Feed and educate children in El Alto, Bolivia

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your continued support of the children and families served through Help Bolivia Foundation’s Juk’at Juk’ata Centre (JJC) in El Alto, Bolivia.

During the first half of 2026, your generosity helped provide nutritious meals, educational support, and a safe place for children to learn and grow in one of Bolivia’s most vulnerable communities.

This year has been especially meaningful for HBF. In January, I travelled to Bolivia and spent four months living in El Alto. My wife and HBF co-founder Lydia and HBF Director Kristy joined me in April.  We had the opportunity to work alongside our local partners, visit families, share meals with the children, and witness firsthand the impact that your support is making.

Today, approximately 60 children attend the JJC where they receive nutritious lunches, educational support, and a safe place to belong  every school day. In the community of Senkata, another 24 children receive a healthy meal and educational support at Casa Kusisiña. Demand for both programs continues to grow, and we now have a waiting list of families seeking support.

 One exciting development this year was the introduction of a RACHEL offline learning server. This technology provides access to a large library of educational resources without requiring high bandwidth internet access. For many of the children we serve, reliable internet remains out of reach, making this an important tool for learning and exploration.

Unfortunately, recent months have also brought significant challenges. Bolivia has experienced widespread political unrest, road blockades, transportation disruptions, and food shortages. Prices for essential foods have increased dramatically, placing additional strain on families already living in poverty.

 Despite these difficulties, our local team has continued to serve children every day. Educators adapted when schools shifted to remote learning due to blockades and unrest on the streets, helping children stay engaged with their studies. Staff worked tirelessly to source food as supplies became scarce and prices climbed.

Donors like you are ensuring that the children continue to receive meals and educational support when many families are struggling to meet basic needs.

Why This Work Matters

Throughout these challenges, the children have continued to inspire us. Their resilience, curiosity, and determination remind us why this work matters.

This year, I had the opportunity to reconnect with several young people I first met almost ten years ago. They all attended programs supported by GlobalGiving donors when they were younger.

Today, they are no longer children.

Erlin is training in automotive mechanics. His mother works in construction whenever she can find employment, often hauling bricks and heavy materials. Arthritis is making that work increasingly difficult.

Noelia is studying Education at the University of El Alto (UPEA). Her mother supports the family by hand-making rugs and selling them to tourists on the streets of La Paz.

Wara is studying Adventure Tourism at the Catholic University in La Paz. Her mother earns a living cleaning homes.

For many young people in El Alto, economic pressures make it difficult to remain in school and pursue higher education. Many drop out. Some return to rural communities to work the lands because opportunities are limited. Others join their parents selling goods on the streets simply to help their families survive.

These young adults remind us that the meals, educational support, encouragement, and safe places to belong that donors provide are not ends in themselves.

A hot lunch may seem like a small thing. Homework support may seem ordinary. But over time, these consistent acts of care create possibility.

They help young people stay in school, pursue further education, and imagine futures that once seemed beyond reach.

They change stories—not only for the students themselves, but for their families and, ultimately, for the next generation.

Your support through GlobalGiving has helped ensure that children continue to receive nutritious meals, educational support, and a safe place to belong, even during uncertain times.

On behalf of the children, families, educators, and volunteers of Help Bolivia Foundation, thank you for standing with us.

Together, we are helping children break the cycle of poverty through education, nutrition, and opportunity—one child, one family, and one future at a time. The stories of Erlin, Noelia, and Wara are reminders that the impact of your support extend far beyond a single meal or school year.