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See for yourself

The village of Cajamarca lies in the Andes, in northern Peru.

Traditionally, the land has been enough to sustain the poverty-stricken families who call it home. But things are changing. The climate is not the same as it has been previously and the economy remains unsteady. The people of Cajamarca struggle without the adequate tools and knowledge to adapt.

This is where Tearfund comes in. Working with partner organisation Warmis, they are educating villagers about efficient and effective farming methods. They are teaching them new skills and helping to give them a hope and a future.

Women like Olga are finding life particularly tough. "When will God take me to Him?" she asks. Every morning she has to wake up, light the fire, prepare meals and then go on to work in the fields. She is in her 70s. All she can do is rely on God to provide for her.

Help comes in the form of Tearfund. Rosa Camargo de Bravo, Tearfund's country representative in Peru, told idea that the projects mostly work with women like Olga as many of the men go away to work in the city, leaving the women to look after the land.

"Women are so poor and they don't have access to education," she says. "We are working with women in three areas: literacy, teaching them Spanish rather than the local language of Quechua, as well as teaching them about agriculture. We're taking a holistic approach and supporting them in facing the issue of climate change. We are helping them to be productive and improve their own life conditions."

For aid worker Miguel, what drives him to help these villagers is a sense of calling. "It is God's work we are doing," he says. He hopes that one day these people will "become completely self-sufficient".

As part of Tearfund's new See for Yourself initiative, supporters can follow the stories of some of the communities that they are helping. Supporters pay a regular amount each month and can choose to journey with a community in Peru, Nepal or Uganda. So they can 'see for themselves' how their money is really changing things.

Supporters get video updates every three months, as well as regular emails and text prayer. Often, when we give to development charities we have no contact with the people whose lives we are hoping to change. This new innovative tool brings the stories of transformation alive.

tearfund.org

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