Altruistic St Albans men are collecting money to build homes for some of the most impoverished people on the planet.
School friends Ben Brophy, 41, and Daniel Daw, 39, have travelled to a slum in Las Laderas as part of Project Peru - helping the 60,000 strong community build sturdy homes.
Project Peru was linked with Daniel’s charitable trust to build 100 homes over seven years - this number would house 600 people in warmth and safety.
This is the third time in the seven years the two St Albans friends have travelled over with a group of volunteers, and laboured with locals to construct the houses.
Everyone in the team from Project Peru has funded their own travel and raised £1,000 towards the program. This is the cost of one home with four walls, a roof, and a lockable door. Homes are allocated on a needs-most basis.
Ben and Daniel have already raised more than £10,000, but need £1,500 more to fund the last two homes - numbers 99 and 100.
Ben said it was not a hand out but instead is creating employment for local families and builders, and making a big difference in the community - Peruvian builders are funded to do the physical labour all year round.
He added: “It’s amazing, this is our third trip in seven years and it’s amazingly rewarding on so many levels. Obviously that you are contributing to a community and I can see the emotion on the people’s faces when they see the house building, they are so grateful.
“They are a proud people - they don’t have a lot, but they are happy, and this contrasts to the western world where people moan about not having things.”
Daniel emphasised how thankful Project Peru and the local community were to everyone “back home” who has donated to the cause: “[The local community] are so touched and given hope by the fact that people who they will never know have helped to give them a house.
“There’s so much more work to do in community in terms of providing general infrastructure, and our intention is to carry on after house 100.”
Project Peru is organised by Daniel’s charity, the Amoria Bond Charitable Trust. It was set up in 2009 to relieve poverty around the world. To donate, click here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here