19 hit Peru right at the start of our tourist season when porters, muleteers and cooks were all gearing up for a busy 9 months of pretty much full time employment.
Traditionally, at the end of each season, Amazonas Explorer gets all our camp support staff together to make suggestions for the next season. At the end, all receive a “Canasta de Navidad” - a Christmas hamper of basic essentials to keep them going during the low season.
The problem is “the next season” never started and is probably not going to happen at all.
So, I’d like to try and do something similar to our “Canasta de Navidad” but now, in the next few weeks and I need some help.
A box of supplies of rice, sugar, cooking oil, tins of tuna, oats and pasta delivered to our porters costs S/100 PEN or US$30 / UK£25
We have about 50 staff we most regularly work with. So $1500 / £1250 will cover 50 food boxes. $3000 / £2500 will cover 100 boxes to be distributed over the next two months.
My proposal is, if anyone is willing to pay for a box or more or even just part of a box, I, Paul Cripps, owner of Amazonas Explorer, will match that donation up to a total of $750.
So:
If you have ever had your bag carried by a porter on the Inca trail or been wowed by Pedro’s lomo saltado on the Lares trek or hopped on a support horse to get you up the hill to Choquequirao base camp, or even are just dreaming of trekking in Peru one day soon, please donate now.
I know it’s a tricky time for everyone so just donate what you can. Or if not, please share this with whoever you can and hopefully we’ll meet our target soon.
Many thanks for anything you can do to help.
Paul Cripps
Managing Director
Amazonas Explorer
sales@amazonas-explorer.com
www.amazonas-explorer.com
#amazonasexplorer
Facebook:Amazonas Explorer
Blog: Latest Updates on Covid in Peru
“Jefe, donde estan los turistas y cuando volveran?” he asked “Boss, where are the tourists and when will they come back?”
I honestly did not know what to say to him and I had to make something up about staying safe and being patient. It was heart wrenching and I felt utterly useless.
Covid19 hit Peru right at the start of our tourist season when porters, muleteers and cooks were all gearing up for a busy 9 months of pretty much full time employment.
Traditionally, at the end of each season, Amazonas Explorer gets all our camp support staff together to make suggestions for the next season. At the end, all receive a “Canasta de Navidad” - a Christmas hamper of basic essentials to keep them going during the low season.
The problem is “the next season” never started and is probably not going to happen at all.
So, I’d like to try and do something similar to our “Canasta de Navidad” but now, in the next few weeks and I need some help.
A box of supplies of rice, sugar, cooking oil, tins of tuna, oats and pasta delivered to our porters costs S/100 PEN or US$30 / UK£25
We have about 50 staff we most regularly work with. So $1500 / £1250 will cover 50 food boxes. $3000 / £2500 will cover 100 boxes to be distributed over the next two months.
My proposal is, if anyone is willing to pay for a box or more or even just part of a box, I, Paul Cripps, owner of Amazonas Explorer, will match that donation up to a total of $750.
So:
If you have ever had your bag carried by a porter on the Inca trail or been wowed by Pedro’s lomo saltado on the Lares trek or hopped on a support horse to get you up the hill to Choquequirao base camp, or even are just dreaming of trekking in Peru one day soon, please donate now.
I know it’s a tricky time for everyone so just donate what you can. Or if not, please share this with whoever you can and hopefully we’ll meet our target soon.
Many thanks for anything you can do to help.
Paul Cripps
Managing Director
Amazonas Explorer
sales@amazonas-explorer.com
www.amazonas-explorer.com
#amazonasexplorer
Facebook:Amazonas Explorer
Blog: Latest Updates on Covid in Peru
Organizer
Paul Cripps
Organizer
Wales