Something New – Something Different, Something Needed, Something New

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“When I think of ‘hallacas’ I think of my grandmother. I think of the smell of smoked leaves and roasted olives. I think of Venezuela,” Kimberly smiled as she kneaded the giant bowl of cornmeal.⠀
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Today, displaced Venezuelan families who have resettled in Lima, Peru gathered to make a traditional Venezuelan holiday dish – hallacas (ah-YAH-kahs). As we stuffed, chopped, cut and wrapped the savory ingredients, the ladies told me more about the dish and what the tastes, smells, and traditions mean to them.⠀
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“To me, ‘hallaca’ means alegría y unión (happiness and togetherness),” Katherin chimed in. Her hands were covered in chopped red peppers as she tossed them into the bowl. “Every year our family would meet at my grandmother’s house to make hallacas together. For my family, we made the hallacas on the 23rd of December. It’s best if you let them sit for a day before cooking them. The flavor of the platano leaf seeps into the rest of the food, and it is so delicious.”⠀
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“Hallacas are made of things we eat every day in Venezuela,” Evelin explained as she cut the giant platano leaves into smaller squares for wrapping. “Corn, carrots, pork, and pimentos are common for us. Green olives used to be common, but now they are very expensive, so we only eat them in December."⠀
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Most of the Venezuelan families in the kitchen have not been able to make or enjoy hallacas since they fled to Peru for refuge two and three years ago. The abundance of food in the kitchen is a far cry from one meal a day they were eating just weeks ago before we met some of them.⠀
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“This is the first time I have made hallacas since leaving Venezuela two years ago,” Mary explained. “Last year we couldn’t afford all the ingredients, and we couldn’t find the leaves to wrap them in, so we tried to wrap them in foil and cook them. It didn’t work! This year, I can tell, these are going to be delicious.” ⠀
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“Being able to make hallacas today represents something new and beautiful. We are all together — families from different countries sharing traditions together and making new ones. We are grateful for this time — for the hallacas and the friendships. And we are very thankful for a new beginning.”

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From our family to yours, Feliz Navidad & Merry Christmas! ❤️❄️🎄

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Right now, a five-story, empty building stands on Los Quechuas street in Lima, Peru. It has no kitchens or closets YET, but it begs to be filled with the laughter of families, salsa music, and the smells of arepas and lomo saltado (traditional dishes from Venezuela and Peru). ⠀
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As Kelvin toured the building last week he began to see himself and the people he loved filling up the living spaces — safe, fed and protected.⠀
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“The kids could play here and be safe!”⠀
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This building is a far cry from the 10×10 foot room where he, his wife Mary, and three daughters have been living. Because of the crime in their neighborhood, Mary and the girls stayed in their tiny room 24 hours a day. So the thought of space for his daughters to play comforted Kelvin’s mind. ⠀
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Kelvin had been a successful IT engineer before Venezuela’s economy crashed and left him jobless. Mary was studying mechanical engineering. When we met him last month in Lima, they were down to their last $1.60. They had been taking pain medicine to dull their hunger pains so they could give the little bit of food they had to their girls. They did not know what would happen next because his then-boss decided not to pay him at the end of the month. ⠀
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Thanks to your donations, we were able to get Kelvin and his family into safe, transitional housing, and got them food and diapers for the month. And at the building last week, Kelvin began to see hope for not just him and his family, but for his cousins, his daughters, and his friends. ⠀
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Together in 2020, we will provide a safe place to live for Kelvin and many others. We will expedite their professional credentials in Peru, others will finish University degrees and some will start on them. Mary and her friends will start a business so they can earn a living and also work together to raise their beautiful children. And each and every one of them will no doubt pay it forward.⠀
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Right now, a five-story, empty building stands on Los Quechuas street in Lima, Peru. But it begs to be filled with families like Kelvin and Mary's.⠀
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If you have anything at all to give, please, please help us build.
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Link in the bio.

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Brayan and Divanid's journey is a true love story; as they've fought for each other, they've found a purpose and future to fight for as well. Read about their journey from Venezuela - link in the bio.

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