Help Bolivian Youth Access Higher Education

GISELA 

Gisela is a former Helping Hands student and now a dentist.  She graduated in 2015 and now has two offices, in La Paz and in El Alto. Gisela did more specialty training in Orthodontics and Periodontology in Brazil and Pharmacology in Peru. She continues to do further study in Dental Implants at a local university while she works at her offices with her husband who is also a dentist.  Gisela attends to Helping Hands students in her offices and has given several talks to our students about dental care and hygiene.  Congratulations Gisela and thanks for giving back!!!

ANEL

 We are pleased to introduce you to Anel from the Universidad Central, who has just defended her degree project in Physiotherapy and Kinesiology with a score of 85%. Her project was about the aftercare needed for children recovering from club foot corrective procedures. Congratulations Anel!!

CLAUDI

In the month of June, Claudia, a former Helping Hands volunteer from 2012, visited the office and filled us in on her working experience at the German Embassy in Washington, DC.  So exciting to see her again and hear of her adventures. Congratulations to you, too, Claudia!!  

OUR STUDENTS VOLUNTEER

Helping Hands promotes volunteer service among our students and encourages them to be creative in their choice of service.   Their written reports about this volunteer experience are very positive and they look forward to volunteering again in September.   Some students served hot drinks and food to the homeless while others visited the elderly at nursing homes.  Some groups of students cleaned up their streets or parks and others fed abandoned street dogs. One of our boys, Alfredo, is very involved in giving classes to school children about caring for the environment.

OUR STUDENTS WORK

Most of our students work at a part time job, just on the weekends or over the vacation, to help pay for their personal expenses, food or  rent.  Helping Hands helps to cover their educational expenses, but they must take care of many other living expenses on their way to becoming independent. In the month of June our students sent us pictures of themselves at work.  We admire their tenacity and determination to improve their lives.

FOOD BASKETS

24 of our most needy students and their families benefit from our supplementary food baskets each month in order to improve their nutrition.  We stress high protein, mineral and vitamin foods such as powdered milk, quinoa, oats, lentils, peanuts, api (maize flour), iodized salt, oil, and eggs, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits such as swiss chard, carrots, turnips, beets, oranges and bananas. 

APRIL

In April, we had the first face-to-face workshop of the year, “Good Periodontal Health”.  Dr. Gisela spoke to our elementary and high school students about the importance of good dental health, and we were all happy to be back together in person.  Everyone received a new toothbrush and presents for the birthday boys and girls.

MAY

Our May workshop, "Social Media Security", was given by Roger, a systems expert.  Our elementary and high school students learned of the dangers of social media and how to keep safe.  They learned about the danger signs, the filters, the different risks they may be exposed to, and how to react to them.  Because it was May, we also celebrated Mother’s Day which is May 27^th in Bolivia!! 

JUNE

In June, we had a special meeting at the Helping Hands office with our 32 new students.  After two years of virtual meetings it was wonderful to meet face to face.  We began with two activities to break the ice, and then reviewed the rules and regulations of Helping Hands.  We are trying to bring our students together again as much as possible.  They are all at different levels of advancement and in different careers, so there are many opportunities for collaboration and learning. 

Helping Hands functions, thanks so very much to the collaboration of our friends and donors.  At any time, donations can be made to either of these two links. 

WE INVITE YOU TO WATCH OUR LATEST VIDEO ABOUT OUR STUDENT LUCY WHO LIVES IN THE ALTIPLANO.

Froilan and Milta were Helping Hands students who graduated in Agronomy in 2018 at the Catholic University. They began working together giving technical assistance in apiculture in the sub-tropical village of Coroico. They now have their own enterprise VIDA BEES "Agro Apícola" in Coroico where they sell beekeeping supplies, live honey bees, hive kits, beekeeping suits, beekeeping tools and more. 

We invite you to visit their 

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/VidaBees

           OR BUY THEIR PRODUCTS WHEN YOU ARE IN COROICO!

Now that the pandemic is about over, last year is history and today begins a new chapter for changing lives. We can do it with your support!

This month there is a great chance to partner with Helping Hands to bring education to more Bolivian youth like Froilan and Milta. GlobalGiving is beginning the year with a special matching campaign called “Little by Little” whereby GlobalGiving will match by 50% all donations up to $50 from April 4 to April 8. This is a great chance to make your donation grow. To donate, please click on the button below.

Our special thanks to the Fundacion San Luis for their support for school materials for our 120 students. With their help, our students have supplies, school uniforms, sports outfits, shoes and much more. 

And many thanks to Vania and Eduardo for the wonderful donation of books.We are making sure these books go out to all of our students who are at the elementary, middle and high school levels. We know it’s very important that our students have access to reading materials so they can strengthen their reading skills.

And a special thanks to Andrea and the American Cooperative School for donating backpacks, folders, colored pencils and other school materials. In Bolivia, students must buy their own classroom materials and books throughout the year. Our students’ families cannot afford this expense, so Helping Hands provides our students with their basic educational needs. Our students have just begun the school year, so these donations came at the right time. We proceeded to distribute the materials to our girls and boys, and they are so very grateful and happy to have them for their studies as you can see by their smiles!!

Finally we have finished the lengthy process of interviewing new students for their acceptance into Helping Hands, and of readmitting last year’s students. This year we will be working with 120 students of which 26 are new. Our volunteer counselors and our team welcome the new students with affection and enthusiasm, this time with in-person interviews to be in touch with each student’s academic and personal progress. We are moved by the strong desire of our students to earn a good education and break the cycle of poverty in which they have lived most of their lives.

 In March, we held our first workshop, an informative one, for our high school and post-secondary students. Our staff explained to the students how everything works in the project. They learned about the monthly requirements, the dates for our monthly workshops and learned about the bonuses that Helping Hands gives for good grades. 

We are all set to GOOOOO!

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” 

Harriet Tubman

Reyna Vanessa is one of five Helping Hands students sponsored by the organization PANTHERA EDGE. Reyna has had to work from age 10 to keep herself in school. She has received support from Helping Hands and Panthera Edge for her post-secondary studies and graduates in May as a Public Accountant. Here in the photograph she is receiving a certificate and special letter from Panthera Edge for the conclusion of her studies. CongratulationsReyna Vanessa on making your dreams come true!!!!!