Roofs for Q'eros

I am fundraising to bring roofs, jerseys and soccerballs to the Q'eros in peru.  Here is my life changing story:

Hello all, and thank you for reading this. My name is Jaime Andres Speicher, and I am a Q'ero Shaman practitioner. I was born and raised in Peru, and I came to find my spiritual path while on a journey through the US in my RV. A journey that forced me to look inward instead of outward for happiness, a journey that allowed me to find my true authentic self. Through Shamanism I was able to heal my deepest wounds that I didn’t even know I had. Wounds that affected my everyday life, my way of thinking, and my actions towards others. Healing through a shamanic path saved me from myself, and allowed to grow into what I was truly meant to be. During that transformational time, I was deepening my studies of Q'ero shamanism daily. And with those studies I was able to find peace and happiness within myself, so that I can now pour from my cup onto others.

 

In November 2021, I got the opportunity to connect with my roots and visit my home country of Peru. I was in search of a Q'ero Shaman to learn from, while expanding my understanding and my knowledge of these ancient healing arts. Little did I know that life was going to take me where it did.

 

 

 

 

I left for Cusco without a plan, no hotel, no car, and no idea what life was going to throw at me. All I had was the phone number of a taxi driver, whom I was put in touch with through my father, in an attempt to find a Q'ero shaman that would be willing to teach me and spend some time with me. I had attempted to arrange the taxi driver to do a preliminary search, so that we could drive around to a general area and I could begin my search for the right person. I arrived in Lima on November 24th at 6PM, and still had not heard anything from her, but my hopes were not shattered just yet, for I have faith in life and I know that life has big plans for me. No matter how dim the light gets, it always shines if you don't lose faith. I connected to the wifi at the airport in Lima, and had 4 missed calls from my father. Worried, I decided to call him to see what was going on, and he told me I needed to call the driver right away. When I called, she told me that something strange had happened earlier in the day. She had picked up her cellphone and started dialing my number to break the news to me that she hadn’t been able to find anyone to help me, and the name of an old friend popped up. This old friend who just happened to be Q'ero. She called him right away, and then she let me know that he wanted to take me to the mountains for 4 days. She continued, “He is going to take you to the Q'eros village, where they live. There you will learn and live with them, in the same way that they live everyday.” This all came together 7 hours before flying from Lima to Cusco. And so the journey began.

 

 

 

I got to Cusco to meet Toribio, who introduced himself to me, he was accompanied by his son. I transferred all my stuff into his car, and off we go. A 10-15 hour drive deep into the Andes, at an altitude of around 4000 to 5000 meters, where his family and community have lived for hundreds of years. As we drove, he began to explain who the Q'eros are, and how their lineage extends well before the Incas. He proceeded to explain how the Q'eros are not only the grandfathers of the Incas, but they are the last roots of the lineage remaining alive in the world, Inca and Pre-Inca. Toribio then let me know how perfect my timing was, for when we arrive at our destination, it will be the first of 3 days of a celebration. Think Independence Day, but without claiming independence from anyone. He continued to say that every single elder and Q'ero will be there for me to meet. My heart skipped a beat. Life had provided once again.

 

 

After driving all the paved road we had, we reached a place called Ninamarka, which has now been declared a national monument in Peru. Ninamarka has these houses that look like little watch towers, and Toribio proceeded to explain that from this point on, we are in the land of the Q'eros. We journeyed up to a sacred spot in the ruins, and performed a ceremony asking for safe passage and for Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the Apus (the mountains) to grant us access and we give them an offering. After the ceremony, we got on a dirt road, and off we went into the deep, where there is no electricity, no pollution, no cell phone signal, just nature, rivers, mountains, llamas, alpacas, sheep and potatoes. The houses are made of stacked rocks with hay roofs. There is no heat, no running water, no rooms inside the buildings, and no bathrooms. A few hours later we arrived at our destination, his home village.

 

 

The Q'eros are a very rustic, humble community. They are the sons and daughters of Pachamama, and view themselves as the earth keepers, the stewards of the land. Living in the altitude of the mountains for the past 500+ years. The closest town to them was a 4 day walk, which only the men made once a year to trade for salt and matches. They get up at 4-5 in the morning, and go to sleep by sundown. They live off of potatoes that they grow in the high parts of the Andes, while raising alpacas, llamas and sheep. Most of the Q'eros still live off the land, trading their furs, skins, and cloths they make by hand. Not all Q'eros are Shamans, they are a community that still survives in the altitude of the Andes, a community that pre-dates the Incas and the Spanish, who have kept their original language, and have only come in contact with the rest of the world as of the 1950's. The road there is new. 2021 new. It is not paved, it crosses mountains, it crosses creeks and small rivers. They still live in stone houses, and move across the mountains by foot every month or two, so that their animals can graze and not deplete the grounds. They still collect hay and rocks to build, and cook with firewood inside their house.

 

 

 

I got the opportunity to meet the elders, who welcomed me like a member of their tribe. I offered them a bag of coca leaves (coca leaves are used to chew and to make tea and is used for energy and altitude sickness) and we began having a conversation as best as we could since they did not speak Spanish, and I do not speak Quechua. Toribio attempted his best at translating everything, he let me know that the community welcomed me with love and care, and that after a ceremony later in the day, I too will be part of their community. after talking for a long while, they let me know that the community is very worried about the torrential rain they have been having, that their hay roofs are not holding up anymore, and that they are slowly changing them from hay to laminate roofs. However, since their society does not work for money, they are not able to quickly fix the issue with the roofs. Later as we walked outside, I noticed that they had a soccer tournament going. Every community within Q'eros had a team, and they played tournament style for 3 days. The field is located next to a small cliff that goes down to the river. I asked the elders, “What else does the community need?” He responded, “Soccer jerseys for the youth, and soccer balls so they can continue playing.” It humbled me. To hear a community say, all we need are roofs, jerseys and soccer balls. We have everything else we need. Our health, our land, our community. So in that moment I made him a promise that I would gather all the help I could find, and bring those items back to them.

 

 

 

 

The last ceremony we performed was a connection despacho (a ceremonial prayer bundle and offering to Pachamama). Toribio made a mini despacho for me to bring home and burn here, connecting both our tribes, and countries together.

Toribio was initiated as a master (Shaman) with Alberto Villoldo by his father. he has now initiated me as well.

 

 

Here we are, at the end of that small journey, awaiting the next one to come. I am asking now if anyone is willing and able to help. To donate for this cause, so we can bring roofs, jerseys and soccer balls to them. A culture which we study, and which we are part of. The Q'eros. I want to raise $5,000+ through the community here is the US, and journey back to the beautiful mountains of Peru to bring the materials and items they asked me for.