Cusco, Peru -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/21/2010 -- Cusco based Tour Operator Escaped to Peru has entered into a new collaboration with Living Heart, a Peru based NGO and charity, to assist them in their efforts to improve the health and welfare of rural women and children in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Living Heart runs various projects around the Sacred Valley near to the famous city of Cusco and the impressive Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. The overall aim of the NGO is to support Andean women and children in the areas of nutrition, health, education, conservation and sustainable development.

Gary Sargent, Managing Director of Escaped to Peru, has chosen to support some of the projects operated by Living Heart. Mr. Sargent explains, “Virtually all of our clients in Peru visit the Sacred Valley to enjoy this spectacular place and its lovely people. Many of the rural communities in the surrounding mountains do not feel the direct benefits of tourist income."

"I felt I should try to help, particularly as we are locally based in Cusco,” He added.

One particular project that Escaped to Peru is supporting is the provision of hot meals to school children. A major problem in rural areas is that children may live a long distance from school and have to walk an hour or more to get there in low temperatures, at high altitude and without a hot breakfast. Without a hot meal they get to school tired and hungry and don’t have the energy to study or play. Living Heart provide a hot breakfast and a lunch, which is cooked at the school, to provide the nourishment the children need to develop physically and mentally.

Rural children are often under-nourished and grow slowly, with a number of health or even mental problems. These children grow into some of the most disadvantaged people in Latin America with very few opportunities to better their lives. The work being done by companies and NGOs is therefore recognized as extremely valuable.

“Having visited a couple of communities above the town of Pisaq last week, I have seen the tangible effects of the project," Mr. Sargent explains. "The children all lined up to have their height and weight measured and I could see from the figures on the clipboard that they had shown good progress in the previous six months."

"They were well fed at lunch time by local women from two huge pots and they were laughing and playing as one would expect of regular children not in classes." He concluded, "I really feel that this project is highly worthwhile and I am proud to help.”

Other social projects that Escaped to Peru will be getting involved in include construction projects following recent flood damage, a sustainable agricultural project, and the provision of educational games for children among others.