Feed and educate children in El Alto, Bolivia

Happy Spring! May Update:

In late February wifi was finally installed at the Tahuantinsuyo community centre, after a delay of two months due to the high demand in Bolivia. School is all online for urban students for 2021, and everyone was left scrambling for wifi and devices to access education. The children began coming in to the centre for classes in March, using the tablets we had purchased in 2020. Rosalia, our cook, began to cook meals for the families to come pick up and take home.

In April we began building the computer lab, with the purchase of 4 used desktops. The desktops allow the children to research, write, and print reports and assignments. We also purchased a copier/printer so that our educators can make photocopies of the printed curriculum being sold by the schools. Many of our families could not afford to buy all the sets needed for their children, so the solution was to make the copies ourselves.

Given the need in the community, we expanded our programs in February and added 6 children from 4 families that were on the waiting list. We now support 64 children from 38 families, and we hope to help even more as our donor base grows. The economic crisis caused by the pandemic has no end in sight, and Bolivia is now starting their third wave. They need our help more than ever.

In March the children received oral hygiene supplies from U.S. based The World Smiles Mission. They had contacted us over the holidays wanting to help our kids, and we couldn’t have been more thrilled. Each family member received a toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, and the children received colouring books and crayons. The colouring books, which contain information about the importance of oral hygiene, were a big hit!

Also in March the first of our graduated students began university, thanks to a sponsorship through Helping Hands – La Paz. We partnered with Helping Hands last March, when we met with the founder in La Paz. This is a huge step forward for our programs, as now all the children know that post secondary education is a very real possibility for each of them. Education is the way out of the cycle of poverty, and we couldn’t be more pleased with this big step forward.

As always, we are grateful and humbled by the supporters of our work, and we cannot thank you enough. We are making real, positive change in the lives of these children and their families, and we could not do this without you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Links:

• Short video about online learning at the Centre!

Happy New Year!  January Update:

As you may know, due to the pandemic, our programs have had to pivot. Our Lunch program for the children became a monthly food distribution, which has become critical for the families, most of whom have been out of work since March. Our education and psychological support programs have pivoted online where possible, and to visits by our educators and psychologist to those families without online access. Everyone is waiting for the pandemic to end, so that our programs can resume at the Centre. However, the situation continues to be dire in Bolivia, with the second wave expected in February/March, when the new school year begins.

The Bolivian government has decided that the 2021 school year will be a hybrid of online learning and part time in class learning. Typically our programs begin in March to align, but this year we will continue the monthly food distribution in January and February, as the food support is too critical for the children’s health to stop over their summer holidays. Thank you for helping us make this possible.

  In October the children were able to get together for an outing, where they saw their friends for the first time in many months. Their day of adventure was a highlight of 2020!

 On December 13^th a year end Christmas party was held at the Centre (outdoors for safety), where gifts were given to the children, and a great time was had by all. Thank you to those of you who contributed for the gift fund!

 There are 34 families registered in our programs. 20 tablets have been purchased and distributed to 20 families so far, so that the children can access school and school assignments, download educational videos, research tasks, and the mothers use it for meetings with the team from the Community Centre. Training sessions were held at the Centre for parents to learn how to use the tablets. To assist our educators, internet is being installed at the Tahuantinsuyo Community Centre. The families continue to access internet with prepaid data cards. We continue to fundraise for the remaining 14, and as of this writing, have raised enough for 9 more! We hope to purchase the rest of the 14 tablets prior to the beginning of school in March. Thank you to everyone who helped get the kids online!

We are grateful for, and humbled by, our donors who have allowed this support for the children and their families be possible. Together we are making a difference in their lives, and for that we thank you so very, very much. Stay safe, stay healthy!