Our Story
On a trip to Peru in 2003, Tim and Penelope Eicher learned that the Hapu Q’ero mountain people were facing starvation. Too much rain had rotted their potato crops – the only food they could grow in their remote villages that lie at elevations above 12,000 feet. Over 400 villagers were forced to eat their emergency supply of seed potatoes, leaving nothing to plant the coming year, and nothing more to eat.
“We can find help! Americans are very generous, and there’s no need for people to starve,” was the Eichers’ instant response.
Since that fateful day, Heart Walk Foundation has become an international humanitarian organization that collaborates with remote Q’ero tribal villages in the high Andes Mountains of Peru.
What We Do
Heart Walk Foundation works with a number of Andean communities on culturally and environmentally appropriate economic development and agricultural projects. Creating unique partnerships by incorporating tribal volunteer labor we tackle the challenges faced by remote indigenous villages. Our projects areas of focus include education, health & dental, food supplies, and sustainable development.
Who We Are
Heart Walk Foundation recognizes that economic empowerment is an effective means to support, dignify, and empower the cultural life of aboriginal peoples. Each year, HWF directors trek to the remote villages to visit the communities they partner with. Assisted by a local Field Supervisor, they review plans, progress, and challenges.