The stats, the numbers, everything just keeps going up. How many cases of Covid in Cusco, in Peru, in the world? How many people have died? How many people have lost their jobs? How many people have slipped back below the poverty line after recently working their way out of poverty? How long have we been dealing with this virus? Are there any numbers, anywhere, that are going down?
What questions do I have to ask to get numbers that are going down? What questions do I have to ask to find some positive news? I keep going back to air pollution, with so many flights cancelled and so many people staying home. Thats definitely been good news for a while now. Is there any other positive news in the world?
I dont even know if the Covid Relief Project is positive news anymore. There are just so many families in need. Yes, we are helping a lot of people and yesterday we took food to a hundred families. Most of those families will be able to feed themselves for a week or two with what they
This is the checkpoint from the main road to the road up to Perolniyoc. Two weeks ago I was in Perolniyoc, as part of the Covid Relief Project taking food and childrens clothes to families in need there. Today, I was just another outsider that didnt want to let in.
received yesterday. Still, the longer the borders are closed and the longer people dont have work, the more families will need our support. The Peruvian government hasnt sent any help lately and every mayor we contact gives us the name of that havent received any help, even from the government.
Can we really keep this up for all of 2020? Can we actually get enough donations to keep this going until tourism returns and stabilizes? Am I going to be working on this in 2021? How do I not get burned out?
Yesterday, taking food to families in Taray and Picol was beautiful and like the previous times, I felt energized and optimistic when we were actually in distributing aid. Also, like the previous times, I feel exhausted, overwhelmed and a little depressed the next day. The need is just so great.
It reminds me a lot of living in Bangladesh. The biggest contrast is that here I do get the days of optimism, when I feel like I really can help and that what Im doing actually does make a difference. The days of feeling optimistic and helpful in Cusco far outweigh
This is the bridge in Pacchar, on the main road that goes from Ollantaytambo to Cusco. Ive driven over it dozens of times but never before noticed the sign that says its at risk of collapsing. Unless youre standing right at the beginning of the bridge, the sign is hidden behind the wooden building you can see to the left of the sign.
the days of feeling overwhelmed and helpless. In my two years in Bangladesh I had very few days of feeling optimistic or helpful, while almost every day I felt overwhelmed and helpless. (See my blog from December 21st, 2014).
I honestly dont believe that its at all possible for the situation in Cusco, in terms of poverty and hunger, to ever be as bad as what I saw in Bangladesh. Still, its bad enough and I really dont want to see it get any worse. Considering the questions that I back to, I just dont see it getting any better anytime soon.
This morning I walked over to see if the Alianza Francesa had opened yet. Of course, the doors were closed and the gate locked. I didnt really think it would be open yet, but it was worth walking over to find out. The caf next to the Alianza was open, so I went in to see if they had any more information.
The Alianza has been doing all of their French classes online since the quarantine was announced on March 15th. Apparently the demand dropped so much that
This is where I finally found a place without nearby, a place where nobody would care if I was hiking during a pandemic. All trails that pass near or have been blocked off as try to stay isolated from from somewhere that has Covid cases.
they have had to lay off a bunch of staff and arent looking for new teachers.
