Pacca Student Humanitarian Project
Sharing the Wisdom from the Heart of the Andes in 2007
An Unforgettable trip to Cuzco Peru, the Sacred Valley and the Mystical Machu Picchu
After our overnight flight we finally landed in Cuzco, Peru in South America. Cuzco is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and considered the capital of the Inca Empire. It is located 10,912 feet above sea level and its central streets are lined with massive Inca- built stonewalls which are now the foundations of both colonial and modern buildings. We walked around Cuzco enjoying the beautiful ancient Inca structures, blended with the more modern Spanish buildings. We began to understand why Cuzco is considered the navel of the world where the four quarters of the world meet. This is called Tawantinsuyu. We explored the point of this intersection at Qorycancha where the Inca Temple of Gold was built, now the Dominican Cathedral.
We explored the vision of the Incas where Cuzco was built in the shape of a puma, with the temple of Sacsayhuaman as the head. This area known as Sacsayhuaman has numerous sacred centers each with a unique function. We climbed into the caves on Sacsayhuaman and made a gift Despacho ceremony to Pachamama. We used the waters located at the Tambo Machay to do an initial cleansing and meditated at the cave of the serpents, Amaru Machay.
We then journeyed to the Vanishing Cultures Foundation, Inc. village of Pacca. We were presented with a beautiful welcoming celebration from all the students of Pacca for appreciation of all the US students’ hard work. Here we distributed school supplies to each and every student. It filled our hearts to see the joy on their faces. We received hundreds of hugs from each and every student and parent. We then enjoyed a wonderful, typically Peruvian lunch which included corn, potatoes, bread, cheese, chicken and even guinea pig for the brave and daring ones. The US students also had the opportunity to experience an overnight in the girls’ school dormitory, giving them part of a true experience of village life.
We then began to explore many of the sacred Inca sites of Cuzco including the teachings of the Sachamama at Amaru Wonka. Then we were off to hike to the Temple of the Falcon at Pisac, a spectacular climb amidst agricultural terracing. We saw hundreds of graves honey-combing the cliff walls and a spectacular view of the Apu Pachatusan across the Urubamba River. We then visited the Temple of the Winds at Ollantaytambo and explored the ritual baths built in honor of the Inca princesses.
We were then off to Machu Picchu where buildings and terraces spill over a ridge hundreds of meters above the rushing Urubamba River. The mystical “Lost City of the Incas” is the Inca spiritual center. We explored the city of light for the entire day, learning more about the sacred ceremonies of the Inca and then we watched the sun set over the Andes. The evening was spent soaking in the hot springs in “Aguas Calientes” where we stayed overnight.
The next day we traveled to the beautiful southern lakes of Cuzco where we saw fishing villages along the way. The wildlife was abundant. We even saw a huge tarantula up close and personal! We crawled in the deep dark caves of Caranawi touching stalactites and stalagmites and crawled through tiny crevices to go deeper and deeper into the magnificent natural alters. Sometimes we were crawling forward only by feeling! Continuing on our way, we found the Inca Bridge called Qeswachaka. It is the only remaining Inca bridge and is unique on this earth dating back to the 15th century. It is still created every June in the traditional way using strings from the Agave plant. It stretches 120 feet over the Apurimac River at about a 13,000 foot elevation. It was a little spooky to cross but who could resist!
It was a long and busy journey, full of hard work but lots of fun. The group came away with a deep appreciation for the Peruvian culture and the history and beauty of the land. They also were touched by the happiness of the students in Pacca understanding that despite the very little they had, they were extremely happy. To see the village students with tears in their eyes because they received their own school supplies was a huge humbling lesson for our US students. Our students became a part of the process that truly made a difference in this corner of the world.
First Trip (Pisac and Huilloc)
In April 2002, our first year, we delivered school supplies to 500 Peruvian children in poor village schools. Many of these children had never seen colored pencils or crayons. To every teacher, we donated extra teaching supplies for the entire school session. The schools had just started for the year and there were no paper or pencils! As a result of our donations, all of the village children changed before our eyes as smiles of pure joy flashed across their faces. The faces of our US students were filled with compassion. The children of the village sang beautiful songs to all of us in their native Quechua language and we sang English songs to them in response.
We finished up our visit with snacks and a soccer game for everyone, SHP against Huilloc. When the game was finished it was a breathtaking sight to see a 6’ 3”, 180-pound football player sit down with a six-year old native boy to teach him hand games. Another part of this unique project is that our American youth are invited to work with the native Medicine people in the area who are directly related to the Inca. The students received Inca rites of passage and learned to walk in beauty and appreciate our world. We were lucky to have several Medicine people travel with us to ancient Inca sites like Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Amarumachay, Tambomachay, Killarumiyoc, Maras, Moray, Sacsayhuaman, the Sacred Valley of the Inca and Cuzco.
Second Trip (Huilloc and Pacca)
In 2003, students from the Pentucket Regional School in West Newbury MA and Cooperative Middle School in Exeter NH participated in the Vanishing Cultures Foundation, Inc. Student Humanitarian Workshop Program.
These students collected school supplies and basic personal products from their classrooms, churches, community groups and towns. The students who participated took an active role in educating their local schools, churches and communities about the severe conditions in the Cuzco area of Peru. The students ranged from 7 to 20 years old. With the cooperation of schools and teachers, the kids gave presentations to encourage interest and participation in our work. They collected school supplies, basic kitchen supplies and some personal care products such as lip balm, toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, moisturizers and hair elastics.
After collecting the supplies, the group then assembled the supplies to be distributed. In April 2003, eight students, one elementary school teacher from Bagnall Elementary School and our team went to Peru and distributed the collected supplies to 500 students and teachers. Many of the Peruvian children had never owned a comb!
Third Trip (Huilloc and Pacca)
The year 2004 was a wonderfully busy and exciting year for the VCF Student Humanitarian Program. The young people involved began giving presentations and collecting supplies early in the spring. Students from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and California participated. They collected and delivered enough supplies for over 500 needy Peruvian students in the villages of Huilloc and Pacca.
Each student gave a presentation to local schools, churches and senior centers. One student even made chocolate-covered cones to raise money for additional supplies! The Bagnall School in Groveland MA raised enough money to build a much needed classroom for the secondary school in Pacca.
Our April trip with the students was full of work and fun! After delivering the supplies, the students were treated to local dances, songs and a presentation of the history of Pacca by the children of the village. They ate local foods, tasted chicha, danced and even played soccer. We also visited the sacred sites, working with the Medicine people, Don Martin and his family along with Don Francisco and Pasquale. The kids explored Machu Picchu for hours on their own, investigating every hidden cave and crevice they could find. It was a wonderful trip. The kids also all tasted guinea pig. (…Okay, under protest!)