Heart-Links Lazos de Corazón is looking for volunteers who are committed to community, social justice and our common global welfare.

Heart-Links works in Canada to develop good global citizens and funds community-led initiatives in northern Peru in the following areas:

• Gender Equality
• Literacy and Education
• Leadership Training
• Sustainable Communities
• Indigenous and Cultural Rights
• Health and Wellness

Fundraising and Engagement Committee

6 positions available

Key Committee Tasks:

• Sharing inspiring updates from our partners in Peru. [4 hours per month]
• Engaging and expanding our community of supporters. [4 hours per month]
• Speaking to interested groups about Heart-Links’ work. [1–2 hours every 3 months]
• Organizing our annual fiesta and fundraiser Share the Love. [1–2 hours bi-weekly from Nov–Feb]
• Planning our Solidarity Trip. [4 hours per month]

What we’re looking for:

• A commitment to social justice and international development
• Experience or interest in any of the following areas: storytelling, special events, public engagement, public speaking, marketing, fundraising, travel planning
• Previous committee experience is not required
• Knowledge of Spanish is an asset, but not required

Peru Projects Committee

2 positions available

Key Committee Tasks:

• Committee meetings are held 6 times per year where we review agreements with partner agencies in Peru, review project proposals and budgets and review reports [~2 hours bi-monthly]
• Preparing for and hosting calls with our Peruvian partners every 2 months. Committee members are paired up and assigned to 2 of our partners. [~2 hours per month]
• Reading and reviewing reports and materials from our Peruvian partners in advance of meetings [1–2 hours per month]

What we’re looking for:

• A commitment to social justice and international development
• Knowledge of, or willingness to learn about, participatory program and project model
• Eagerness to build meaningful, supportive relationships with our partners in Peru
• Previous committee experience is not required
• Knowledge of Spanish is required

By volunteering, you’ll help foster meaningful connections that support impactful community-led projects in northern Peru.

If you’re interested in volunteering, please fill out this form.

Women leaders from Peru’s Zaña Valley had been invited to travel to Ecuador to participate in Tejiendo Saberes (Weaving Knowledge) ; a binational gathering of women leaders from Peru and Ecuador.

They had the invitation. They had the experience and knowledge to share. They were ready to go. They just needed a little help getting there.

So we asked our Heart-Links community to help.

And you did.

From July 24–26, the delegation travelled to Ecuador, where women from across different communities and areas of work came together to exchange experiences, learn from one another and strengthen their leadership.

Now they’re home, and Latidos has shared their report and photos with us.

We couldn’t wait to share a little of what happened with all of you.

So, what happened in Ecuador?

One of the things that struck us most while reading the report was just how much knowledge travelled to Ecuador with these women. This wasn’t a group going somewhere simply to receive training. They had plenty to teach, too.

Among the delegation were women working in community education and the defence of children’s rights; a community health promoter from Culpón; women representing sustainable agriculture and women’s contributions to local economic development; a representative from the Rural Libraries movement; women from Latidos; and a young environmental leader working to protect ecosystems and preserve ancestral knowledge.

Imagine all of that experience in one room and then add the experiences of the women they met in Ecuador. Ultimately, this is what this encuentro was all about. Women sharing what they know with each other. Women learning from one another. Women building relationships across borders and seeing themselve in one another, sharing solutions and information to care for their communities.

The gathering created space to strengthen women’s participation in social, productive and community life, promote equality of opportunity, exchange successful experiences and build new networks of collaboration.

According to Latidos, those three days resulted in more than an exchange between Peru and Ecuador. The women began building a network committed to sharing methodologies, strengthening their skills, creating alliances and working toward real change in their communities.

The really exciting part comes next

The value of this experience doesn’t end with the women who travelled.

They returned home with new knowledge, technical tools, participatory methodologies and new relationships and, importantly, a commitment to share them.

Latidos tells us that the women want to bring what they learned back into their communities and organizations, strengthen networks of cooperation, help form new women leaders and create more opportunities for women to participate and lead.

One sentence from their report captures this beautifully:

“Cada mujer que fortalece su liderazgo abre el camino para muchas más.”

Every woman who strengthens her leadership opens the way for many more.

That’s exactly the kind of ripple effect we hoped this project could create.

We did it and now we’re SO close to doubling the impact

When we first launched this campaign, we had one immediate goal: help make this opportunity possible for these women.

Together, we accomplished that.

The women went to Ecuador. They participated. They learned, shared and built new relationships. And now they’ve returned home ready to carry that experience into their communities.

But when the response to this campaign began growing, we introduced a $3,000 stretch goal with a really simple idea behind it: let’s double the impact.

Approximately half of what we raise supports this special women’s leadership initiative with Asociación Latidos.

The other half allows us to extend that generosity even further and create a second impact through Heart-Links’ work.

And our community has brought us incredibly close.

We’ve raised $2,779.30 of our $3,000 stretch goal.

So at this point, we aren’t asking you to help us send these women to Ecuador.

You already did that. ❤️

We’re asking our community to help us finish what we started and reach the second half of this goal — the part that allows this campaign to have twice the impact.

A thank-you that belongs to all of you

In the report we received after the gathering, Socorro Granda Santa María shared a beautiful reflection thanking Heart-Links – Lazos de Corazón Canada for helping cover the delegation’s expenses and supporting continued opportunities for women to develop the technical and methodological tools they can take back into their communities.

Heart-Links may be the name written in the report, but that thank-you belongs to all of you.

Every donation, every share, every person who told someone else about this campaign helped make this possible.

And we’re going to keep the campaign open until the end of August to see if, together, we can close that final $220.70.

If you’ve been meaning to contribute, now is a wonderful time. And if you’ve already given, sharing this update is another way to help us get there.

We started by asking our community to help a group of women get to Ecuador.

You did.

Now, let’s see if we can take that generosity just a little further.

$220.70 to go. Let’s double the impact. ❤️

Sigamos tejiendo saberes, construyendo oportunidades y multiplicando esperanza.

Let’s keep weaving knowledge, building opportunities and multiplying hope.

This month, we have the opportunity to support something truly special.

Twenty inspiring women leaders from the Zaña Valley in northern Peru have been invited to participate in “Tejiendo Saberes” (Weaving Knowledge); a unique leadership exchange taking place in Ecuador from July 23–27. During this five-day gathering, they will meet with women leaders from Ecuador to share experiences, strengthen leadership skills, exchange ideas, and build lasting partnerships dedicated to improving life in their communities.

These women are already making a difference.

They are community advocates, educators, and leaders who volunteer their time to support families, promote education, and inspire others. This exchange is an opportunity to invest in the people who are already creating change, equipping them with new knowledge, new relationships, and renewed confidence that they will bring back to their communities.

The impact won’t end when they return home.

The ideas shared, friendships formed, and lessons learned will continue to shape community initiatives, support women’s leadership, and strengthen rural development for years to come.

How You Can Help

Heart-Links has committed to supporting this incredible initiative, and we’re inviting you to be part of it.

Our fundraising goal is $1,500 CAD.

Every donation will have double the impact: 50% will support the Latidos Women’s Leadership Exchange in Ecuador, while the other 50% will strengthen Heart-Links’ ongoing community development programs throughout Peru.

The total cost of this exchange is approximately $6,000 CAD, and we’re inspired by the commitment of our partners at Latidos, who have already raised $2,500 soles (approx. $1,000 CAD) through their own local efforts. Now, we’re stepping alongside them with our own contribution to help make this life-changing experience possible for 20 women leaders.

If we surpass our initial goal and reach our $3,000 CAD stretch goal, we’ll continue sharing the funds equally between the leadership exchange and Heart-Links’ broader community development work.

Your gift doesn’t just support one project.

It invests in women, strengthens communities, and builds solidarity across borders.

Whether you give $25, $50, $100, or any amount that’s meaningful to you, you are investing in local leaders who are creating lasting change from within their own communities.

Together, We Can Make This Possible

This is more than a leadership exchange. It’s an opportunity for women to learn from one another across borders, return home with new ideas, and continue building stronger, more resilient communities.

We hope you’ll join us in making this journey possible.

🎯 Campaign Goal: $1,500 CAD

✨ Stretch Goal: $3,000 CAD

Every gift matters.

Every gift creates opportunity.

Every gift helps weave a stronger future.

A Note on Timing

With the exchange taking place July 23–27, we know the departure date is approaching quickly. Heart-Links has already committed to supporting this initiative and will be sending our pledged contribution so the women can participate without delay.

Because of this, donations received after the exchange has taken place will still make a meaningful difference. Funds raised throughout the remainder of the campaign will be used to reimburse our partners at Latidos for eligible expenses they have already covered, helping reduce the financial burden of making this important leadership exchange possible.

Our campaign will remain open until August 31, giving our community the opportunity to continue supporting this initiative while also strengthening Heart-Links’ ongoing community development work throughout Peru.

Thank you for believing in the power of local leadership and the incredible impact that begins when women come together to learn, lead, and lift one another up.

This gathering is an opportunity to come together as a community, celebrate the work accomplished over the past year, and look ahead to the future of our partnerships and projects in Peru and Canada.

AGM Details

Sunday, May 24, 2026
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

📍 Innovation Works
201 King Street
London, Ontario

During the AGM, we will:

• Share updates from our partner organizations in Peru
• Reflect on this year’s projects and community impact
• Celebrate milestones and achievements
• Discuss future goals and initiatives
• Connect with members, supporters, volunteers, and friends of Heart-Links

At Heart-Links, our work is rooted in long-term relationships, grassroots leadership, and solidarity across borders. None of this would be possible without the incredible support of our community here in Canada and our inspiring partners in northern Peru.

Whether you’ve been involved with Heart-Links for years or are simply curious to learn more about our work, we would love to welcome you.

Thank you for being part of the Heart-Links family. We hope to see you there!

With gratitude,
Daniella Quinones
Executive Director
Heart-Links Lazos de Corazón

On March 20, 2026, in the city of Quevedo, Ecuador, one of those moments took place during the Inspirational Women of the Year ceremony, where Peruvian leader Flor Reaño Segura was recognized with the Latin American Women’s Leadership Award. It was a beautiful and well-deserved recognition, but more than that, it felt like a reflection of something much bigger than a single moment or achievement.

Because leadership like this is never about one day or one event, it is built over time through relationships, through showing up even when it’s difficult, and through a deep commitment to community. It lives in the everyday work that often goes unseen, in the spaces where trust is built slowly, and in the decisions that prioritize collective growth over individual recognition.

The ceremony, organized by the Escuela de Formación From Confinement to Empowerment, brought together women and leaders from across Ecuador and Peru, each carrying their own experiences and stories into the space. What stood out most was not just the recognition itself, but the shared understanding that the work behind it is ongoing and deeply rooted in local realities.

Flor’s leadership reflects that in a very real way. Her work has always been grounded in community, focused on creating opportunities for women to not only participate, but to lead in ways that feel meaningful and sustainable. It is the kind of leadership that doesn’t seek visibility, but instead creates it for others, opening doors and building pathways that didn’t exist before.

To see that kind of work recognized at an international level matters, not because of the spotlight, but because of what it affirms. It affirms that the quiet, consistent work happening within communities is valuable. It affirms that leadership shaped by care, by lived experience, and by a commitment to others is something worth honoring.

At Heart-Links, we often speak about walking in solidarity and learning from those who are already leading change within their own contexts, recognizing that they hold the knowledge, the relationships, and the understanding needed to create lasting impact. Moments like this feel closely connected to that way of working, as they highlight the importance of recognizing and uplifting leadership that is already deeply embedded in community.

This recognition is not an endpoint, but part of a much longer story that continues to unfold through the work itself, through the people involved, and through the impact that carries forward into communities. It is a reminder that while moments like these are important, what matters most is everything that comes before and everything that continues after.

We celebrate Flor Reaño Segura not only for this recognition, but for the work that led to it and the work that continues beyond it. Because when women lead with purpose, they create change that reaches far beyond a single moment, shaping communities in ways that last.

Enjoy an evening of community, music, and impact in support of impoverished and vulnerable communities in northern Peru.

When: Thursday, March 12, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM EST

Where: Innovation Works, 201 King Street, London, ON

There will be live music by Los Freakies, refreshments, a cash bar and an amazing silent auction. Here are just of few of the prizes that are waiting for your bids:

• A 1-night stay at London’s Hard Rock Hotel plus 4 two-day passes to either The Factory or the London Children’s Museum. Perfect for out-of-town guests or your own staycation!
• Give a boost to your health and happiness with a 3-month ultimate membership to Goodlife Fitness.
• Looking for a laugh? We’ve got two tickets to Yuk Yuk’s.
• Or enjoy some good theatre (and a good laugh) with tickets to The Importance of Being Ernest at the Grand.
• Here’s a very special family (or friends) treat: a Butter-Churning Picnic for 4 at the Beachville Museum.
• And so much more . . .

We will also share highlights and reflections from our November 2025 visit with our partners in Cajamarca, Chiclayo, and the Zaña Valley for a closer look at the communities and initiatives your support makes possible.

Proceeds from this FREE-ADMISSION event will help strengthen education, community health, and economic opportunities for families and vulnerable populations in Peru. Register HERE.

MANY THANKS TO OUR PLATINUM SPONSOR EAST LONDON ROTARY, OUR GOLD SPONSOR CAMBIA DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, AND OUR SILVER SPONSOR MICHAEL LOEBACH, BARRISTER, FOR MAKING THIS EVENING POSSIBLE. OUR GRATITUDE ALSO TO THE PAUL SEED FUND OF THE LONDON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR PROVIDING THE NIGHT’S MUSIC.

Join us for an evening of community, music, and impact as we come together to support Heart-Links’ partners and projects in Peru.

Enjoy live music by Los Freakies, browse our silent auction, and indulge in sweet treats (alfajoras!) and refreshments (wine, beer, non-alchoholic) while connecting with friends old and new.

During the evening, we will also share highlights and reflections from our November 2025 visit with our partner organizations in the Cajamarca, Chiclayo, and Zaña Valley, giving you a closer look at the communities and initiatives your support makes possible.

When: Thursday, March 12, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM EST

Where: Innovation Works, 201 King Street, London, ON

Proceeds from this FREE-ADMISSION event help strengthen education, community health, and economic opportunities for families and vulnerable populations in Peru. Register HERE.

DO YOU WANT TO HELP SHARE THE LOVE?

There are many ways to get involved.

• Join us on March 12. Register HERE.
• Donate a silent auction prize. If you have an item or service you’d like to donate, contact info@heart-links.org or phone 226-884-2845 to arrange delivery or pick-up.
• Own a business? Consider sponsoring our event. Contact info@heart-links.org or phone 226-884-2845 for more information.
• Invite a friend.
• SPREAD THE WORD!

Celebrate, connect, and help create a more just and compassionate world. Your support makes this work possible — thank you for sharing the love.

Our team visited all three regions where Heart-Links’ partners work: Cajamarca, in the northeastern Andes; the Zaña Valley, in the central coast lowlands; and the Chiclayo Metropolitan Area, also in the central coast lowlands, one hour south from Zaña.

In Cajamarca, we met with the volunteers who run the Rural Libraries Network, a 54-year-old association that supplies books to almost 300 remote libraries across Cajamarca and adjacent provinces. In addition to publishing books, the network promotes literacy and records and preserves traditional knowledge and culture. A principle tool is the Enciclopedia Campesina, a project financed by Heart-Links. We stayed at the Rural Libraries guesthouse in Cajamarca. The building is also the home of the main library, offices and meeting rooms.

Also in Cajamarca is ACIES, a community development organization that works in the impoverished city neighborhood of Quiritimayo. In the Quiritimayo Cultural Centre, ACIES offers an afterschool program that includes educational support, ecological workshops and cleanups, reading circles, writing groups, and art classes. ACIES also works with women, delivering workshops in mental health self-care and artisanal training. ACIES runs similar programs in the rural village of Pomabamba, as well an alternative school for impoverished children and youth, where they also learn about water conservation, gardening, and raising small animals.

In Zaña, we met the members of Latidos. In communities up and down the Zaña Valley, this association runs afterschool programs, breakfast and lunch programs, mental health workshops, entrepreneurial training for women and reforestation and forest protection. Latidos is strongly involved in the local business community, including agrobusiness, and works with them to practice corporate social responsibility, such as hiring locally. We stayed in the lovely Latidos guesthouse.

Our other partner in Zaña is Madre Oliva Association. They run an afterschool program in the rural hamlet of Nuevo Mocupe, where children receive educational support and recreation. The association also delivers food aid, clothing, medication and mental health training and counselling  to approximately 20 vulnerable families.

Finally, we went to the bustling metropolis of Chiclayo, and stayed in a charming modest downtown hotel. We first met with members of Centro Esperanza. This agency runs numerous programs from their Chiclayo office and premises, but the program Heart-Links supports is in Coloche, a rural community in Lambayeque. There, Centro Esperanza has started a women’s farming collective called MUFUM (Women for a Better Future). The women of MUFUM raise and market fast-growing guinea pigs. Centro Esperanza has provided production training, ecological workshops, leadership development and mental health programs. The project is thriving.

Our final visit was with Centro Santa Angela. Founded 41 years ago by the Ursuline Sisters of Chatham, the centre promotes ecological communities in the impoverished urban district of José Leonardo Ortiz, assisting local residents to rescue parkland, develop community spirit, and end harmful ecological practices. In its downtown office, Centro Santa Angela runs programs, also sponsored by Heart-Links, aimed at ending family violence and misogyny, developing community leaders and good citizens, and exercising vigilance against corruption.

It was wonderful to see the positive impact our partners are making in the lives of hundreds of children, youth, women and men in northern Peru. We can say with confidence that your donations to Heart-Links are helping create a more just world.

The Enciclopedia is a series of 20 volumes that gathers stories and knowledge from Indigenous communities of the region. The new volumes will now be distributed to those same communities—almost 400 of them. Through informal gatherings and reading circles, community members use the books to help each other learn to read and write. These exchanges foster self-esteem, revitalize cultural traditions and build community—between young and old and between different communities.

Reconnecting through Libraries

The Rural Libraries Network also supplies more than 20 schools in the region with books from the series. And a new program is reconnecting youth with elders by inviting them to speak at the libraries. These initiatives foster intergenerational exchange so that young Peruvians know more about their land and traditions.

Heart-Links is proud to fund this revised edition of the Enciclopedia Campesina. Your donations are promoting literacy in remote rural communities and bringing young Peruvians knowledge of their roots.

The book is called Voces y expresiones de la quebrada que quiero (Voices and Expressions of the Ravine That I Love), and it is as beautiful as it is urgent. Entirely written and illustrated by children from the communities of Quiritimayo and Pomabamba, this publication captures their reflections, observations, and hopes for the ravine that runs through their neighbourhoods; once a source of beauty and play, now deeply polluted.

Thanks to your support, the book and programs that led to this book, are made possible.

“The literacy was grounded in their own experience,” shared Gordon Price, Co-Chair of our Peru Projects Committee. “The children reflected on how they felt about the creek, did drawings, made their own personal books… Isabel [Gutiérrez, ACIES director] has combined those into a single publication. The book is amazing…it’s powerful, it’s full of the children’s reflections.”

Why the Ravine?

ACIES launched this project, Quiere la Quebrada (“Love the Ravine”), to help children build literacy skills, strengthen their environmental awareness, and reclaim their voice through storytelling. From the outset, the approach was immersive: children participated in guided expeditions to the ravine, took note of what they saw — piles of garbage, smoke, even dead animals — and asked the tough questions:

Why is this happening? How can we change it?

These observations became the seeds for their stories.

“La quebrada, antes clara y radiante, ahora con basura abundante. Su belleza se perdió, sin voz ni sonido que calma. Hoy, su silencio, es un vacío que hiela el alma.”
(The ravine, once clear and radiant, now full of garbage. Its beauty is lost, without voice or sound to soothe. Today, its silence is a void that chills the soul.)

— Voces y expresiones de la quebrada que quiero, ACIES, 2025

Through these stories the children developed critical thinking, creativity, and a sense of agency over the spaces they live in.

Real Change, Real Community

With your generosity, ACIES was able to deliver weekly literacy workshops to over 30 children and adolescents, offer access to a cultural and educational hub at the Quiritimayo Cultural Center, and publish 1,000 copies of this stunning bilingual book. Each family in the participating communities will receive a free copy.

But the impact didn’t stop there. As detailed in the final project report, your support also helped fund:

• Weaving workshops for women and youth, turning traditional skills into both therapy and income.
• A psychological support group, coordinated by a local woman and weaver, fostering emotional wellbeing and intergenerational dialogue.
• Teacher training and international exchange, connecting rural educators across Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico.
• Community authorship, giving local youth like Esgard — once bedridden — the encouragement and tools to write, draw, and re-engage with the world. His mother said:

“A desk and a chair got my Esgard out of bed and smiling every day.”

“The projects that Isabel submits are incredible,” Gordon added. “The reports that she sends are so well drafted. Photographs that accompany them really tell a clear story.”

📚 You’re Invited: Celebrate This Story with Us

We’re excited to invite you, our community of supporters, to join ACIES for the virtual launch of Voces y expresiones de la quebrada que quiero.

📅 Saturday, July 5, 2025
🕘 10:00 a.m. Peru time – 11:00 a.m Ontario time
🌍 Hosted by ACIES — https://meet.google.com/bpj-opay-eht

Come hear directly from those involved in the project, meet the facilitators behind the work, and see how your donations are helping shape a generation of readers, writers, and environmental defenders.

When you give to Heart-Links, you give more than funding. You give the gift of voice. Of creativity. Of transformation.

Thank you and we hope to see you at the launch.

In Solidarity,

Dani