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Meet the
Smiling Heart Team
The Smiling Hearts Team is a group of individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of children. Their work aims to bring joy and happiness to children around the world through wellbeing programs and community projects. Read on to find out more about the team.
MEET THE
FACILITATORS
Vanneza Ruelas
Founder of Psico Art Therapy Studio Psychologist /Art Therapist - Bolivia
Hi my name is Vanneza Ruelas and I am the founder of Psico Art Therapy Studio the team currently working with Smiling Hearts on thr the I AM LOVE PROJECT in Schools throughout La Paz Bolivia. I am a psychologist and art therapist passionate about promoting creativity art and play as a way for children to explore self knowledge, self esteem, communication, and relationships with others, as well as the recognition and management of their emotions. I love creating space dedicated to addressing mental health topics especially in relation to the well-being of children and adolescents. In my spare time I love spending time with my family and my dogs and I am also passionate photography climbing travelling yoga and music.
Valeria Rulelas Vega
Psico Art Therapy Team, Psychologist & Yoga Teacher - Bolivia
Alvaro Manual Sanchez Roa
Psico Art Therapy Team, Sports Coach
Bolivia
Hi my name is Valeria Rulelas Vega and I am part of the Psico Art Therapy Team working with Smiling Hearts onthe I AM LOVE PROJECTin Schools throughout La Paz Bolivia. I am a psychologist and yoga teacher passionate about supporting people especially children connect to their emotions through the body in addition to helping them develop healthy relationships with themselves and their environment through self observation and active listening skills. I feel it is so important for children to learn to take time out to work on their well-being and I love providing them with the skills to achieve this. When I am not teaching yoga I love playing basketball, body movement and adventure activities. I also love spending time with my family and exploring new things.
Hi my name is Alvaro Manual Sanchez Roa and I am part of the Psico Art Therapy Team working with Smiling Hearts I AM LOVE PROJECT in Schools throughout La Paz Bolivia. I am a Football Coach for children who is passionate about supporting children reach their fullest potential through sport and physical activities. I believe sport is a safe place where children can play where children can play with their peers and have a wonderful time learning. I am dedicated to supporting children in - at risk situations have the same opportunity as others and believe sport such football is a great motivator to keep children engaged in the community. In my spare time I love to play football, train at the gym, play piano and be with my two beautiful dogs. I also love music and food.
Helen Lizárraga
Yoga Teacher, Art Therapist, Conscious Cooking Teacher
Hi my name is Helen Lizárraga and I am from La Paz Bolivia. I love supporting children through shared knowledge and experience. I am a professional artist who loves to work with recyclable plastics. I also love to write and illustrate stories for children. I support the Smiling Hearts Project in Peru in a variety of ways, by teaching yoga, art therapy and conscious cooking to children. Outside of my work with Smiling Hearts, I love exploring other creative pursuits such as Sachiko which is a Japanese embroidery technique as well as enriching environments with beautiful flower arrangements.
MEET THE
TEAM BEHIND
THE SCENES
Simon Norton
Founder of Smiling Hearts
Hi my name is Simon After living in the West (mainly New Zealand) for the first 50 years of my life spent 5 of the last 7 years travelling around the world, mainly in 3rd world countries. My inspiration for Smiling Hearts came from seeing how I could share a little of what I had and make a big difference in the lives of people, particularly children. Whether it be the smiling hearts mediation or money to help with a project these activities have brought joy and happiness into children’s lives that have very little. This continues to be my inspiration for Smiling Hearts. You can find more about my journey at www.SimonNorton.nz
Kate Allen
Brand & Marketing​
Hi my name is Kate. After 20 years working in the sports and entertainment industry i now focus my energy on supporting heart centred business bring their purpose to life by taking the essence of their products and service and turning it into something that people around the world can feel and relate too. In addition to this, i run my own Wellbeing Mentoring Business for children in Australia that entwines the guiding principals of nature with movement and creative play to support children build a deeper sense of connection with themselves each other and this precious earth we live upon.
Our wellbeing programs are designed to make an impact on children's lives. We aim to support and empower children through therapeutic initiatives, facilitated by our experienced team on the ground. Our commitment is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes resilience, growth, and happiness in young hearts across the globe.
At Smiling Heart, we believe that every child deserves a happy childhood. That's why we're dedicated to creating community projects that bring joy and hope to children around the world. From building playgrounds to organising educational programs, we're committed to making a positive impact on the lives children everywhere.
Smiling Hearts is dedicated to helping provide communities around the world with high-quality therapeutic and educational resources for children to learn and grow in a fun and effective way. From preschool to high school, we endeavour to provide a wide range of materials that support the wellbeing and educational needs of children.