Lake Titicaca Communities Support Fund

When things are difficult for you, it often opens doors in which to reflect on your situation, and realize that others may be in a more difficult situation than you.

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused the global tourism and hospitality industry to grind to a halt. Those that work in the industry have seen their business go from 100 to Zero in the span of a few weeks, no new bookings are coming in, only cancellations and postponements. From hotel owner to tour operator to guide to airline steward to travel agent, we are facing challenging times with no clear end in sight. But we are directly involved in the industry. What about those that are indirectly involved in the industry?

What lures people to travel to far off lands is not just fancy hotels and exotic landscapes, it is the people they meet along the way that don’t directly work in tourism, but make the tourism experience so magical. We are all human after all and share in that primordial connection, that as different as we may appear on the outside, inside we are all the same.

It was in that spirit that Titilaka Lodge on Lake Titicaca decided to launch the Lake Titicaca Communities Support Fund. The indigenous communities that surround Titilaka are an essential part of what makes the guest experience so special and unique in the world. These communities have been part of the hotel’s extended family for many years and they have touched the lives of visitors from all corners of the globe. Although not directly involved in tourism, a large part of their local economy is driven by tourism money coming in. No tourism has meant a drastic decline in their local economy.

The Lake Titicaca Communities Support Fund is a fundraiser to supply basic food items and virus-protective supplies to 150 families in the four communities surrounding Titilaka Lodge. The goal is to collect 31,500 USD. This amount will provide a basic food basket for one month and a virus-protective supply kit per family.

Since launching one month ago, we have received 60 donations, from as small as $5 to as large as $2000, from people all over the world who have been touched by the communities of Lake Titicaca before and want to share some love. We have only reached 1/3 of our goal but are already making good on the promise to deliver these baskets to as many families as we can. I wanted to share some images of the first round of donations being delivered.

We still have more families to reach, so if you feel like you can spare $5 or more, we appreciate your support and you can donate and leave a message on our GoFundMe page.