Peru’s economic situation does not seem so bad with an annual growth rate of about 8 to 9 percent, good results in the field of fishing, flourishing mining industry,… Unfortunately, the income differences are enormous and only 20% of the population benefits from this. 3 million of the almost 30 million Peruvians live on less than 1 dollar a day and 6 million live on less than 2 dollars a day.
The ‘Región Inka‘ is located in the southeast of Peru and has about 1.3 million inhabitants. This area around the city of Cusco (3,400 m), once the center of the Inca Empire, is now one of the poorest regions of the country.
The Quechua Indians represent the vast majority of the population. They live in more than a thousand communities and remain faithful to their ancient traditions. The Indians live from agriculture on the slopes of the Andes Mountains. But… yields are limited because the climate is harsh, water is scarce and credits and technical assistance are unreachable. Poverty is often accompanied by serious problems such as alcoholism, (child) abuse, incest, and malnutrition.
Oye LENA 