Asif Zamir Peru Project
Okay, by now I know what you’re thinking “Asif only does projects in South America because that’s where he was born.” Nope! This is just by chance, but I do jump at the opportunity to do anything in South America, any country there.
Gladys is a native of Peru in her 20’s. She owns her own home which is built with wood.
She purchased the house a few years ago, and lives with her young son. She wants to provide him with a good future plus make enough money to furnish the house. Gladys and her partner work growing coffee plants. They have been farming their own land for several years, and inherited the plots from family.
During the harvest season Gladys gets help from laborers so that they can finish harvesting. They later take the product to the distribution centers for sale, which are located one hour away from the community where she lives. She is well compensated for the sacks of coffee she sells there, it’s not like slave labor or anything like that. However, transporting them is very hard for her, since there aren’t very many vehicles in transit in her community and her partner has to carry them up to a certain point, but even that doesn’t prevent her from continuing with her work. Gladys will use $1,000 nuevos soles (about $400 USD) to purchase fertilizer so that she can maintain her plants
Now to get back to why I did this project – I have a foster child in Peru and sending money every month is something that makes me wonder about sustainability. I’ve been a part of child sponsorship programs since around 1997, and in months when I’m poor, it’s a real struggle. This kind of project requires more money up front, but the recipient is then able to take care of themselves forever. It’s a win win situation for everyone.
Now in regards to Peru, I’ve done several other projects here, and I’m currently working on a larger project involving renovating a school and hospital, in co-operation with several dozen amazing Christian missionaries, but that project won’t be complete until probably 2015, so I’ll get back to you on that.
Asif Zamir
