LivinginPeru.com, A Resource For Us
Editor's Note: This interview with Living in Peru.com Managing Director, Carsten Karch, is the first of a series that will focus on resources available to ACAP members and other expats in Peru.
ACAP: How would you describe the internet in Peru?
CK: The Internet is the most efficient and fastest media tool for our purposes. Compared to other, more advanced countries, Peru is slowly catching up technologically. More and more Peruvians get hooked up, connection numbers are growing rapidly, and transmission rates are getting faster. Cyber cafés and Internet cabins in the most unlikely of small towns break down barriers of distance more effectively than the telephone ever did. Lima and Cusco have abundant Internet facilities, closely followed by Arequipa, Huaraz, Puno, Iquitos and Trujillo. Programs are now being offered in Quechua. Reason enough for us to focus our efforts on the online community, twenty four hours a day; seven days a week.
ACAP: Describe Living in Peru.com
CK: LivinginPeru.com (LIP) is an online portal for foreigners living in Peru, travelers planning to visit Peru, and people around the world looking for quality news and information from and about Peru. All our services are provided in English.
ACAP: How did you get started?
CK: Work on the drawing board started on October 28, 2004 and after a period of careful planning we officially launched our website on July 28, 2005, Peru's Independence Day. Since then our reader community has grown to app. 25,000 per month and 3,500 newsletter subscribers.
ACAP: What is the main purpose of your web-site?
CK: LIP's main purpose is to promote Peru in all its diversity and to give the best possible advice to foreign and local communities for making their lives a little easier. We present daily news updates, a local business directory, event calendar, movie guide, health and travel tips, free classifieds, online forum, and much more. The idea is to create and mediate business opportunities, arrange fund raisers, and to provide a social and economic bridge for all individuals and organizations. Our mission is to create a better interactive communication and dialogue between local businesses and our international readership via exchange of special offers, opinions and comments. We want to help our readers to have the best information available before, during and after their stay. Our goal is that everyone enjoys their time here in this beautiful country and promotes the ancient land of the Incas even further by sharing their experiences.
ACAP: Is information your only purpose?
CK: LIP is also engaged in various local charities. Together with Rotary Club Lima Sunrise we have co-founded a charity project named "Ver para Aprender" (www.verparaaprender.com), offering 50.000 Peruvian children a proper eye exam and a pair of glasses, if necessary. "Ver para Aprender" official launch party was held on December 2005 at Lima's Jockey Plaza. This year also I worked as a liaison between Peru's largest local art exhibition and charity event "Noche de Arte" and AMCHAM - The American Chamber of Commerce of Peru, uniting more than 450 foreign and national companies and 3,500 members. In addition we sponsor various local events such as the "Great Amazon River Raft Race", "Vuelo del Cóndor" and Oktober Fest.
ACAP: Now that you have passed your first anniversary, are there any changes in the works?
CK: Just in time for our first anniversary we will be introducing a completely new, user-friendlier layout, making it a lot easier for you to navigate. The new design will also allow us to include new features and services such as separate business and culinary sections. We will be offering exciting packages, exclusive offers, bonuses and discounts at theaters, gyms, shops and restaurants. Since a good portion of our community likes to travel, explore and enjoy Peru's wide variety and historic sites, we have decided to launch an online travel service - at www.LivinginPeru.com - which will also eventually include special offers and discounts.
ACAP: Anything you want to add?
CK: We are a team of young, dynamic professionals, foreign and local, aiming to serve our readership by keeping them informed about what's going on between Puno and Piura, Lima and Iquitos. However, nothing is perfect in this world, and we always welcome the input and suggestions of our community to become even more efficient and better in every aspect. We constantly optimize and expand our presence in search engines like Yahoo, Google, Lycos, Overture, MSN Search, just to name a few.We believe that offering a wide range of quality services and reliable information makes all the difference according to the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our readers. We carefully select and check all data given to us; exaggerations and deviations from the truth will not be published or corrected. If you wish to add your business to our database, change or extend your existing information to promote your products and services properly, you can either enter your data directly at http://www.livinginperu.com/suggest/ or send us an email (in English please) to ck@livinginperu.com
In summation, things have evolved since LivinginPeru.com was first launched. We have created a well organized, family-oriented, integrated networking system based on mutual collaboration which equally benefits businesses and consumers; a win-win situation. We hope that all your members will feel free to take advantage of this service.
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