Feed and educate children in El Alto, Bolivia

December 2024 GlobalGiving update

As the year winds down and we take a moment to reflect on all that has happened both in Bolivia and at home, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the support you have provided to the children and their families in Bolivia. THANK YOU for making a difference!

BAKERY UPDATE

In October the bakery in Villa Ingenio had its official opening and a class of 30 mothers started in the first training program. This past weekend they graduated! Not only did they learn how to bake delicious treats and sweets, but they bonded and formed a tight knit community group. The City of El Alto was delighted to hear about the training program, the first of its kind, and helped out with the graduation ceremonies with official certificates. We are very grateful to our donors, and to Fig Tree Foundation, for making this bakery possible. Together we are baking brighter futures for the families in El Alto! These graduates can now take their newly learned skills to seek employment, or in the case of 2 mothers, to start their entrepreneurship in baking!

In November the baking class held an exhibit near a teleferico (public transportation gondola) station to sell their wares and share information about the training program. This generated a lot of interest, and also some income for the mothers!

Also in November the children from Villa Ingenio had a hand at baking! They researched recipes on the Internet and gathered at the bakery to make empanadas and cookies. This was a wonderful experience for them, as most do not have the equipment at home to bake.

COMING IN 2025….

Exciting Changes: Expanding Our Impact for Children in Bolivia!

At Help Bolivia Foundation, our mission has always been to provide children with the nutritional, educational, and psychological support they need to thrive. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we’re excited to announce the next chapter in our journey: an expanded program that will bring even greater impact to the children and families we serve.

Starting in 2025, we are merging the programs at Tahuantinsuyo Community Centre and Villa Ingenio Centre into a unified initiative run by our trusted partner, Ahiezer. This expanded program will operate in a larger, more accessible space, allowing us to help even more children, five days a week! For two years the children of Villa Ingenio have been attending only a Saturday program. We are thrilled to be able to now provide the full time support they so desperately need. THANK YOU for making this possible!

This change reflects months of careful planning and listening to the needs of the families we serve. The program will continue to support the children currently enrolled and welcome new families in need.

Your support has made this exciting growth possible. Together, we’re building a brighter future for the children of El Alto, Bolivia. Thank you for being part of this journey.

GRAIN OF SAND CAMPAIGN UPDATE         

In May 2024 we launched our Grain of Sand Campaign, a campaign with the idea of ‘many hands make light work’. We are grateful to announce that we have now reached 30% of our goal to obtain 300 monthly donors! If you haven't already, please consider adding your grain of sand by signing up at $10 a month for these kids. Your monthly “grain of sand” provides more than just aid; it fosters hope and opportunity, and provides the stable funding needed to expand our programs in order to reach more children in need. We would be pleased to add your name to our Grain of Sand Campaign page on our website. Sign up as a monthly donor and join the monthly ‘live’ session with the kids! You can see firsthand the children your ongoing support is helping. We did our first ‘live’ session in November, and it was a hit!

As always, we THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. You are helping build brighter futures for these children and we are forever grateful for your support.

We wish you all the best for the season, and for 2025. Thank you for caring!

Links:

• Grain of Sand

Summer is coming to an end in the Northern Hemisphere but that means Spring is on its way in Bolivia!  

Villa Ingenio update

The bakery is almost complete! The grand opening is scheduled for some time in September. We are so excited! This is a wonderful training and employment opportunity for the families in Villa Ingenio. We can’t wait to sample the baking on our next visit to Bolivia. By our next GlobalGiving newsletter it should be open and baking up a storm!

 In July the Asociación Boliviana de Ex Becarios de Corea (Bolivian Association of Korean Former Scholars) donated books and bookshelves to the Villa Ingenio Program. A fun morning was had unpacking the books, setting up the shelves and celebrating the gifts with representatives from ABEBC and KOICA.  The children were delighted to have story books to read. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible!

 Tahuantinsuyo update

This summer, some of the older children had the incredible opportunity to participate in an enriching extracurricular program at a camp in San Lorenzo, nestled in the lush Los Yungas region near La Paz. The camp, which lasted for an entire week, was designed to provide a variety of educational and recreational activities in a picturesque setting.

The camp was not only a chance for fun and exploration but also an opportunity for personal growth and learning. The experience allowed the children to build lasting friendships, gain confidence, and appreciate the beauty of their surroundings. It was a week filled with laughter, discovery, and a deeper connection to the natural world. Thank YOU for making these outings possible!

 Grain of Sand Campaign

As you may know, in September 2022 Help Bolivia Foundation launched Project Ludoteca in Villa Ingenio, a deprived neighborhood of El Alto, Bolivia. This vital initiative provides play therapy and nutritional support to over 40 children aged six to 13 every Saturday afternoon. These children, coming from primarily single-parent and impoverished households, faced significant setbacks when education shifted online in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have learning disabilities, compounding their challenges. 

We aim to transform the Villa Ingenio project into a full-time program, operating Monday to Friday starting in 2025. This expansion will allow us to provide comprehensive educational support, hot nutritious meals, ongoing psychological therapy, and skills training for parents. But this vision can only become a reality with donations from kind and generous people like you.  

 On our 6^th birthday in May we launched our “Grain of Sand” campaign to help grow the program at Villa Ingenio.

 We invite you to Add Your Grain of Sand Today 

If you haven't already, please join us in making a significant and lasting impact on the lives of children in Villa Ingenio by signing up as a monthly donor. Your monthly “grain of sand” provides more than just aid; it fosters hope and opportunity. 

By becoming a monthly donor, you contribute not just to the welfare of a child but to a broader movement advocating for cultural affirmation and empowerment.  Please consider adding your grain of sand by signing up at $10 a month for these kids. Just as ‘many hands make light work’, many grains of sand will help build brighter futures for these kids!

As always, we THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. You are helping build brighter futures for these children and we are forever grateful.

Links:

• More info about Grain of Sand - help us complete the Cholet!