Profile information
Host rating
90 %
Last replied
2 Apr 2024
Reply rate
90.0 %
Usually responds within 4 days
Feedback
10
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Badges (2)
Details
Description
Update: Jan 09, 2024
The Simple Survival Earthship is now finished enough to sleep in - we are therefore offering it as an option to stay in - as well as continuing with various projects - Bottle Windows, landscaping, 2 small aditional rooms, tree planting....and more.
Also - our Botanical Garden with green house is progressing very well and creating constant maintenance
work.
We are Ruth (Peruvian) and Paul (English). We are both retired - Ruth from the United Nations and Paul from the world of IT (Mainframe Programmer).
Our goals are to build a Simple Survival Earthship, reforest the land with native trees, teach about water capture, storage, and efficient use, to show the community (especially the youth) what can be done with ingenuity, willpower, and very little money, and to contribute to the growth and beautification of the village with different art projects.
We are also working on community development and enviromental education projects, alongside weekly English and/or French lessons to the local children.
The Chacra is 500 meters from our house in the village and is where the majority of our work takes place although we always have fix-up/maintenace work as well as community projects in the village.
The Chacra (farm) itself will be a 'living museum' where locals and tourists can learn about sustainable living using both modern and traditional (eg. Inca) techniques.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
The village is small - 450 people - and is in a remote area.
This is an opportunity to experience a part of Peru a little off the beaten track as well as to expose the locals (especially the youth) to people from different countries and cultures.
It is also an opportunity to experience the amazing views and hiking of the surrounding cerros (mountains).
Help
On the land/chacra (10 acres) we have built a small reservoir to hold 80 cubic meters of water for our nursery. We are also in the process of building another greenhouse.
The construction of our Simple Surival Earthship is about 70% meaning we have 1 room with a roof on it.
We are not starting on the bathroom and toilet.
We are constanstantly planting the land with native trees and also have a small (future) botanical garden that always needs work/maintenance..
We encourage all our volunteers to interact with the locals and when possible to teach at the local school - eg. English or an introduction to your own language, music, or whatever. The point is to expose the students to something different.
We are also looking to add color and beauty to the village with different art projects - including murals and
tree planting.
We also ask our volunteers to take part in weekly english or french lessons to the local children if they are comfortable doing so!
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Accommodation
A comunal house that sleeps up to 8 with an assortment of beds, bunkbeds, inflatable mattresses, and blankets - Please note - you need to bring a sleeping bag - preferably for winter weather as it can be cold at night - down to 5⁰C.
We have a separate house that contains the kitchen and dining room.
We all share in food preparation and cleanup.
What else ...
We are testing different methods of farming and cultivation and intend to be one day 'certified organic'.
The Earthship will initially be a community center and prayer room, and the Chacra as a whole will be a 'living Museum' where people can visit to learn about permaculture including both modern and traditional farming and water storage techniques.
We are rather isolated here - 3 hours by shared 'taxi' from the nearest town (the city of Ica).
There are at least 2 pre-Inca ruins to visit as well as a 'stone forest'.
The days are just about always sunny and warm, and the nights always cold (between 5 and 10 degrees C.).
We request that you bring a sleeping bag and we have plenty of extra blankets if needed.
At an altitude of 3100m it can take a day or so to acclimatise.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
max 5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (6)
We are especially gratefull for her dedication to the village
children (including the French lesson she provided at the Primary school).
authority to do whatever she thought fit.
et Voila we now have a fully funcining greenhouse and an abundance of lettuce, carrots,potatoes, aguamantos - golden berries- and other plantings that lost their labels - we will just… read more
we were able to build the frame of the "greenhouse" that is an integral part of our
"Simple Survival Earthship". She also helped in many other things that needed doing
Her cooking skills were also a welcome addition to the team !!
If only she could have stayed… read more
Es… read more
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
We are especially gratefull for her dedication to the village
children (including the French lesson she provided at the Primary school).
authority to do whatever she thought fit.
et Voila we now have a fully funcining greenhouse and an abundance of lettuce, carrots,potatoes, aguamantos - golden berries- and other plantings that lost their labels - we will just… read more
we were able to build the frame of the "greenhouse" that is an integral part of our
"Simple Survival Earthship". She also helped in many other things that needed doing
Her cooking skills were also a welcome addition to the team !!
If only she could have stayed… read more
Es… read more
Despite the (sometimes) language differences (principally my lack of French) we still communicated well.
I was super happy with all the work they did and their commitment to
our numerous project(s) .
In total- a very satisfying experience as a host.
We had a lot of free time, the surroundings are superb, there are beautiful hikes to do.
Paul is a convinced person, he likes to share his ideas and we enjoyed the discussions... Even if our English is terrible !
The people are friendly.
But the area is poor. There is no waste collection, so the… read more
Paul and Ruth are very good hosts, we got… read more
