Someone on a TripAdvisor forum had posted about Hearts Café. Jon knew I’d make him stop there as soon as he read about it. I’m a sucker for charity, especially one that helps women and children, so I couldn’t possibly say no.

76 Year Old British Woman who lost her heart in the Peruvian Andes
by Chris Olney, The West Australian Newspaper
June 21, 2007

There’s a small cafe in the corner of the plaza at Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, high in the Peruvian Andes, that offers a surprising selection of food.

Besides the best cappuccino in the valley, there’s quarter pounder veggie burgers, lasagna and farmhouse chicken casserole. Not the usual Andean fare.

But the food is not the only surprise at Hearts Cafe.

The driving force at Hearts is Sonia Newhouse, a 76 year old British woman who five years ago decided to cut her ties with the UK and travel to Peru. She arrived in Lima in 2002 with all her possessions packed into two suitcases.

“It was liberating,” she said. “I had no latchkey , no car. I had never been to Peru and I soon realised the first thing I needed to do was learn the language, so I enrolled in a Spanish School.”

Fellow students encouraged her to travel to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas. After 2 years, altitude sickness (Cusco is 3450m above sea level) forced her to move to the Sacred Valley, which is a few hundred metres lower than Cusco. There she became involved with the women living in six villages which make up the community of Huaran.

“I was shocked at how poor they are and how few resources they have,’ Mrs Newhouse said. “I decided I wanted to help them become more self sufficient and independent.”

“I formed a working group and asked them what they needed most”

“Of all the things they need they thought only of their children. They wanted a nursery school. It was very humbling”.

The women told her that a Spanish-language nursery school, or pre-primary, would give their children the chance to learn Spanish before attending Government Schools. They only know the native dialect, Quechua, at home. If the children could not speak Spanish they were at a disadvantage from their first day at school.

A mud hut has been allocated for a nursery school in Canchacancha, one of the six villages, catering for about 40 children. But the school needs a teacher and equipment.

That’s where Hearts Cafe comes in. The money raised by selling meals, tea and coffee will help pay for the nursery school. It’s a big ask. Mrs Newhouse estimates $US20,000 $23,600 a year is needed.

Although she has never run a cafe, Mrs Newhouse is a nutritionist and in the 1980s set up one of the first factories in London producing frozen vegetarian meals. She rented a shop in Ollantaytambo and opened Hearts in March. After seven weeks she had raised 1900 sols (about $480).

“I decided to spend this on much needed medicines for the women,” she said. “Many have serious gynaecological problems. We desperately need volunteer doctors and nurses.”

Mrs Newhouse is training local people to cook and run the cafe, which provides another source of income for families. But she spends every day there to make sure things run smoothly.

Ollantaytambo is en route to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, and as the tourist season gets into full swing there is little doubt the cafe will do a roaring trade.

 We stopped to eat at the café on the way to Aguas Calientes and on the way back to Cusco. Both times the food was great. Our server was super friendly, and he remembered us from our first visit. I only wish I’d been more prepared, and had brought school supplies or clothing with me instead of just a financial donation.

The NGO, Living Heart Association, is not a hand-out organization. They focus on education and self-help in the projects they’re running. So far, the café is responsible for a water purification project, a home for abused women and abandoned children, and medical support for people living in the Sacred Valley area. The café focuses on Educational Support, Nutrition Issues and Family Planning. They provide breakfast and lunch to 400 school children and abandoned elderly Peruvians every day!

Living Heart focuses on sustainable activities like growing vegetables in scholastic gardens. How many schools in North America have an organic garden on school grounds?! (Really, the kids here are fed nuggets and tater tots, or something equally vile, and have no clue how or where real wholesome food comes from.)