Ruben
Ruben is the grandson of the last Inca, Don Manual Quispe. Ruben is the first member of his community to graduate with an undergraduate degree in Hospitality and Tourism from the Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco. His dream of establishing his own eco-tour company – AndeanSpirit.Earth – where he and his community, the last living descendants of the Inca, offer authentic tours to historical and sacred sites of his Inca ancestors, was the inaugural project for Whole Earth Engineering.
The sacrifices his parents, Don Andres and Dona Asunta, made to afford Ruben his education also established him as a bridge between the past, present, and future of the Q’ero people. Ruben’s vision for the future of his community catalyzes the integration of Q’ero traditions with STEAM based community driven solutions for the preservation and evolution of the Q’ero.
Ruben has taken advantage of the immersive educational opportunities afforded to him through WEE such as photography and video ethnography training in partnership with the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and continuing English as a Second Language training – that will allow him to better serve his English speaking AndeanSpirit.Earth clients. Ruben embodies the potential present within Indigenous communities that when offered opportunities afforded by generous donors and sponsors to WEE can be realized, and is shaping the future of his people and the world.
