WHERE WE WORK
Yanapana Peru is currently working in 2 distinct areas of the country:
CUSCO
In the department of Cusco, Yanapana’s work is limited to the provinces of Anta and La Convención, especially in areas adjacent to the Salkantay trail between Mollepata and Lucmabamba.
This area lies at an altitude of between 2,143 and 3,900 meters above sea level. It is an area of considerable natural beauty consisting of approximately 36,000 hectares containing 135 rural communities and inhabited by approximately 2,400 traditional Andean families living in varying degrees of poverty. The main language spoken in the area is Quechua. The men often speak Spanish as a second language. Their main activities are organic agriculture (coffee, potatoes, corn, and fruit) and cattle-raising. Tourism is still a largely untapped resource with great economic potential. For example, providing groups of tourists with horses and mules is a relatively good source of income for many people. Another potential source of income are the many different handicrafts that are produced in the area.
Due to the nature of the area and its distance from urban centers, these communities do not have access to good quality basic services, such as health, education, drinking water, trash collection or a proper sewage system. They often live in conditions of abject poverty. The quality of food, clothing and housing is deficient. Alcoholism is an additional concern, particularly in the male population.
LIMA
In the department of Lima, Yanapana is present in the district of Viñac. This area is located at 3190 meters above sea level. While Viñac is only 280 km away from Lima, poor road conditions mean that any trip lasts at least 5 hours. Listed as very poor on the poverty map elaborated by the Peruvian government in 2000, Viñac has a population of approximately 400 inhabitants. The main economic activities are agriculture (potatoes and beans) and construction. People still largely barter for goods. Spanish is the main language, though Quechua is still spoken as a second language.
Families suffer from a lack of proper housing and clothing. Additionally, some are affected by family violence and alcoholism. Due to a lack of basic infrastructure, the community is cut off from urban centers depriving it of proper health, education and public services. Like elsewhere in the Andes, illiteracy affects women more than men.
