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With tourism we now have a better income for our families so we can provide better education for our children so they can have a better future – they can even go to university. Due to the virus, we haven’t had tours since March so we have no income. Some of our husbands also work in tourism and they have lost their jobs as well.

Virginia Huaman, Comunidad de Huilloc Alto, Cooperativa de Turismo Sostenible Puskaritikaia

The virus hasn't reached our community but it's all over our country. This made us feel very afraid in my community – we didn't come to town for several months. Due to the virus, we haven't had tours since March so we have no income. Some of our husbands also work in tourism and they have lost their jobs as well. 

I hope that tourism comes back soon, but we are still afraid because we keep hearing that a new virus will come. I hope that we get better access to the internet so maybe we can offer our tours and products online. 

I miss having conversations with the tourists, making jokes and taking pictures together. I also miss how happy me and my compañeras [companions] were when they visited us in our community. 

I love meeting new people, sharing food and cooking with them. I have very good memories of working along with some of the people that worked with Awamaki throughout the years: Julia, Anna, Brianna. All of them have taken pictures with me and my family so I always remember them.

WTTC thanks Virginia for sharing her story from Huilloc Alto, Peru!

“I hope that we get better access to the internet so maybe we can offer our tours and products online. “