Letter of Intent

Dear Friends:

On September 5^th three young Canadians are boarding a plane to Peru. Our mission is not one of travel or leisure, but of aid. Nearly two weeks ago, the coastal region of central Peru was struck by a powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake that has left 540 people dead, 1040 injured and more than 100,000 homeless. We’re going there to help and we’re asking you to help us in this endeavour.

Local and international governments have been quick to pledge their support to the affected peoples of Ica Region and NGO’s are on location and working around the clock. These groups have been mostly successful in restoring basic services to the worst hit urban centres, but badly damaged roads and simple logistics have forced many villagers in rural areas to fend for themselves. Our plan once we land in Peru is to seek out one of these overlooked villages and help to rebuild in whatever way we can.

As individuals not affiliated with a traditional aid organization, we can have the greatest impact by focusing our attention on a small village like this. We will work closely with locals to first address their most immediate needs for food, water and shelter. Once through this initial period of desperation, we hope to use our skills and resources to help return life to normal after this tragic event.

The three of us: Nishan Padayachee, Keren Menashe and I, Chris Turner have all taken leave of our current jobs and committed ourselves to at least two months of aid work in Peru. We have purchased our own plane tickets and will supply our own transportation, housing and basic necessities once there. We will each also arrive with as many blankets and warm clothes as we can carry, but our primary contribution here will be our bodies and minds. While we feel this alone will be of great help, we are asking for donations so we can be allowed to do even more.

Your kind donations will be used to purchase basic necessities like food, water, medicine, blankets, tools and building supplies. You can rest assured that by working side-by-side with the villagers we’re helping we can see to it that the money you provide will be used where it is needed most. You will even be able to track our progress and see the direct impact of your generosity by visiting this website regularly.

Donations can be made as secure online payments via PayPal by clicking the "make a donation" button at the top left-hand corner. Every little bit helps. Thank You.

Kind Regards,
Chris Turner