By Lydia Hill | Project Leader
Greetings Help Bolivia supporters,
Three months ago we were visiting the children and the project in El Alto. We spent seven days in all with the children, including two days taking them on an overnight trip with their families to Copacabana on beautiful Lake Titicaca. This was an experience the children will never forget, for they do not often get out of the city. We also spent a day shopping for books in La Paz, and delighted in the joy the children expressed when we delivered them to the community centre. The books will provide hundreds of hours of reading for the children, and help them increase their literacy skills. Now that we have begun the fundraising to bring computers to the centre, we are looking forward to the joy on their faces when this project is complete.
The day we arrived back in Canada, March 12th, the world turned upside down. Schools were closed in Bolivia, and remain closed today. The lock down continues in Bolivia, as they try to flatten the curve of this pandemic. Our programs have had to 'pivot', and are now being delivered in creative ways. Our Lunch Program has turned into food being distributed from the centre once a week, which is providing nutrition not only for the children, but now for their parents as well. This is important because most, if not all of the parents are Daily Wagers, and are not able to bring in money while they remain in lock down. Our educators and psychologist have taken their support online, and are communicating with the families via WhatsApp or text messaging. Some of the creative videos they have made for the children are posted on our Facebook page.
Like all other charities, we have had to cancel our fundraising events and try to bring campaigns online. We've had one online silent auction so far, with some of the gorgeous handicrafts we brought from Bolivia. We plan to hold another online auction later this year. Information about these campaigns can be found on our website. In the meantime we are grateful for all the support shown by donors such as yourself. We could not do what we do without your generosity, and we thank you.
Stay safe,
Lydia
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