We are spending three weeks in the Sacred Valley of Peru. Cradled
by soaring, snow-capped peaks and sustained by a verdant, fertile valley where fields
of corn sway in the breeze.
The people here are soft, gentle and friendly. Everyone
greets each other with a smile and a warm Buenos Dias. Many dress in their
traditional hand-woven clothes of crimson and orange; farmers work the land as the Inca once did, preparing their potato fields with a wooden foot plough; and alpacas and
llamas graze the mountain slopes.
I could not be farther from hot, arid, tough Israel. Yet wherever one travels on this incredible
planet, Israelis have been there. I wrote about this in a blog post about a trip to
New Zealand. And here in Peru, I find it again, yet in a different form.
We first arrived in Cusco, the largest city in the Sacred
Valley and the former capital of the Inca Empire. There is a Chabad in Cusco
but as it is closed from October through February, we were on our own to make
the best of Shabbat and finding food we could eat.
And with a plethora of vegan restaurants to choose from in
Cusco, we were very satisfied.
Wandering the side streets of the old city, we soon came
upon many signs in Hebrew. We saw stores offering discounts to Israelis and menus
in Hebrew. I did not see shops with signs in Cantonese, French or German – just
English, Spanish and Hebrew. One
restaurant even had its name written in Hebrew – Chalom Cachol. Blue Dream. As October is off season for tourists, we heard little
Hebrew spoken, however, evidence of Israeli travelers was everywhere.
We then traveled around the Sacred Valley, some 500 metres
below Cusco. Many of these towns were once inhabited by the Inca and Chimu peoples with
their ancient temples, altars and spiritual apus dotting the peaks above. Life in
the more remote villages has not changed for 500 years. There is no electricity
or running water and hardly a car is seen on the narrow dirt roads.
People still farm potatoes like their ancestors did and
shear alpacas for wool which is dyed with native plants, spun by hand and then woven in intricate designs.
These people sleep when the sun sets and wake before it rises.
Babies are
wrapped in blankets and slung on mother’s back while she farms, weaves and
cooks. The floors are dirt, the walls adobe, the roofs thatched and a smoky fire
burns inside warming the squeaking, scampering guinea pigs (cuy) that will be a
prized dish served to mark special occasions.
I could not be farther my life in modern, high-speed, fast-paced, technologically-savvy
Israel.
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| Mural painted by the children |
Yet we discovered a beautiful piece of Israel in the Sacred
Valley – and it was not in the form of Hebrew writing to attract tourists. We
met a couple, an Israeli husband and his Peruvian wife, who run an orphanage
in Urubamba and are transforming the lives of the children there.
About five years ago, Avishai and Viviana were given the
opportunity to run an orphanage that was orphaned – Mama Kia, the woman who created
a safe place for these children had passed away.
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| Soledad demonstrating a pan flute. |
Full of love and giving, they
soon found themselves responsible for 22 children, many of whom
had once been victims of abuse and violence. Creating Ninos Del Sol (Children
of the Sun), they decided
not to call it an orphanage, rather a home. Avishai
explains that he actually prefers to call this place a kibbutz, modeling it on the
community where he grew up in Israel – a place where everyone shares and takes responsibility.
We visited them for lunch and were given a tour by the
youngest girl there, Soledad. She spoke perfect English, thanks to Avishai and
Viviana’s efforts. She first showed us the organic permaculture garden that the
children plant and tend, pointing out all the vegetables and herbs. I had never
seen quinoa growing before! They had chickens wandering about and Avishai took out
a few fresh organic eggs from the coop.
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| Mural of virtues painted by the children. |
Inside, we saw the children’s neat bedrooms and Soleldad
explained what each child likes to do. One likes art, the other reading and another
music. The children had painted murals on the walls with inspirational messages. Upstairs is an art room and a library. We saw the house mother sitting in the
library helping a few children with their homework.
A board hung in the kitchen that listed each child’s
chores. They all help out with the cleaning, are in charge of cooking meals on
the weekends, take turns gardening and they do the laundry.
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| Love is freedom. Mural painted by the children. |
We sat down for a healthy, delicious lunch with Avishai,
Viviana and some of the children. On the wall was a large map of the world that
I am sure the children are familiar with. On the counter were glass bottles
of home-made yogurt and kimchee. Food here is for health and nurturing.
We learned that these children all excel in school and go to
a special after-school academy to improve their studies. Some are already grown
up and are at college in Cusco, coming home to visit on weekends and vacations. The
younger ones all plan to continue with higher studies.
Avishai and Viviana
will support them until they are in their mid twenties, yet we were surprised to hear that they receive
no money from the government. Money to run this magical place comes from
donations and from their own pockets.
The children can earn extra money by guiding tourists. Yesterday,
Sanko, a 15-year-old boy, accompanied us with a driver to two sites: the circular terraces of Moray and
the salt pans of Salineras, as well as a hike down to the valley.
He was shy yet slowly opened up, wanting to know
about books we had read, movies and bible stories. We asked him if Avishai
spoke some Hebrew to him and he replied, "Yes, he tells us to not be a 'rosh
katan'." (Literally, a small head or one who does not take responsibility.)
Avishai also celebrates Shabbat with the children every Friday
night. They light candles and make Kiddush, the prayer on the wine. Since these
children are Peruvian, some from Quechua speaking homes and some Catholic, he changes
one word in the Kiddush prayer to incorporate everyone into the sanctity of the
day. He says that ‘G-d chose us with all
the nations’ and not ‘from all the nations’ as traditionally chanted.
It was enlightening and inspiring. Here in the Sacred Valley is a couple who give all they have
to transform the lives of orphaned children. Kids who once had nothing now
have everything; these children are open-minded, spiritual, healthy, loved, loving and
giving. And really, this is all we need.
