Board Member Missy York visits the community of Patacancha

I have worked with Cole from day one on the creation of Valley Camp and have visited Peru many times, including the first week of camp in January 2018.  My most recent visit to Patacancha, a Quechua speaking community in the high Andes mountains, in early March, left me with a lasting impression. 

Cole and I drove up the steep, winding road to the community of Patacancha, an elevation of 12,590 feet, to visit a family with five daughters, four of whom have attended Valley Camp programs.  A shower of flower petals over our heads welcomed us.  We then donned the customary woven skirts, colorful ponchos, and monteras, the community hats of Quechua women.  We danced with the mother and one of the daughters as the father and grandfather played a quena, the recognizable flute of the Andes, and a drum. 

Cole and I helped prepare the Pachamanca, Peruvian foods baked in an earthen oven.  While the meal was cooked under the coals, Mateo, the father, lead us in a ceremonial ritual with cocoa leaves.  Next, we helped retrieve the baked potatoes, vegetables, and chicken from the coals and headed into the large family dining area, a rustic room with a long table and picnic benches. 

By this time, the daughters had returned home from school, their first day of the new year (March 11).  Cole presented craft gifts -- paints, markers, materials for bead bracelets, and drawing pads. 

Our last activities were watching the mother weave, learning about making and dying threads from sheep and alpaca shearings, and perusing and buying the mother’s handmade textiles.  I felt we experienced an authentic ‘day in the life’ in a Quechua community.

What a beautiful family!  The five daughters, all dressed in their unique style which  identifies them as belonging to the Patacancha community, were attentive, respectful, and very well-mannered.  The family of seven plus their grandfather live together in a simple two-room home.  While the mother weaves much of the day, the father often leaves to porter on the Inca Trail. 

The four daughters have loved their time at Valley Camp. For them and really all campers, Valley Camp is fun!  It’s an opportunity to experience new activities and learn life skills.  Valley Camp is also a departure from their traditional life. 

As a donor and board member, I see the good works and far-reaching impact Valley Camp have on young people in underserved communities.  Valley Camp opens a new world, while honoring and respecting the traditional Andean values.  My takeaways are - these gentle souls in Patacancha are grateful for all that they have, which by Western standards is very little, generous with their time and talents, and gracious, once there, “we were family.”