The Q’eros are among a few Quechua-speaking communities in Peru who strongly hold to their ancestral traditions. Their spiritual beliefs are rooted in Inca’s and Andean cosmovision in which various natural spirits are worshiped including the spirit of earth, moon, sun, water, and mountains. They are divided into five main groups with around 10 – 15 villages. The villages are located in remote Peruvian Andes, at high elevations, with not very fertile ground.
Most of the houses are made of stone with straw roofs. There is no heating system for the houses except wood that is used for the cooking. Recently, some solar panels are installed in the villages by NGOs to provide electricity and hot water for bathing. Villages usually have school but the highest grade varies between villages beyond which, students need to attain schools in the other villages or nearby towns.
There are two main seasons, dry season from April to October with very cold nights and wet season from November to March with frequent rain and cold weather. Due to harsh climate condition, only potatoes can be grown and only alpacas and sheep can be kept. Anything except potato and meat needs to be brought from nearby cities, including wood for cooking, as they can’t be found at such high elevations.
