Villa el Salvador rises out of the desert and up the side of a mountain
Wouldn’t you love to live in an urban neighborhood where no one locked their doors and children played safely in the streets, while moms chatted nearby? Where no one went hungry, no matter how little money they had? Residents of Villa El Salvador, a squatter’s village on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, enjoy exactly those sorts of idyllic community comforts . . . even though their neighborhood is one of the world’s poorest, and some families survive on less than $1,000 per year.
This picturesque patchwork of despair and optimism certainly wasn’t the first thing on my mind when I signed up for a two-week trip to the Amazon and Andes. I planned on venturing out to see the great river, walk in the rain forest canopy, frolic with some monkeys, and be awed by the Incas. But the notion of a ghetto that had gained worldwide recognition, not notoriety, mind you; recognition, intrigued me. I could have gone shopping, but I came to Peru for a cultural experience. And, even a famed mall by the sea is still a mall.
A shantytown of 350,000, Villa El Salvador was founded out of crisis in 1971 when people abandoned their homes high up in the Andes because of poverty, earthquakes, terrorism, and the lack of educational opportunities. Eager to forge a new life, refugees flooded Lima and using rice mats and cardboard, set up camp in the desert overlooking the Pacific.
They organized quickly and worked with city government to establish the community as an official district. Rice mats gave way to corrugated metal, which gave way to concrete. Electricity and running water and sewer services were established. Refugees became homeowners and the world took notice. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan paid a visit; then the Pope popped in.
photos by Donna Connor
Today, long-time residents own and operate businesses that employ newcomers, and the path to self-sufficiency is clear. For families struggling to get on their feet, a community soup kitchen provides meals for women and children, and city health workers immunize children on street corners. Children of Villa El Salvador can attend its own city-sponsored university for free.
Visitors, particularly those bearing a sack of rice or some fresh produce for the community kitchen, are very welcome. The residents however impoverished and down on their luck, proudly show off their accomplishments, eager to spread the word about their community.
Heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time, it’s no wonder the town was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for excellence in social work and community growth.
With the US dollar being so weak against the Euro, more and more Americans are finding South America, in general, and Peru, in particular, to be an attractive alternative. If you choose to take in Villa El Salvador, ask the concierge at your hotel to recommend a guide. City tour operators can also customize their regular excursion to include a visit with a guide who is known by the residents. City Sightseeing in Larcomar is a reputable tour company, as is Andes Landmark SAC in Miraflores. Your guide can take you to a local market place to pick up your donation for the community kitchen and you’ll be on your way to an “Angelina Jolie” kind of experience that is guaranteed to be burned into your memory as much as the ancient Incan city in the sky.
One good book: Producing Against Poverty: Female and male micro-entrepreneurs in Lima, Peru
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