CANADA-BOLIVIA CHILDREN'S SOCIETY

About This Cause

BOLIVIA KIDS works in partnership with children, their families, local leaders and local organizations to tackle the root causes of barriers facing vulnerable children. Together, at Project Sariry, we provide 80 children, aged 3 to 18 years, and their extended families with education, primary health care, a lunch program, and unique opportunities to develop leadership and life skills. Instructors also engage in community outreach and provide educational support to an additional 40 families in their homes, with a special focus on supporting families and children with mild to moderate learning delays. A key activity during the pandemic has been to increase access to quality education by connecting families with portable tablets that offer a variety of educational apps and programs. We also have two psychologists on staff who are the only psychologists in the region. They provide direct support to families and children experiencing trauma, and also support adolescent mental health and early child development initiatives at the centre. Other important initiatives include a mothers' sewing cooperative, adolescent vocational training, outdoor education to promote environmental stewardship, and a scholarship program to support our graduates in attaining post-secondary eduction. Our team of instructors builds capacity in the larger community by providing teacher-training and technical support to surrounding elementary schools, promoting child protection and family violence prevention, and working to challenge beliefs and attitudes that foster gender inequality. Bolivia Kids builds capacity in local grass roots initiatives by supporting their process with strategic planning, project/program design and evaluation. Please see our Instagram account @BoliviaKids for more on information on our projects and impact. Thank-you!