Who's Who

Sarah’s note: For those of you who may be checking these blogs posts while we are traveling I am sorry for the silence. Unfortunately, though we thought we would have access to the internet while we were in the field, this did not happen, so I had to wait to post to this blog when we could get to a place with internet access.


Before I continue with a description of our journey, I thought I might introduce the people who will travel with us. You have already met our guide Carlos. And you’ve met me (Sarah). Our little group also consists of my husband, David Bearden, who is currently the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of World Neighbors. David and I have been married for almost 29 years and we have traveled together for even longer than that. We met in the Peace Corps in Zaire, Africa (now the Congo). David retired from a 20 year career with Morgan Stanley and now divides his time between volunteer service, landscape gardening at home and practicing Tai Chi and Chi Gong. David speaks Japanese, French and Spanish and is looking forward to practicing his Spanish on this trip. The Bearden Family has been involved with World Neighbors since its beginning and David’s cousin, Carol Blackwood, served as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Chris Price is on the staff of World Neighbors and has an impressive background working with non-profit and community based organizations. He has worked in partnership with these organizations as well as public sector agencies in 15 countries. Chris also started off as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. Chris has an M.A. in International Affairs and is fluent in Spanish. In addition to his work with World Neighbors, on this trip he will be our translator. I will be the only non-Spanish speaker.

Chris (pictured left), Carlos, David and I will be flying from Lima to Andahuaylas on a very small propeller plane. Once there, we will be met by Julio Beingolea (pictured right) who is also on the staff of World Neighbors and who has more than 30 years of experience in community and agricultural development. Julio was a professor of agronomy for 15 years and directed the World Neighbors Program in Ecuador where he pioneered the integrated health-agriculture design of rural development programs as a means to alleviate poverty, reduce population growth and protect the environment of rural Ecuador. This development model has been replicated throughout the Ecuadorean highlands as well as with World Neighbors current work in Bolivia and Peru.

We will also meet Angel (pictured right) and Dennis in the field, who work directly with the farmers and the communities. They are both former World Neighbors staff and currently work for Las Chancas, the savings and credit cooperative we will learn more about.

Our driver, and the man who will negotiate the rather treacherous narrow winding roads for us is Uri. Uri is a law student and has his own chauffer business. He drives during school holidays.

David and I will be the only non-World Neighbors staff who will be traveling on this trip. Sadly, Tommy and Nancy Barrow were supposed to join us but had a last minute family emergency. We wish them the very best and we send our thoughts and prayers to their family.

As I write this, I realize that I will be the only woman on this trip!