World Neighbors works in 63 communities in four regions in Peru: Apurimac, Ayacucho, Cajamarca and Cusco, where our savings and credit groups have been very successful. These groups have improved sustainable agriculture and livelihoods by helping with the planting of family vegetable gardens, mangoes, oranges and avocados. Our programs have also helped people build smokeless stoves that improve respiratory health, bio-digesters that produce cooking gas and fertilizers, and rainwater catchment systems.
One of the most successful programs in Peru has been the guinea pig farming program. Families make the investment of buying a few guinea pigs, and within a few months, the families are not only able to augment their diets, but also bring in income.
Andean communities in Peru have been successfully harvesting rainwater using traditional techniques. This practice helps these communities become more resilient to climate change by allowing them to collect rainwater in ditches to be used in the dry season. Not only does rainwater collection improve agriculture and the raising of livestock, it also retains more water within the broader ecosystem.
For more information on our programs in Peru, check out these articles:
World Neighbors Announces New Project to Increase Incomes in Peru’s Coffee Producing Regions
Peruvian Farmers, Chefs (Yes, Chefs) Cash in on Guinea Pig Craze