High Mountain Aid Peru is a unique aid project that urgently needs our help.

For latest news, see the Journal page ...

In the beautiful Huilloc valley, high in the mountains above Ollantaytambo, where no Spanish is spoken, fifty isolated families are living in conditions almost identical to their great great grandparents. They grow potatoes and green beans, and all have a few cows, sheep, pigs, llamas, horses, chickens, and guinea pigs. But they have to walk or ride to Ollantaytambo for other basic supplies like matches, salt, sugar, oil, flour, and rice. Some live three days ride from the nearest town.

Wither Avellaneda is a 24 year old local married man with a four year old son. Wither leads small-scale, eco treks - Trek Aid Peru - taking people to meet and experience life with the indigenous farming and weaving families in these high mountains. The treks bring basic winter supplies on horseback to these fifty families, making their lives just a little easier. The first delivery has just been dispatched in late May and early June 2009, and you can see some of Wither's images on the Journal page.

This project, High Mountain Aid Peru, is dedicated to helping Wither to help his people, to lead his treks and to ensure that these supply lines can continue.

Wither has seen charities bring aid to his valley and this has brought good and bad changes, he says. The bad is that people are abandoning (losing respect for) their ancient culture, their customs and traditional ways of living.

Wither takes 10% of whatever this project raises as a salary. He is not doing this for the money but because it's his dream - to make life better for his people and, through his treks, to help people to experience his culture and beautiful homelands. Authenticity, simplicity, and integrity sum up this venture. What a privilege to help somebody realise their dream in their life time.

I am raising money by selling my paintings and by giving a large percentage of what I earn from the retreats I offer in Spain. If you would like to be involved in fund raising events, small or large, or create you own fund raising events for Wither, then please do contact us. Your help will be greatly appreciated.