Christis


	Contents page \| Christis archive \| Submissions \| Advertising \| Links page \| Meet the team \| Cartoons \| Subscribe \| Christis timetable \| Search Christis

Profile on Peru

Christian Aid — Profile on Peru

Peru is the country highlighted in this year’s Christian Aid Week. Report compiled from information provided by Julie Wadsworth, Christian Aid Appeals Officer.

Facts and figures

Size: 500,000 square miles, four times the size of Britain and Ireland
Population: 22 million
Language: Spanish (official), Quechua and Aymara, plus over fifty tribal languages in the Amazon area. 50% indigenous, 33% mixed, 12% white and 5% black
Religion: over 90% Roman Catholic
Children: in Peru, one in twenty babies die before the age of five, one in ten in the indigenous communities

What is life like in Peru?

The highly advanced Inca empire and ancient city of Machupicchu, with its steep terracing for crops, llamas and alpacas is a frequently seen image of Peru. The reality today is a land of stark contrasts where the mainly Quechua-speaking descendants of the Incas live in extreme poverty with little say in how the country is run. Life is little better for the majority in the city, where migration has led to huge shanty towns without clean water and other amenities. Basically, things are pretty desperate for most people. Cost of living is high and the wages are low. The civil war of the 1980s, between the Maoist Shining Path guerillas and the Peruvian army, led to the death of over 25,000 people, and the displacement of countless others due to violence and atrocities. Martiano Malpica, one of those who had to flee, gives his testimony:

“We left our homes because of terrorism. We’ve escaped death. I left in the 1980s with all my relations because my village had terror, fear … At home we had cattle and agriculture and crafts and no needs. Most of us lost lots of things. We were victims. We had to leave. Some went to Lima. We thought the terror was just in our area, but it was all over. What hurts most is that when we got here we were told that we were subversives just because of where we came from. We want to establish ourselves and have a better future. Our children should have an education and be different from us. We want work, health care and food. With all that we’ve experienced, we sometimes shake with fear when we speak. There’s nothing to go back to. We can’t go back. We’ve got to stay here and work how we can.”

A Christian Aid worker’s experience of Peru:

Julie Wadsworth visited for ten days last May. “I had gone to collect material for Christian Aid Week publicity. It was quite hot during the day but cold at night. There were lots of people selling cigarettes, matches, sweets etc. on the streets. We visited a number of rural villages where Christian Aid partners are helping many poor people (most of whom have fled from the highland regions due to violence) to develop skills to earn a living. The people we visited were mostly Quechua Indians. They are very positive and dignified and don’t like charity hand-outs. They like to earn their living — they are very hard working. The scenery was amazing. Most days we had blue sky and brilliant sunshine. Most people live on a diet of maize and potatoes. Some families keep guinea pigs which they breed and eat. I didn’t like the idea of this, as I am a vegetarian, but I guess it makes sense when you’re hungry!”

What sort of projects are Christian Aid working with?

The Institute of Democracy and Work (IDET) is one of four organisations supported by Christian Aid which work with displaced people. IDET helps extended family and community groups to organise, settle and plan. It provides concrete, practical support in the form of start-up loans, advice and training to help people make a living, including making chairs and shoes and running local market stalls. Martiano Malpica is now the President of one of the associations of families that IDET work with. When asked what should be said to his partners back in the UK, he said:

“Christian Aid and all its supporters should continue to have mercy on the people who are displaced. We are determined to become self-sustaining, but to get out of this critical situation we do need help from outside and we do need you and IDET to stand with us. This is my petition to you …”

How does our money help?

It helps by going to these projects. It can by a number of things such as equipment for people to start their businesses. It can also go towards the loan fund, which is given to families to help them buy raw materials for their products. Christian Aid is able to give 80p in every £1 raised directly to the work overseas.

If Peru had a favourite fish, what would it be?

This is not an easy question for Peru. There are many different varieties and those who live on the coast eat seafish whereas those living in the Amazon eat riverfish. Typical coastal fish would be like cod, plaice, prawns. There is a particular riverfish in the Amazon called Paiche, you could say that they like to eat this because it is giant and tasty.

Last modified: 25th November 2005