What Is The Kawsay Fund Peru: Keeping Andean Children Warm

Have you ever felt that sharp mountain cold that cuts straight through your jacket? Kids in the Peruvian Andes feel that every single night.

They shiver without warm blankets. They go to school without proper coats.

We started the Kawsay Fund Peru in 2007 because families in these remote villages face an impossible choice. Do they buy food or buy warmth? Many children lack even one heavy sweater when temperatures drop below freezing.

Through our work with the Karikuy Organization, we deliver what we call “Bundles of Warmth” straight to families who need them most. These bundles reach kids in the altiplano regions near Puno and Cusco, where cold nights can be dangerous.

Grab a cup of coffee and stay with us. We’re going to show you exactly how this fund works, why it matters so much, and how you can help keep Andean children warm through donations or volunteer work.

Kawsay Fund Peru Key Takeaways

• The Kawsay Fund Peru was founded in 2007 by Julio Cesar Tello to deliver warm clothing, blankets, and essential supplies to children in the Peruvian highlands who face life-threatening cold every winter.
• In Puno alone, over 100 children have died in a single year from cold-related illnesses — the fund targets the most remote altiplano communities that other organizations rarely reach.
• Donating money is more effective than sending physical items: the same cost of shipping one blanket from the US buys more than 10 blankets purchased locally inside Peru.
• Aid is distributed through “Bundles of Warmth” — packages containing jackets, hats, gloves, blankets, school supplies, and food — assembled and delivered by volunteers on the ground.
• You can support the Kawsay Fund through online donations via PayPal, volunteering in Lima from $70 USD per week, or contributing remotely from anywhere in the world.

What Is the Kawsay Fund Peru: Keeping Andean Children Warm

Every winter, children in the Peruvian highlands face temperatures that drop well below freezing. Many of them go to school without a proper coat. Many sleep without a warm blanket. And every year, some of them don’t survive.

This is not a distant crisis. It is happening right now in Puno, Cusco, and the surrounding altiplano communities — regions that sit above 3,800 meters above sea level, where cold winds cut through thin walls and thin clothing alike.

The Kawsay Fund Peru exists because of this reality. Founded in 2007 by Julio Cesar Tello under the Karikuy Organization, the fund was built on a simple but powerful idea: that no child should die from the cold when the solution is within reach.

What Does “Kawsay” Mean?

Kawsay is a Quechua word that carries deep meaning in Andean culture. It refers to life, living energy, and the sacred force that connects us as a society. For the ancient Incas, Kawsay was not just existence — it was the quality of that existence.

The Karikuy Organization chose this name deliberately. Their humanitarian program is not about charity in the traditional sense. It is about protecting life itself, and doing so with respect for the culture and communities being served.

The Crisis: What Children in the Andes Face Every Winter

The Puno region in southwestern Peru is consistently one of the hardest hit by extreme cold. Temperatures in the altiplano regularly drop to -20°C (-4°F) during severe cold snaps. These are not rare events — they happen every winter, year after year.

The consequences are devastating for children. More than 100 children have died in a single year from respiratory infections and untreated colds in Puno alone. Over 300 children have been treated for pneumonia during particularly harsh seasons. Tens of thousands of residents are affected by climate-related illness each year.

The families living in these remote communities often have to make an impossible choice: buy food or buy warmth. Most cannot afford both. A child who arrives at school cold and hungry cannot learn. A child who stays home sick falls further behind. The cycle of poverty deepens with every winter that passes without intervention.

How the Kawsay Fund Works

The Kawsay Fund operates with a clear, practical model that prioritizes efficiency and direct impact.

Bundles of Warmth

The core of the program is what the Karikuy team calls “Bundles of Warmth.” These are packages assembled specifically for children and families in the most vulnerable Andean communities. Each bundle typically includes jackets, hats, gloves, blankets, and when possible, thermal underwear and footwear.

The fund only accepts monetary donations, not physical items. This is a deliberate logistics decision that dramatically increases impact. For every blanket purchased and shipped from the United States, the same amount of money can buy more than 10 blankets locally inside Peru. By purchasing supplies directly within the country, Karikuy stretches every dollar further and keeps money circulating in local economies.

Who Receives the Aid

The Kawsay Fund targets communities in the altiplano that are rarely reached by other organizations — remote villages in Puno, Cusco, and surrounding highland areas where children are most at risk. Distribution is coordinated through volunteers and local contacts who know the terrain and the communities firsthand.

Aid is prioritized for children first. Once the immediate needs of younger community members are addressed, remaining supplies are distributed to the adult population.

Beyond Clothing

Keeping children warm is the starting point, not the finish line. The Kawsay Fund also includes school supplies in aid packages — pencils, notebooks, and basic educational materials — because warmth without education is only half the solution. Food items are added when resources allow, addressing the nutrition gap that compounds the effects of cold weather on young bodies.

The Role of Volunteers

Volunteers are central to how the Kawsay Fund operates. The Karikuy Organization runs a Peru Volunteer Program based in Lima, where participants work Monday through Friday on humanitarian projects, fundraising, and content creation. On weekends, volunteers have the freedom to travel throughout Peru.

Volunteers who join the program contribute directly to Kawsay Fund efforts — helping pack supplies, coordinate distribution logistics, raise awareness through blogging and social media, and support fundraising campaigns. The program is open to travelers, bloggers, journalists, and anyone with a genuine desire to make a difference.

For those who cannot travel to Peru, remote volunteering is also an option. Remote volunteers help with content, awareness campaigns, and online fundraising from anywhere in the world.

Real Donors, Real Impact

The Kawsay Fund has been sustained since 2007 by individuals who chose to give. The Karikuy Organization acknowledges past donors by name on their website — people like Esmeralda Tello, Shannon Bixler, Andrew Crawford, Claire Hindley, and several others who made the program possible in its early years.

These contributions are not abstract. Each donation translates directly into physical warmth for a specific child in a specific village. There are no intermediaries absorbing resources. The Karikuy team purchases supplies locally, assembles the bundles, and coordinates delivery to the communities that need them most.

Past volunteers who witnessed the program in action have described it as one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives. Christina Baker, a Canadian volunteer who spent four months with Karikuy, said the program challenged everything she thought she knew about herself and the world. Andrew Crawford felt that the impact he witnessed firsthand would be hard to match anywhere else.

These are not testimonials from a marketing brochure. They are accounts from people who stood in those communities and saw what a warm coat means to a child who has never had one.

How to Support the Kawsay Fund Peru

There are several ways to get involved, depending on your time, resources, and location.

Donate online. The simplest and most direct way to help is through a monetary donation via PayPal on the Karikuy website. You can specify which fund receives your donation — the Children of the Andes Fund, the Disaster Relief Fund, or the general Kawsay program. Every amount matters.

Volunteer in Lima. If you want a hands-on experience, the Peru Volunteer Program offers accommodation at the Karikuy House in Lima for $70 USD per week. You will work on humanitarian projects, fundraising, and content creation, with discounted travel across Peru on weekends.

Volunteer remotely. If traveling to Peru is not possible, you can contribute from home by helping with awareness campaigns, writing, or fundraising coordination. The time commitment is flexible.

Spread the word. Sharing the Kawsay Fund’s mission on social media — using hashtags like #KawsayFund, #AndeanChildren, and #PeruVolunteer — helps reach potential donors and volunteers who might not otherwise discover the program. Awareness is a form of action.

To get in touch directly, you can reach the Karikuy Organization at info@karikuy.org or by phone at 1.888.802.4622 (US/Canada) or +51.917.267.453 (international).

Why This Fund Matters

There are many humanitarian organizations working around the world. What distinguishes the Kawsay Fund is its specificity, its efficiency, and its longevity.

It has been operating continuously since 2007. It targets a crisis that receives very little international media attention. It operates with minimal overhead by purchasing supplies locally. And it is run by people who are genuinely embedded in Peruvian culture and society — not outsiders parachuting in for a short campaign.

The children of the Andes are not a cause of the month. They face this crisis every single winter. The Kawsay Fund shows up every single winter.

If you have ever felt the cold and had somewhere warm to go, you already understand why this matters. These children do not have that option — unless someone provides it.

Visit karikuy.org to donate or learn more about the volunteer program.

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