Aracari Travel is intimately involved with the Community of Patakancha, one of the handful of traditional Quechua communities located in the hills above Ollantaytambo, near Cuzco. Aracari employs the men from the community as porters, cooks and support staff for the trekking expeditions we organise in the area. This type of employment is very sought after and key for the livelihood of many families. Regular sources of income and employment are subsistence farming and alpaca herding.

Aracari set up the Medical Cabinet in May 1998, after discussions with community members on ways in which we could contribute to their livelihood. The aim is to provide free emergency medical assistance to the people of Patakancha. This type of free assistance is not available at all to rural communities. The rationale behind offering this type of assistance is to have a method to somehow reciprocate to the community and its members for the ongoing goodwill we receive from them in our work in tourism.

Aracari allocates a percentage of every client's trip to Fund the Medicines for the Medical Cabinet .

The cabinet provides an effective vehicle to channel both Aracari's and our Clients' donations and benefit all members of the community irrespective of age or gender.

The Medical Cabinet is now fully implemented and is successfully fulfilling its goal. A lot of its success is owed to Eusebio Quispe one of our head porters and caretaker and manager of the Medical Cabinet. He is doing a superb job in recording the distribution of medicines, thus ensuring ongoing supply.

We encourage you to make donations if you are scheduled to visit Patakancha or if you are trekking with us and therefore directly in contact with the people from this community.

If you are doing neither of the above but wish to give something to needy people in Peru after your visit, we encourage you to participate in our program as we can ensure the donation will reach the beneficiaries. Giving indiscriminately often encourages begging and creates dependency.

Please find a list of medicines that are frequently requested by the community as well as some common health problems experienced:

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP