My Nonprofit Reviews

As a current social work and development intern, I have had and continue to have opportunities to interface with the girls - Peruvian Hearts beneficiaries - first-hand on a daily basis. I hold a Masters in Social Work, but wear many hats in my role here. I run groups with them, meet with a hand full of them on an individual basis, assist in their English class, am an in-apartment Chinese teacher, and occasionally hang out with them in their home towns. The growth, strength, determination, passion, thirst for knowledge, and quirkiness of each girl are telling and inspiring. They are the face and driving force of the organization. These girls are not victims, but persons who have overcome significant challenges to not just survive, but to thrive. And Peruvian Hearts has, in their own words, played a significant role in altering the trajectories of their lives.

With a professional background as well in program development, I've had the pleasure of working closely with Peruvian Hearts' staff, both in Peru and in Colorado, in the strategic planning of the organization's expansion. I am particularly impressed by their humility, accessibility, and open-mindedness. I've continuously sensed the sincerity they have for benefiting the girls in the program. Furthermore, an element to empowerment work that I personally find necessary is advocacy on a larger scale. As the organization takes steps to expand, this is precisely the piece that they intend to incorporate in their work - to be a part of a larger social movement that will positively change the status and roles of women and girls in Peruvian society.