Bolivia
Stories from change-makers in Bolivia
Helida has had to say goodbye to many friends.
In rural Bolivia, job opportunities are extremely limited. So many young people are forced to move to cities in hopes of finding better work.
When Plan International started an economic empowerment project in her community, Hélida’s father encouraged her to join, because he didn’t want to her to have to leave home.
Hélida decided to start a livestock business. After training with Plan, she now manages her own chicken farm. The eggs that she collects are sold in local markets.
“I started with 30 chickens, and now I have 100!” says Hélida.
Hélida has even bigger plans for the future. “I would like to become an agricultural engineer. I want to grow. I want to establish a dairy farm with cows.”
Help more families with livestock gifts
When Plan International started an economic empowerment project in her community, Hélida’s father encouraged her to join, because he didn’t want to her to have to leave home.
Hélida decided to start a livestock business. After training with Plan, she now manages her own chicken farm. The eggs that she collects are sold in local markets.
“I started with 30 chickens, and now I have 100!” says Hélida.
Hélida has even bigger plans for the future. “I would like to become an agricultural engineer. I want to grow. I want to establish a dairy farm with cows.”
Estéfani was born with a dislocated hip.
When she started walking, her mother realized something was wrong. They brought her to a health center, but then learned the corrective surgery would cost thousands of dollars. That wasn’t an option for them.
As time passed, Estéfani grew weaker and her hips caused her pain. And her future was in jeopardy. In Bolivia, people with disabilities often face discrimination and isolation.
Luckily, Estéfani became a sponsored child. Plan International learned about her condition and was able to find her a surgeon and cover the costs of surgery.
"I want to thank you all for the support you have given me and my little daughter,” her mother says. “When she was operated on, at first I was very scared, but now I’m happy that everything is going well.”
Learn more about sponsorship
As time passed, Estéfani grew weaker and her hips caused her pain. And her future was in jeopardy. In Bolivia, people with disabilities often face discrimination and isolation.
Luckily, Estéfani became a sponsored child. Plan International learned about her condition and was able to find her a surgeon and cover the costs of surgery.
"I want to thank you all for the support you have given me and my little daughter,” her mother says. “When she was operated on, at first I was very scared, but now I’m happy that everything is going well.”
Plan International has been working to improve children’s lives in Bolivia since 1978.
Our work in Bolivia
Offices & operations
Plan International Bolivia’s country office is in La Paz, with programs in Chiquitania, Rio Seco, Santa Cruz, Sucre, Tarija and Villa Adela
Technical areas
Early childhood development, education, youth leadership, health, protection, economic empowerment
Number of sponsored children
As of June 2022, people like you sponsor 34,995 children in Bolivia through Plan International.
Gender equality is a fight we must all take on together. Through sponsorship, you can change lives and create long-term impact in communities.
The full circle of Fate
When you sponsor a child through Plan, you form an incredible friendship.
But that’s just the beginning. With Plan, you also have the unique opportunity to:
Send them birthday gifts and cards.
Give them special holiday presents called Little Treasures.
Subscribe them to Plan’s educational kids’ magazine, Sunny Days.
Arrange a visit (pending any travel restrictions), with individual travel assistance from us.
Each gift offering is safely hand-delivered by us, and given to your child with personalized cards from you. It’s likely that the child you sponsor will have never seen anything like these gifts, and with the exception of Little Treasures they’re available year-round to make the bond between you and your sponsored child even stronger.
Meet a child to sponsor