One of the most rewarding things I have ever been a part of was a house building project in a small town of Chinchero just outside of Cuzco, Peru. For me it all began when I received an email from my dear friend Tal Gur while I was travelling in Brazil.
The following is a condensed version of what Tal’s email read: Hi All, As some of you know I’m in Peru right now and plan to stay here a few more weeks, mainly to help locals who lost their homes in recent floods. I need some help. Well, not me personally, but a family I have got to know.
A week ago I volunteered with a group of travellers ripping down and cleaning the remains of homes in a tiny village near Cusco that a friend of mine found during a motorcycle trip. It was quite a devastating day; houses collapsed, furniture covered with mud, broken toys lying on the ground, torn books & ripped clothing everywhere. Memories lost forever.
At the end of the day the old man who owns the house started crying like a baby in my arms. When we left he just stood there in his torn clothes sobbing his eyes out, looking a bit embarrassed. He asked us to come back; he was actually begging. Some of us went back the next day but most will be continuing on with their trips; I’ll be the only one who can help this family.
The Peruvian government has to deal with more than 10,000 people who lost their homes so this poor family can forget about getting any local assistance.
To be honest, you wouldn’t let a dog or horse live in these conditions. Imagine everything you have is taken away. Imagine sleeping inthe cold. I have been seeing it all week and it really puts things into perspective.
I went back yesterday and made a list of what they need in order to rebuild their house and also to give them some food so they can survive the coming months. I then checked with some people here: A small metal roof for example, cost only US$10… I’ve currently collected $100 to help build a house and to help the family survive the coming months.
If you are able to offer any help, or if you know anyone in Cusco’s area who can join this life saving project, or even if you just want to drop me a line, please do so. In any case, I hope all’s well wherever you are Much love from Peru, Tal
Tal and I met on the Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek in Nepal earlier that year; I returned to Canada to work, while Tal continued travelling the world. After EBC we joined up on several occasions in Nepal and India and kept in contact throughout the year. We were actually planning on reuniting again for a trek on the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu in the coming weeks.
I responded immediately to Tal’s request and committed to a $50 donation for the family to rebuild their home.
After I sent the email I had a second look at Tal’s message and realized there was more that I could do. I was already on my way to Cuzco to meet him; I could amend my travel plans and volunteer my time, energy and construction skills to the project. I was happy to volunteer and was excited to contribute to this project.
Shortly after I left the internet cafe it occurred to me that I could contribute even more. I thought “If Tal can send out a letter to friends and family, why can’t I?” I rushed back to the cafe to send a similar type of message to some of my friends and family. I explained that I would be assisting in the project and would assure that all monies donated would go directly to help the family. As I was travelling my email and contacts list was small, but I sent something out nonetheless.
The following day I was thrilled to find an overwhelming response from friends and family. In total, I received about $1000 Canadian which was about one quarter of the total cost needed to purchase the building materials to construct the home.
I was extremely pleased with the response from my family and friends and was excited to share the news with Tal.
Paddy and Tal
When I arrived in Peru a few weeks later the project was well underway. The site had been cleared, the foundation had been mixed by hand and poured, and the wooden floor was complete.
I joined Tal (Israel), Kyle (America), Sonja (California), Nora(Netherlands) and Patrick the builder (Ireland) and the family of Serpio Huaman for the better part of 2 weeks as we worked to build the house.
There were individuals who worked before I arrived on site and others after I left; thus many came and went. One commonality was that those involved wanted to help and contribute to making a better life for a family in need.
Tal was the catalyst of the project and we all relied on Patrick the builder (Paddy) for his construction expertise. Ironically, Paddy and Tal met on March 17th at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Paddy is a carpenter who came to Cuzco with a specific purpose of building a house for a family who lost their home due to excessive rains and flooding.
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The universe had conspired to introduce Tal and Paddy as the two principal parties who drove the project forward.
It was a lot of work but we had many laughs as the house began to take shape. Walls went up, exterior was sheeted, windows and doors were installed all with limited tools; we had all of 2 hammers, 1 saw and 1 level.
At some point each of us had to make a decision to continue on with our travels. For me it was just before we began painting the exterior. Along the way I met many great people, including of course the family we were helping. Mama would cook for us daily while Serpio and the three boys would help when they weren’t farming. There was also their fourth son, Oliver (age 4), who I will never forget due to his playful energy and enthusiasm.
While working on one of the final days before departing, I noticed that the family was decorating the unfinished house. It seemed to be an inconvenience because they were ‘getting in the way’ of our construction efforts.
What I didn’t realize was that they were preparing a celebration for us in order to extend their sincere gratitude for our efforts.Our work was interrupted by music, gifts, speeches, food and drink. We were each presented with a gift of a traditional Peruvian woollen hat (toque) and some were given a poncho; all of which were knitted by Mama. The heartfelt speeches began and the mayor of Chinchero was present to share his kindest regards.
As a tradition we broke bottles of champagne to christen the home and I did so with the Mayor. It was a wonderful celebration; something I will never forget. The family was extremely grateful and there was an overflow of emotions by all involved.
Paddy, Nora, Dan, Kyle and Tal
Over 100 people contributed their time or resources to this project. Thank you so much to everyone who helped out!
As I left Serpio and his family were in tears of happiness. They were extremely grateful for the generosity they received from complete strangers from the four corners of the world.
It just goes to show that the collective efforts of a few people can make a big difference. This is an example of how one thought, followed by a few emails with good intentions, can be the impetus for a cooperative effort which creates a ripple effect from all around the globe.
This story illustrates that the worst of circumstances can sometimes evolve into the most positive, which was definitely the case of Serpio Huaman and his family.
Helping others was an awesome experience,
Dan
Near completion... Family loved their little blue house
Celebration
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