Our Projects - Past & Present

Path of the Heart is extremely grateful to all our donors. If there is a certain project related to our mission that you would like to be involved in, we would be happy to work with you and/or your organization to discuss creating a plan for that project.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Please visit the Current Happenings page to see updates on all the great projects currently underway.

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2023 Projects So Far

Clean Drinking Water: Washi and his on the ground team have made leaps and bounds on this project! We have brought clean water directly to the homes of three communities across the Sacred Valley. This means that 30 more families do not have to walk further than their front door to get clean drinking water.

The Children’s Restaurant feeds 100-130 children every day. This year we have invested in new take-away containers, and our cooks are taking advantage of the amazing new oven put in last year! The restaurant serves kids of all ages, who walk during their lunch hour to either sit inside with their friends, or take the meals back to school with them. In addition to the children, several local elders are also served during the lunch hour.

Warm clothing has been provided on two different occasions to families across the Sacred Valley who are experiencing the impacts of a colder than normal winter. Washi and his team have taken close to two hundred clothing packages to kids and their families to makes sure everyone stays warm!

Due to the political crises that occurred in Peru at the beginning of this year, tourism to the region significantly dropped. As tourism is the main source of income for many of our families, they were struggling to make due. Over three hundred Emergency Meal Packages were delivered in January and February to get families through this difficult time.

2022 Project Report

Clean Drinking Water: Ten families who used to walk an hour each way daily to get dirty water from the rivers now have access to clean drinking water in their homes! This was Phase 1 of a POTH concept project for an effective, low-tech solution to the persistent lack of potable water in high mountain communities. We hope to see such projects replicated in other communities as well. Read more about this project on our blog!

Cooperative Farming Project: Three hundred individuals continue to benefit from our first cooperative farming project. All participants in this project helped with planting, maintaining and harvesting the potatoes the project produced. A key element of this project was the sharing of the food grown among the families with any other needy people in the area. This was especially timely because of the lack of employment resulting from the effects of COVID.

Machu Picchu Flood Relief: In January of this year, a massive flash flood swept through the town of Aguas Calientes. Our board was made aware of this situation before it had even hit the US News. This was a one-time emergency response that only a nimble organization like POTH could accomplish. We were able to allocate and send the necessary funds immediately so that we could assemble and distribute food packages to more than one hundred families. Together we made it happen, without you, it wouldn't have.

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2021 Project Report

Our COVID Food Packages supported 40-50,000 people during 2021. Our Peru team has done an incredible job getting these packages out to people!

The Farming Project is still running! Currently there are 20 families participating from the town of Rumira. The families each participate in 4 sessions of planting, hilling, more hilling and harvesting. Yellow potato seeds were sown at the end 2021 and will be harvested in the new year. From last season’s crop, each family received their share of potatoes, some of which were sold (with profits going to buy new seed), and the extra potatoes were given away. Thus far, this has been a sustainable project.

The COVID sanitation stations are being used both in the marketplace in Ccorao and at the restaurant. We are currently sending $50 per month for soap replacements.

The Solar Lights project has provided 15 dLight D30 Kits, each consisting of 3 lights, 1 flashlight, a solar radio, one battery and a 2 year warranty. These kits were distributed to families in the communities of Qesqa, Ancascocha, and Cuncani. This project was made possible by a grant from the Cunningham Family.

In June of 2021, we provided warm clothes to 45 children in the communities of Suttoc and Pacchac.

Our annual Chocolatada was again a success! In 2021, POTH brought hot chocolate, panettone and Christmas gifts for more than 5,000 children and their families. The distribution team included a clown, Papa Noel, music, various shows and decorative festivities to families in the Sacred Valley and the native communities in the Andes in the Region of Cusco - Peru. Deliveries occurred in 45 native villages, up dirt roads and through harsh climates to deliver an act of love. Please see our most recent blog or our youtube channel for a video of the Chocolatada event this year.

The Children’s Restaurant fed 100-130 meals per day in 2021. Meals are being served as to-go meals, which the children or their parents pick up daily, Monday through Friday. About 20% of those coming are parents picking up food for their children. Children were still in virtual classes throughout 2021 and therefore could not always come to the restaurant to pick up their own meals. I addition to families, local elders are also being fed. The restaurant is open at 11am to start cooking, and food pickups are from 12 to 2pm.

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2020 Projects

2020 was the most challenging year yet for Path of the Heart. And yet, it also offered us the opportunity to show that we could pivot to meet the most pressing needs of the families we serve.

Operating the restaurant in the COVID era required changes.  The schools were closed but the children still needed to eat. Therefore, throughout the year, the POTH Restaurant established a pick-up window at which children or a parent could bring their own containers and receive a hot nutritious meal 5 days a week.  The restaurant still continued to feed 80 to 100 daily.

It became obvious early on that more extensive personal sanitation was necessary to protect people from the virus.  In the village of Ccorao where the restaurant is located, 10 Hand Washing Stations with water and liquid soap dispensers were set up to meet this need.  Large banners were erected to provide written and pictural instructions on how to use the stations.  In addition, locally made masks were frequently provided to assist in this effort to stop the virus from spreading.  

Due to the extreme cold and need for proper clothing, two Warm Clothing Projects provided jackets, gloves, caps and boots to remote villages in the Sacred Valley area.  One village, Salkantay had also suffered from a massive landslide and subsequent flooding, so the need there was even greater there.

Our Solar Light Outreach continued with the delivery of 53 solar light kits to the villages of Wayracpunku, Totora, and Yanama benefitting approximately 300 family members.

The COVID emergency resulted in many people losing income resulting in no resources to purchase food. This became an extremely serious situation as little or no assistance was provided by the government.  Through the amazing fund- raising efforts of our supporters and generous donors we were able to deliver 10,000 Food Aid Packages throughout the year to 80 villages, each package containing enough food to feed a family of 4 for 2+ weeks.  We estimate that 50,000 people were able to be served including many former vendors at tourist sites who had no income along with Inka Trail porters without income.   

With the coordination of Washi and with funding from a generous grant, a sustainable Cooperative Farming Project was created in which 35 families worked to clear land, plant and tend crops, and finally harvest the crops and sell the surplus.  The project was very successful.  Each family received 100 pounds of potatoes and a share of the other vegetables grown. The surplus was sold the local market.  Some of the proceeds from the sale will be used to purchase seeds for future crops at the same site, continuing the project without the need for future funding.  In addition to the obvious benefit of growing their own food, the families involved were taught how to farm so that they can use this knowledge for their own purposes going forward as they wish.

Path of the Heart ended the year with its Chocolatada Celebration, serving approximately 4000 people in numerous villages. This year instead of focusing primarily on bringing hot chocolate and sweet bread to the villages we shifted gears.  Recognizing the lack of food and the unusual severe economic circumstances, recipients received a food package which included the ingredients for making their hot chocolate; the children also received a small gift. 

We thank all of our donors and supporters. Without them, without you, none of these accomplishments would have been possible.  You have made such a difference in the lives of all those that we serve.  We are very grateful. 

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2017 Projects

Universal Heart Restaurant moved to a new building—the response to the restaurant was so overwhelming that the leaders of the community of Ccorao built a community building and asked that the restaurant be moved to the first floor of that building .The building provides twice as much space for the same amount of rent and a fully built out kitchen, which was not available in the other location. The new location is closer to the school, providing a safer passage for the children from the school to the restaurant.  The new restaurant has been running since February and it is proving to be much better for the children and the cooks.  We are grateful to the Shapiro Foundation for providing start-up funds for the move and to purchase some new equipment.   

Rainboots—due to flooding in the Ollantaytambo area, children were walking for hours in the mud to get to school there and with the help of Orchids of Light Foundation we purchased 40 pairs of boots for school children.

Continuing projects:

a.        We are in the process of identifying a project to honor one of our long time board members who passed away earlier in the year.  We will be making an announcement about the project as soon as it is approved by the board.

b.      The community of Ccorao wants to create a library/computer lab in the same building as the restaurant.  We will be discussing this project with them and determining how Path of the Heart might be able to work with them.

c.       Chocolatada 2017—this is an event that is greatly anticipated and the number of villages served grows every year.  We will be fund raising for that project in the Fall.

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2016 Projects

2016 was a very busy and productive year for Path of the Heart

Universal Heart Restaurant-The restaurant in Ccorao continued to thrive in its second year, serving 75-100 children 5 days a week. The response was at times overwhelming resulting in the need to have more than one sitting to feed all the children who came.

Chuffed Fundraising Campaign-due to the volume of children using the restaurant our reserves were depleted. An online fundraising campaign allowed us to keep operating and to re-build reserves. Solar lighting project-- A grant from the Shapiro Foundation provided solar lights for 30 lighting kits for families in the village of Marcani Pampa as well as for ongoing restaurant operations.  The solar lighting kits enabled families to go into the fields at night to check on animals, provided light for the children to study, and to eliminate the use of kerosene lamps or candles after dark.

Blanket Project-Due to the extreme cold in the mountains we had an emergency project to collect funds for blankets which were distributed to children and families in the Andes.

Greenhouse Collaboration-we worked with Walking Tree Peru, a Peruvian non-profit, to facilitate the purchase materials for their project to build a greenhouse in the village of Cacchicata - Ollantaytambo for the villagers to grow their own vegetables. Volunteers came from the US and other countries to help build the greenhouse.

 Chocolatada Holiday Celebration – Volunteers worked to bring hot chocolate, pastries and small gifts to 36 villages and 4000 children in December, a joyous occasion for all involved.  Even though the volunteers had to walk to many of the mountainous villages and carry supplies by mule, seeing the smiles on the faces of the villagers made it all worthwhile.

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2014 - 2015 Projects

In  2014 we were fortunate to receive a grant from the Shapiro Foundation for funding a solar panel for a school and community room and personal solar lighting and cell phone charging kits for 110 families in the village of Pacramayu.  In addition Orchids of Light approved grants for solar lighting kits for 18 estancias in the Patacancha region to enable villagers to stay out in the fields to tend animals and crops.  This grant served approximately 50 families since the estancias are shared.  Orchids also funded a project to install a solar power energy and lighting system at the school in Calca along with 5 computers and software.   Approximate 65 students will benefit from the project.  The Universal Heart Restaurant in Ollantaytambo continued to feed the children.  The Chocolatada Holiday Celebration was also taken to many villages in the vicinity.

In 2015 the Universal Heart Restaurant was moved to the village of Ccorao with great appreciation from the community and the children served.  In addition The Shapiro Foundation and an anonymous donor jointly funded an education and solar panel installation in the village of Marcany.  The project consisted of furnishing the school with computers and software, and installing solar panels in the school for the purpose of charging the computers and cell phones.  The Chocolatada event served 4000 children and many villages.

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2012 - 2013 Projects

Grants Received. In 2012 we were extremely fortunate to receive three grants. The first was from the Shapiro Foundation which funded the Universal Heart Restaurant in Ollantaytambo for six months and allowed needed repairs to be made and new equipment to be purchased. The other two grants funded solar lighting projects in villages of Chupanni Huaca-wasi and Tastayoc. In Tastayoc, the Ellen and Clarence Peterson Foundation provided funding to supply approximately 60 families with solar lighting for their homes. This was a life changing event and furthered the education of the children by providing light for schoolwork after dark, enhanced and improved health and general living conditions, and provided time for income making enterprises after sundown.

The Shapiro Foundation provided a second grant for a solar lighting and heating project in ChupaniHuaca-wasi. The school was lighted with solar panels, and a heating system was constructed to heat the school in winter. Previously due to extreme cold, the children were not able to attend school. In addition a wash house was built with hot showers for boys and girls and a pavilion with basins and warm water was built for washing clothes. The grant also provided solar lights for the families in that village.

In 2013, through our work with the Orchids of Light Foundation, a grant was received for a solar lighting and heating project for another village in the Chupani Huaca-wasi region. Both projects were completed in April 2013.

Path of the Heart has been able to furnish solar lights to some 650 families, including approximately 3,250 individuals. Still, twenty five percent of the population in Peru has no electricity. They virtually live by the sun. They rise at daybreak and go to bed at night when the sun sets. It gets dark in these villages by 6 p.m. so they have a very short day. What light they do have is from candles or kerosene lamps when they can afford to buy kerosene. With the addition of solar lights a family’s lifestyle isimproved immeasurably. The children can study after the sun sets; the parents can continue household responsibilities; income producing endeavors can continue such as weaving, knitting, woodworking, andother crafts. A mother may be able to start her own microbusiness weaving beautiful blankets or garments and increase her self esteem not to mention provide more necessities for her family. The sick can be better monitored and cared for. It is not unusual even today for a woman to give birth in the dark, lighted only by candles. A newborn baby may be saved by someone recognizing a life threatening condition and responding to it because of light revealing that condition.

Flood Response. Floods hit the Andes again in January 2013 and Path of the Heart responded with funds for blankets, food, and shelter.

Universal Heart Restaurant. Throughout 2012 and 2013 operations continued for the Universal Heart Restaurant in Ollantaytambo.

December Chocolatada Event. Every December Path of the Heart raises funds to send hot chocolate, bread, and small gifts to approximately 5,000 children in 25 villages over a four-day period.  The number of villages and children may vary depending on the amount of funds raised and number of volunteers who help with deliveries but the goal is to bring joy to as many as possible.  This is not a religious event simply one with a festive atmosphere often with volunteers dressed in costumes such as Santa or cartoon characters.

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2010 - 2011 Projects

Universal Heart Restaurant. The Restaurant of the Universal Heart is the primary project of Path of the Heart. Hot lunches are served daily during the school week to 80-100 children all year long. Many of these children walk hours from their villages to attend school and without the restaurant this may be the only meal of the day for many.

Although the "Restaurant" is so named, there is no charge. Rather than calling it a soup kitchen, it is named Restaurant of the Universal Heart to preserve the dignity of those eating there. Located inOllantaytambo, the restaurant began in 2003 in a dark, windowless room where children lined up outside in cold weather to wait their turn to receive a meal. After the children finished eating, they walked outside to wash their dish and hand it to the next child in line. The restaurant was initially funded by Path of the Heart and a few concerned residents of Ollantaytambo. The next year, therestaurant moved to another facility, but it was still so small that the children had to line up to wait for meals. The present facility has a large bright dining room with windows and a separate kitchen where nutritious meals with fresh local foods are prepared for the children.

Aid for Flood Victims. The devastating flood of the Sacred River in January 2010 took a toll on residents of the Sacred Valley In early 2010, funds and efforts were directed to pay for emergency needs of flood victims in the Sacred Valley as well as ongoing costs of the restaurant. Path of the Heart provided food for many people in the Sacred Valley who were affected by the floods.   In addition blankets were furnished to those in villages at very high altitudes during the intensely cold winters.

Aid for Villagers of Tastayoc. In addition to many local service projects, Washi also operates a guiding service for visitors to Peru. He takes his visitors into the mountains surrounding his nativeOllantaytambo where they can interact with local people in the villages and see firsthand the hunger and need of those living in the Andes as well as the strengths of local traditions and communities.Visitors on one of Washi’s tours to Peru’s Sacred Valley brought chickens, sandals, school supplies, dental hygiene supplies, hot chocolate and bread to villagers in the high mountain valley of Tastayoc. They worked on completing clay stoves with metal pipes for venting smoke through roofs. Previously, most of the villagers cooked over open fires in unvented, windowless houses.

Chickens for the Village of Willoc. Through the generous donation of Suzanne Stroh to Path of the Heart in memory of the inspirational Mama Santuza, chickens were supplied to the families of the village of Willoc. These families will raise the chickens to be sold to restaurants in Ollantaytambo, bringing income which is greatly needed to improve the families’ standard of living.

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2009 Projects

Village of Tastayoc. Public bathrooms and a shower facility were built for residents in the mountain village of Tastayoc. Water is heated through a solar panel. Path of the Heart raised $5,000 to construct this project.

Path of the Heart funded greenhouse and kitchen in Tastayoc. Plants raised in the greenhouse include vegetables used in the kitchen where children are fed hot meals daily. Path of the Heart provided the water system and supplies for the greenhouse; equipment and supplies for the kitchen; and the salary for the agronomist who directs the selection of plants raised in the greenhouse to optimize healthy vegetables used in the kitchen.

Aid for Victims of Severe Winter. Blankets were provided to villagers in Socma, Pachar, and QeroNation in the high Andes who were suffering from intense cold. Path of the Heart raised over $1,000.

December Chocolatada Children’s Event. In December Path of the Heart raised funds to send hot chocolate, bread, and small gifts to approximately 5,000 children in 25 villages over a four-day period.