Access to clean, running water is a fundamental human right, yet many Q’ero communities remain without it. Over the past two years, Heart Walk Foundation has funded two successful water projects in Hapu and Yanaruma, building a sediment filtration system that now supplies running water direct to 43 homes.This pilot water project is so successful that nearby communities are begging for your support to bring running water to their homes.

See how clean running water impacts lives. Watch this short video.

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This Giving Tuesday, you can bring running water to the most remote communities, ensuring a steady flow of water for cooking, farming, hygiene, and daily use. Installing water systems in remote areas will reduce the time families spend fetching water, improve agricultural productivity, enhance public health, and contribute to long-term economic stability.

Sustainable Farming and Food Security

Families that have a water source at home can easily run a hose to water their greenhouses.

The Q’ero people have access to many streams and lagoons, but their homes and farmland lie on hillsides that are geographically challenging. By sourcing this water to every home, you will enable families to irrigate their land and tend to their greenhouses more efficiently, ensuring a more stable food supply.

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A water system would improve irrigation for grass pastures during the dry season, ensuring year round grass for their animals.

Improved Hygiene and Health

Without proper water infrastructure, families have to carry water from nearby streams or communal spigots and store it in buckets where it is shared between humans and animals. Water is easily contaminated, increasing the likelihood of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, and dysentery, which are a significant threat to the health of communities, particularly among children. Providing clean, running water directly to homes will drastically reduce health risks, improve hygiene practices, and save lives. Additionally, the ability to wash hands regularly and access clean water for cooking will significantly improve general health and well-being.

Good Hygiene practices aren’t possible without access to water.

See how this is a hardship, here.

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Without running water, washing is done in nearby ditches or streams.

Time Savings and Empowerment

Women and children often bear the burden of collecting water from distant sorces, sometimes traveling several hours each day over grueling terrain. With water systems installed directly to their homes, children will save hours each week, allowing them to focus more on their education. Women will be empowered to pursue economic opportunities, having more time to weave and raise their animals.

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Lack of access to running water is one of the biggest challenges for Q’ero women when preparing meals.

You Can Give the Most Essential Gift

With your help on Giving Tuesday, we can expand the Running Water Project to the smallest, most remote Q’ero hamlets. With your help, all families in the region can have access to running water at home.

The beneficiaries of the water project in 2025 will be those living in 6 remote sectors–Ccochamarca, Raqchi Bajo, Raqchi Alto, Lekipampa, Qachumoqo, and Inkapata–for a total of 66 families. None of these areas are connected by roads, and all tools and materials must be hiked in from afar.

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Our Goal is to Fund Running Water to Every Home

It’s hard to believe in 2025 that there are people still living without access to running water. Based on budgets from our previous projects, we believe we can expand this project to every single home (66 households) by raising $20,000. That is only $300 per family!

  • $50 supplies water for one beneficiary (based on family of 6)
  • $100 supplies concrete and hardware for 2 washbasins
  • $300 supplies an entire family with water

*While we can’t practically break down the costs of this project to one beneficiary, or one family, we offer breakdowns to show how far your money can go to bring individuals precious water. Join us in giving the Q’ero something that we take for granted everyday, something that will profoundly improve their lives.

giving tuesday

December 3rd is Giving Tuesday. You can give the gift of running water to families living in the most remote sectors of Q’eros by joining us in our Running Water in 2025 Campaign. You can make hygiene and ease of living possible for so many. Everyone deserves to have access to clean running water.

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The Q’ero people Thank You for supporting these projects.