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In January 2001, Lani Imhof and Michael Smith left their jobs, rented out their house, sold their car and headed off on a ten-month odyssey in Latin America. As they travelled through the poorer countries of Bolivia and Peru, they became increasingly uncomfortable with the huge differences between their comparative wealth and the poverty they witnessed in Latin America. Six months into their journey they met a bright and bubbly Quechuan teenager at a village in the highlands of Peru and she introduced them to her family. When Lani and Michael first met the Carbajal Moreira family they had never received mail, didn’t have a letterbox and had never heard of email. They were struggling to survive and put food on the table. The six intelligent children had no hope of receiving an education beyond school. Poor as they were, their generosity and affection touched Lani and Michael’s hearts. After the travellers returned to Australia they decided to support the Carbajal Moreiras for the long term; they became godparents to the second eldest daughter and were accepted into the family. What began as a financial commitment blossomed into a life-long bond between the two families which was strengthened by the next two visits they made to Peru to live with the Carbajal Moreiras. This is the story of the growing connection between two families from vastly different backgrounds - a middle class couple from Australia and a poor indigenous family from Peru. It illuminates the differences and the similarities between the lives, experiences and aspirations of the two families, and portrays how the Australian couple’s support has resulted in educational and employment opportunities for the children, helping them to break out of the cycle of poverty.
