Introduction

Madre Selva is a beautiful small valley hidden in one of the many ravines of the Amazonian region. It is located in the Province of “La Convencion”, Department of Cusco about an hour drive from the small city of Quillabamba better known as the “City of Eternal Spring”, and about a 4 hour drive from Machu Picchu.

One hundred Hectares of this beautiful place are available to us, where we are in the process of accomplishing a lifelong dream of implementing an Eco Village with food, self-sufficiency and true quality of life outside the macro and microeconomic systems, which are becoming more and more decadent and conflictive as time passes by.

Even though there are some 15.000 Eco Villages around the world, with new initiatives and projects, a global solution has not yet been found. Most likely the amount of individuals and families in the West willing to assume the challenge of starting a completely new style of life, and embarking on such a risky adventure, is very low. Many people in the world are becoming aware that the system has reached a dead end point, and that we face an uncertain future with a grim outlook. They feel incapable of doing anything about it, besides hanging onto material things at a very high price according to figures held in psychosomatic records. It is only when people acquire a certain amount of knowledge, and begin to comprehend a deep sense of existentiality that they are capable of making quantum leaps in their lives, and plan true internal revolutions projected towards the exterior. People willing to commit themselves to personal changes within themselves, could be at the forefront of a transformation at a global level.

From our vision’s perspective the only possibility that humanity has to survive in the present times in a fragile planet that has been overly mistreated by us, would be to set a behavior paradigm where the priorities would be to show respect for Mother Earth, for Nature and for our own selves as well. This miracle can only be possible if we are successful in achieving a state of simplicity in our life styles. In fact History reminds us that the most significant changes in the History of Humanity have taken place due to the daring attitudes of a few. The basic necessities that achieve an acceptable quality of life are, a dignified, spacious home, natural foods from the region, proper social and familiar relationships, and Education.
You must have friendly, physical surroundings which in our particular case is already a reality which we have achieved after years of trying. South America is, and always has been a place of refuge in times of crisis for many Europeans throughout the times, and that will continue to be the case due to its present conditions, its natural possibilities and the warm simple, attitude of its inhabitants.

Peru in particular is a Country with a low population density, a place that has eighty-four microclimates from the one hundred and fifteen that already exist, it has a beautiful Amazonian Basin, a high elevation jungle located in the East part of the Andes where water is plentiful, with the biggest biodiversity in the world where you can still find some species of plants, birds and insects that have not been yet classified, and a place that has a generous supply of fruits and foods. Cusco is located at an altitude of 4200 Meters above Sea Level and Machu Picchu (2500 M.A.S.L.), between the Mountain ranges and the Jungle. This situation offers these regions the best of both worlds and provides them with an extraordinary natural wealth. Madre Selva located at 2200 M.A.S.L., has a temperature typical of the subtropical Regions : from January to April is the summer season with abundant rains, and from May to December a pleasant warm climate during the day and cool during the night. The humid forest offers cultivating land that possesses extraordinary fertility, covered with 10 inches of thick natural compost, favorable to grow all kinds of fruit trees like avocado trees, apple trees, banana trees, granadilla trees, as well as wheat, lettuce, cabbage, corn, pod vegetables, etc.

The Project plans to house a maximum of 12 families, 20 volunteers and 10 temporary visitors. We give preference to families with children, because this offers more stability and perseverance as well.