Hands On Disaster Response, Pisco, Peru.

On 15 August the southern coastal region of Peru was violently shaken by a two-minute, 8.0 magnitude earthquake. The epicenter being in Pisco. The event flattened homes, destroyed businesses, disrupted livelihoods, and interrupted schools. I (Steph) was very keen to get down to Pisco and help in some way and was delighted to find the Hands on Organisation.

Hands on disaster response is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to providing hands on relief to people to disaster stricken areas.The work that hands are are doing in Pisco at the moment is primarily rubble removal to allow for placement of emergency or transitional shelters.Rebuilding a local school. Safe space play therapy with children in relocation camps. Ludoteca programs with UNICEF. Food distribution, water and sanitation works with Terre Des Hommes. Beach Rehabilitation. Coordination and distribution of school supplies with UNICEF.

I was not sure what to expect before I arrived at Hands On but I found it to be an excellent organisation. My time there was a truly amazing experience, if not the most rewarding and fun of my whole travels! I got there in the first week when the operation started and there were 20 volunteers. By the time I had left there 40 of us. Most of the volunteers were travellers like my self and there was a great sense of community and unity with in the group. When I first arrived we all had to sleep on the floor in an area about the size of my living room. It was a bit like "10 in the bed and little one said." Very Cosy! We also had no showers and had to heat water on the fire and have bucket showers using water bottles as shower heads. This all worked remarkable well. By the time I left we had been donated bunk beds and Tim had built 3 proper showers!

I am hoping to return for a month or two before I come home.





the team when I arrived



the team when I left




The hands on house, one of the surving buildings on Jose Balta, Pisco Playa.



Job board





Our sleeping quarters!



The water pipes were destroyed in the earthquake so water was rationed and brought in twice a week.







Jose Balta, our street. As you can see the rest of the buildings were destroyed.





When the earthquake struck the floor moved like waves.



People are living in tents.







Clearing remains of peoples house to make space for temorary homes.











A temporary home







The biggest tragedy of the earthquake happened at the church in the main square, Plaza de Armes. There was a mass at the time and the building collapsed killing about 250.

On Saturdays we went to the refugie camp to play games with the children. The children really appreciated our presence and would always run up and hug us in the street. They have no school to go to at the moment and many of their friends were sent to Lima. When ever you were working there was always a little friend wanting to help.

Doing art work.

Sundays were our days off. Caroline who you can see stood on top of the buggie is a tour guide in Peru but was taking time out to work at Hands on. See Organised a day out at Huacachina where they have the giant sand dunes, about 1 hour from Pisco. I had been here before when I was in Peru the first time round but had not taken a buggie on the dunes or sand boarded so it was great to back and get to have a go.

Welcome to the Jungle!

From Quito Sophs and myself (Steph) took a night bus to Lago Agrioup up near the border with Columbia. From here we drove for 3 hours through strange villages built on cleared forest that had been cut down for excavation of oil. Was pretty grim! Eventually we got to the Cuyabeno river and took a 3 hour ride deep into the forest in a motorized canoe to our lodge. We stayed in huts, there was no electricity, just candle light, it was fantastic. At night the stars were breath taking and the sound of the insects deafening!

My high light of the trip was meeting a real shaman. His names was Alberto and he was in his 70´s. He told us all about how he had trained for many years with his grandfather learning about the medicinal properties of the plants to become a shaman. (He spoke in the native language and Jaun translated.) After many years of studying there final test is to take an highly hallucinogenic drug which they extract from a tree. They become high for about 30 hours and in this time they believe that they are educated about astronomy (interesting!) If they manage to get through this test mentally they then become a true shaman. The shaman has a very interesting way of diagnosing patients also. They both take a hallucinogenic drug (different to the one just mentioned) called the ayahuasca which is extracted from vines in the jungle. They then both become high for about 3 hours in which time they believe they go through a journey together and can take on the power of their alter ego, which may be an eagle or a tiger for example. Once the effects have worn off the shaman knows what is wrong with the patient and can cure them with the plants. These Shamans are used to cure all ailments from headaches to cancer. Well its certainly a different way to how we practice medicine at home! They are so cut of from the world out there that every one uses the shaman, I expect they don't know any different any way.

Our guide Jaun had grown up in the jungle and it was amazing how he could find the creatures amongst all the undergrowth. We saw so much wildlife but it was difficult to get good photos as they moved fast and were well hidden in the leaves. Our best sighting was a Harpy Eagle which apparently is very rare. Jaun said he had not seen one for 2 years and they were as rare as seeing a jaguar or a tiger! There were millions of creepy insects also. Check out the tarantula pics! One of the girls found one in her shower! Arrrrgh! and another got stung by a scorpion!