Chivay, Peru: Sierra Sur site visit

Sorry for the delay in posting, and thanks to those who wanted an update....I'm excited that my mom is not the only one reading my blog! This past weekend I was in Chivay, Peru (altitude 12,000 ft) for a site visit to the Sierra Sur program. I went with a group organized by Proyecto Capital, which is an initiative to get Latin America’s conditional cash transfer programs (CCT) to encourage savings and inclusion in the banking system, in order to help the region’s poorest inhabitants develop financial security and assets. The group of 25 included representatives from CCT programs, banks, microfinance institutions, governments, and independent consultants -- who came from 7 different Latin American countries...(and, ahem, me from the US:)

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View from the airport; meeting with el grupo at our hotel in Chivay

Despite a pretty bad bad case of altitude sickness (hint: not a good idea to go from 0 to 12,000 feet within a few hours. Even with coca tea and lots of dramamine. Like a really bad hangover, except worse), I was able to make it to our site visit at the feria in Yanque, a small town in the Andes, where we got to meet with many of the savers in the program who were selling their amazing hand-woven alpaca products. In the afternoon we also had the opportunity to ask many of them more detailed questions about their experience in the program. It was amazing how much they knew about how the program/bank works (the subsidized interest rate, the opportunities to earn a savings match, etc) that they had learned through group financial education classes and using their accounts. It was also really cool to see their savings journals -- complete with hand woven covers, and carefully documented deposit and withdrawal receipts from the bank (they can withdraw funds with the incentives after 24 months). If you're interested in reading more about the Sierra Sur pilot program (which will serve 10,000 women), see this article in English! Also, check out my album on Picasa, where I have lots more photos of the site visit:

L to R, Clockwise: Women showing us their savings journals; las mujeres y yo - which one of these is not like the other?); "Journal of my savings;" documentation of deposits and withdrawals with bank receipts and fake money (I think to make the transactions more tangible); children with an alpaca in the plaza; corner store where you can add minutes to your cell phone

As a Side Note, an Embarrasing Story!

Saturday night I was feeling really bad/dehydrated, and in the middle of the night woke up to realize I had already drank all of my botttled water. I wasn't sure if the water was safe to drink and had forgoten my water purifier, so decided to call the front desk to see if they could bring me some bottled water because I was sick (it was freezing outside and I felt awful....) Anyways, the front desk guy seemed kind of confused and asked me if I'd like Coca-Cola. "No, please bring some water to room 111. Can you do that?" They did sell bottled water at the front desk, after all. The guy seemed doubtful and told me he would. Maybe he hadn't understood my Spanish.

View from the bus, driving from Chivay down to Arequipa

About 5 minutes later someone knocks on the door, and I answer in my pajamas. It is Arturo, the Peruvian consultant for Proyecto Capital. He is holding a bottle of agua sin gas that is about 1/5 full, which he apologetically offers to me. In confused, half-asleep Spanish I tell him thanks but it's ok, the guy at the front desk is bringing me water. Maybe he overheard the phone conversation at the front desk? I don't even ask, I'm that tired. I just go back to bed, and then a few minutes later hear another knock on the door. I open the door to find Arturo, looking cold and tired and wearing his jacket, holding out a newly purchased, cold bottle of agua sin gas. I happily accept his offer and gratefully thank him for the water, smile and close the door. I drink about half of it and go back to bed. No questions asked, just happy to have water.

Her first sighting of a redhead/any person as tall as me, I think!

The next night as we gathered at the airport in Arequipa (feeling much better at 8,000 ft) I start chatting with Arturo and realize that a) I had accidentally called his room in the middle of the night, and that b) He assumed I did it on purpose, and that I had wanted him to go buy me water after his initial water offering. haha. At least we both had a good laugh once I explained what I thought had occurred that night....oops!!!