You are here: Cusco: more than just Machu Picchu ......the real Peruvian family ... our people from Andean Communities.

Cusco: more than just Machu Picchu ......the real Peruvian family ... our people from Andean Communities.

We can not do great things in this world. We can only do small things with great love.(Mother Teresa). Small Actions = Big Changes !
---
For more than 27 years SAS Travel -a highly recommended cultural and adventure tour operator based in Cusco created by an entrepreneur and professional mountain guide from Cusco´s University, brothers, sisters and family. Our goal is to create trips of a lifetime, we strive to deliver amazing trips where the most important elements for the success of our tours are our skilled, dedicated and caring staff, leaders, guides, porters and cooks but overall since our beginning it was the strong desire to create job for our andean farmers our porters, poor and unlucky rural peasants and their families from Andean communities those unprivileged humble, oppressed and diminished people used to eat only maize and potatoes everyday and most of them with bare feet, and their kids without opportunity to go to the school. We are very privileged to be able to use some percentage of our profits to dedicate and contribute something back to our indigenous people of Cusco´s communities. Thank you to our -trekkers friends from UK, Australia, Canada and USA because your valuable contributions made true completely our dreams and it has allowed us to help persistently to our people. Most travelers who visit Cusco only can see one side of Cusco in the city without realizing the existence of so many forgotten andean communities around the valleys and mountains, remote andean villages where they live isolated, struggling with their poverty and far away from the state rulers and government support.
---
Tourism industry in Cusco is changing lives for many Cuzqueños, it generates work for guides,drivers,office staff, cooks, porters etc. 100% of porters for Inca Trail come from 10-15 andean communities so you can understand the controversy of the unemployed people in Cusco and the social strikes on streets protests are common to see.Tour guides and cooks live in Cusco. Most cooks started working as porters on Inca Trail and thanks to their dedication and opportunities received by SAS Travel they could afford to study, learn spanish and english and become trek guides and many are working successfully. Most of their children now are studying also so one day soon they will start contributing to their families and their community.
We remember visiting the villages of our porters every year on top hill of Pisac town communities as Cuyo Chico, Sacaca, Amaru, Pampallaqta, Chawaitire or around Chincheros or around Chacan, Anta where we have donated educational materials for our porteris children, books, school materials, computers for schools second hand clothes, shoes, groceries and meals as well... without realizing that with these small contributions we were changing lives of numerous families, those kids will be the new peruvians generation very proud to belong to Quechua´s heritage, the new peruvians of XXI century, they will be able to see a clear and prosperous future, they are hard workers but over all honest people with their community with empathy to live in solidarity and because one day they found an opportunity in their lives and all of this happened thanks to you dear traveller to help us to help our campesinos and their families and finally we are so grateful and pleased to have brought them so much courage, so much love, so much compassion, hope and peace.
If you are neutral in situation of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor Desmund Mpilo Tutu. South Africa.
---
Not all here is pleasant plazas, archaeological marvels and fantastic stories from Inca´s times. Life is difficult and often a struggle for many campesinos farmers here in the Andes and so we hope that you also realize this brings another side with it to our impression of Cusco and we do not want to hide it.
---
So if you have an interest in knowing what the rural farmers are struggling economically and then requiring hospital treatment for one of their family has to deal with then check out our hospital support project.
---
PLAY GROUNDS FOR CHILDREN.-
In 2006 thanks to Mr Jonathan Bryan boss from Discover Adventure we together build bathroom and a play ground for a kinder garden in Anta, town of one our porters, cooks and helpers Donation of computers to the school in Anta.
---
Play grounds in the school of Quelloquello
Christmas gifs for Kids and food for people in Quiswarani near Lares
Play ground in the Kinder garden of Cuyo Chico
Construction of weaving work house in Pampallaqta in Pisac
School desks, wooden floor and educational material in Chawaytire
Also a small project run in Hotel Marqueses by SAS staff is the -Wawa wasi run each Saturday so you are welcome to read on and visit us!
---
ICA AND PISCO EARTHQUAKE.-
In coordination with the AATC a Cusco Tour Agencies Association we sent 200 hundred tents and 200 wool blankets, water, rice and sugar in our bus-truck, thanks to Mr Jose Zavaleta our experienced driver who cooperate in this great help to our brothers and sisters in Pisco and Ica.
---
LUCRE RAIN DISSASTERS.-
Our great cooks as Julio Conde, Guido Humpire, Humberto Gonzales , Julian Huaman, Hilario Sallo, coordinators and camp helpers organized and prepared food to offer this people who suffered from this nature rains disaster, many of their mud bricks houses collapsed and local institutions as Defensa Civil or Indeci never assisted, thanks as well to voluntaries who can with us to help. When some other owners of tour companies and guides went there to take pictures... when we were sharing and providing meals for this unfortunate local people.
---
HELP FOR PEOPLE IN YUCAY.-
Our cooks and porters prepared and offered food for 1000 person in the rain disasters around Cusco in 2010 in Lucre, Huacarpay, Yucay, Calca (also blankets, tents, sleeping bags and mattress provided).
---
Proyects with Charities from aboard tour companies as Discover Adventures UK, Far Frontiers UK, Calpoly College USA, Overland Adventures USA, Moondance Adventures USA, Inca Tours Australia, SAS Travel Peru strives to channel the generous contributions from our clients so that they reach the local people directly.
Some Examples:
---
Play Ground and Bathrooms in Santiago Kindergarten Chacan Izcuchaca.
Kids Play Ground in Qèllo Qèllo community School in Pisac.
Kids Play Ground in Pampallaqta Community School in Pisac.
Computers gift for Chacan School 2006 Miles Buckinghamshire
Walk a Mile in My Shoes Proyect.
---
Educational Materials in Chacan, Quiswarani, Huacawasi, Cuncani, Pallata, Chincheros, Piuray Lake, Qello-Qello, .. so many people to thank...but Beth Cummings (Shetland Islands) who donated her entire 2007 Birthday money to support many activities and ensure that so many children received educational materials in isolated communities will be thanked for many years.
---
Helping Choquecancha, (Lares) Chincheros, Pampallaqta, Qeros near Paucartambo Communities Weavers so they can sell their beautiful work at Hotel Marqueses.
---
This is a SAS Travel and Hotel Marqueses Project to enable weavers in isolated mountain communities to sell their products direct to the public and by cutting out the middlemen who take all the commission ensure fair pay for their work but overall get have a safe place for a fair money
Education Scholarships for some individuals who lack resources to realize their valuable potencial.
---
LETS LEAVE A TREE FOR TOMORROW.
Construction of the WEAVER HOUSE in Pampallaqta Far Frontiers UK
Educational Material for Children in Chawaytire in 2009 and 2011 and Pampallaqta. Far Frontiers UK -
---
Wawa-Wasi Children of single working mum`s Project, Library, Activity, Toy room and weekly nutritious meal.
Values, Moral and Material Support for young -working boys shoe shiners, etc The young working boys Hotel Marqueses.
Wawa Wasi Projects are generously supported and made possible by the kindness of the Canadian Community.
---
SAS Travel Peru is committed to sharing the spirit of Christmas giving and participates in activities distributing presents, meals / hot chocolate to around a 1000 children. All of these small activities could not happen without the support we have received from so many tourists and so have named our CD of photos (We couldn`t have done it without YOU) We want to take this chance to thank you sincerely for bringing out childrens shoes, clothes and educational items which have been so gratefully received and people who generally supported the Ica Earthquake Victims in so many ways.
---
LITTLE HELP TO MARCACHEA IN QEROS.-
Help to transport their potatoes production to sell in Cusco.
Help with food for 50 families to the community of Marcachea in Qèros, thanks to Far Frontiers UK -2011 (Mr Murray and Andrew)

Muchas Gracias. Thank you very much!
SAS Travel. (Passion for Peru).