Charitable Chow

In digging around for an organization where we could volunteer, we've come across a few restaurants that support NGO efforts.  The timing of these finds is great, as we have returned to our favorite restaurants several times and are ready for new ones.

We read about a pay-as-you-can restaurant in Cusco but after searching for it we concluded that it must be out of business.  Maybe this restaurant was not unlike the one in Salt Lake City where the women said they were closed because they didn't have money to pay for their gas.  In both cases, we were disappointed that we couldn't support these socially responsible endeavors.  However, this second apparent failure has us skeptical about the viability of the gift economy where patrons are asked to give fairly in exchange for their meal, serving everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

We had lunch at Aldea Yanapay today.  This playful restaurant funds an after school care program, similar to Los Niños.  Many of the children who attend this program are from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Aldea Yanapay is about showing the kids attention and affection while providing opportunities that may not be available to them at their regular school, such as arts and crafts.  Some of the kids are not taught hygiene at home, so there is also an emphasis on promoting better habits.

- Eydie