Sonia Newhouse – the founder and president of Living Heart Peru has led a small team in the initial years using her experiences in nutrition, organic gardening and business to create an innovative and successful NGO through collaboration, integrity and passion. Her previous experience in recognising where there was a human need, researching, initiating and developing businesses has given her the required skills to set up a successful cafe and NGO. This, linked with her tenacity to make any project she starts a success is the reason Living Heart is recognised, across this area of Peru and growing worldwide, as an NGO with a difference. Before moving to Peru Sonia, as a single mother, set up 3 new businesses over a 20 year period (1966-86), the last of which was groundbreaking. Set up in 1982 – her revolutionary very successful factory -VEGETARIAN FEASTS made frozen ready- made vegetarian meals for the masses, from completely natural ingredients. Creating new flavoursome recipes and techniques to produce these meals in large quantities has proved fundamental in the Living Heart Nutrition Programme. Employing and training 35 team members has also given Sonia the necessary skills to run a successful cafe and NGO.

Combining her strong head for business, entrepreneurship and compassion Sonia has succeeded in making Living Heart an NGO with a difference feeding large numbers without losing the nutritional value of the locally grown food – the foundation of Living Heart’s Nutrition, Health and Education Programme.