Living Heart: Support for Andean children and women in the areas of education, conservation, health,nutrition and sustainable development

Case Study: Organic Gardens

The Andean families of the highlands above the Sacred Valley often eat very poorly. Their diet can consist of mainly potatoes which, over time can lead to malnutrition and poor health. For the women of this community, they are particularly vulnerable, especially whilst they are pregnant as this is when their bodies need the necessary nutrients for their unborn baby. As their diet is too limited and lacking in essential vitamins and nutrients, combine this with exposure to the dramatic changes in the weather in the highlands, this often leads to an increase in the physical ageing process of the natives, and they appear a lot older then there actual years.

With the introduction of organic farming within the communities, the men, women and children are learning to grow healthy, good quality food. Living Heart wants to introduce an educational system to these communities to enable them to learn how to grow healthy, nutritious food successfully.

Case Studies

Sonia stands with two of Crema's other children and their aunt, Justina.

Crema's* Twins

Crema*, 33, from Project Village 2C had recently given birth to twins. Already a mother of four, Crema and her husband struggled to feed and care for all their children.

When Living Heart first became aware of Crema and her family, they were living with her sister in a stable, as having given birth to the twins in Cusco, Crema was not well enough to climb the 1,800 meters up to Project Village 2C to her own home. The stable had no windows, doors and a hole in the floor with a fire in the corner of another room as their kitchen. Sleeping five to a bed with guinea pigs crawling all around them, Crema and her family were living in complete poverty.

Typical Andean kitchens such as this one cause many respiration and eye problems among the communities.

In the highlands, people mainly survive on potatoes for every meal time. Due to her poor diet Crema's body was not producing enough milk to breastfeed her twins and as a result they were undersized and should really have been in hospital, but due to lack of funds the family could not afford to keep them there. When Heart's Cafe discovered this they immediately brought in formula that could be used to feed the twins. Now four months on, through regular formula donations, the twins are thriving and Crema and her family are coping with the two extra mouths to feed. The regular donations of formula is brought with money from the Contingency Fund, so thank you.

Angela's* Wheelchair

Angela* is 15 years old and lives in Project Village 1R, 2300 meters high. Wheelchair bound, Angela has the body of a five year old but the face, hands and feet of a 15 year old.

For over a year Angela's wheelchair was broken. Her family were unable to afford the money to fix it and when Living Heart first saw Angela, she was scrambling around in the dirt.

Living Heart took the wheelchair by public transport back to Ollantaytambo and for 25 Soles (£4 / $8) was able to get it fixed with money kindly donated by customers to the café.

*Names have been changed to protect identity.