Campo Visit Brings Hope

Living in a nice apartment on the north-side of the city and working at two homes located directly in the center, I can easily forget that this, sadly, is not the reality for majority of the Bolivian people. I have my own room, running water, electricity, a separate bathroom with a toilet and a shower, but for a big percentage of Bolivians, these are all luxuries, and for some, have never and will never be experienced.

But, my visit to the campo today definitely helped me remember how majority of families live in Bolivia. Standing before two families that are extremely impoverished, but definitely filled with love, kindness, and extreme appreciation, I felt embarrassed about how much I take for granted and how much I have been blessed with. Standing there today, I wished I could change the world in one small way--create equality and justice for all. And, give those who have so little a chance to experience the "luxuries" and not have to stress about where the next meal will come from or how new school clothes and books will be payed for--things no one should have to worry about.

Along with the social worker who works quite diligently to protect and to create a brighter future for the children of Ninos con Valor and the families we work with, we set off to visit two families the foundation has been helping. The first family is made up of an elderly grandmother and her 5 grandchildren. After both parents passed away, the grandmother took in the children so they would not have to enter the system, which means potentially being separated. However, because the grandmother is older and very sick, the children have taken on responsibilities that no child should have to deal with, let alone even think about.

The oldest sister met us at one of the homes to ensure we arrived safely, and thank goodness she did! We spent about an hour and a half on multiple trufis heading out of the city. Once we arrived in her "neighborhood" (zona in spanish), we walked for 25 minutes on dirt and rock roads to get to their house. The children and the grandmother were extremely grateful, and very welcoming. Although they possess very little, they have learned what is truly important--family, love, and unity. We talked about how they were all doing in school and joked around.

View from their house-the city isn't even in sight.

The family together-they have so much love for each other.

We took pictures of the kids because we are trying to raise money to help the three oldest enter college, and promote sponsorship of all the children. The oldest sister is finishing her first year at a local university and is studying law. She leaves the house at 6 AM in order to arrive at the university for her 8 AM classes. She works extremely hard in school, and is very responsible. Her two siblings will enter a university next year--the sister wants to study to become a nurse, and the brother wants to become a mechanic. They all realize that receiving an education is the only way to help their siblings and create a future for their family.

The hike the oldest sister takes each day in order to attend her classes.

After a quick lunch break, we were back on a trufi headed out the city to visit another family. This family consists of a mother, a father, and 5 children. The parents got together at a very young age, and had their first child when the mother was 15. Both have very little education, and currently do small jobs to make enough money to squeeze by--the mom sells fruit in the market two days a week, and takes care of a house, and the father is a brick-layer and mason. The father works from early in the morning until late at night, so the mom takes care of the children.

The mother and her 5 children.

All 7 of the family members live in one room with 2 mattresses, a broken TV, and one light. Despite the lack of space and resources, the family is very close and appreciates what they have. They are building a kitchen, but the construction is slow due to the lack of money. But, the mother explained that it is slowly coming together. Once we arrived, they offered us Pepsi. The mother expressed her embarrassment, however, about the old, worn-out cups. We chatted with the mom about her health (She was diagnosed with cancer a few years back and had a surgery to remove the large tumor) and talked to the children about school. We also took pictures of them in hopes of finding sponsors for the 5 siblings.

The one room all live in, and the kitchen that is being built to the right.

Although these moments are tough on the spirit and the belief in hope, justice, and equality, these moments help me realize just how lucky I am. I have been blessed with wonderful, caring parents, a university education, a roof over my head, healhty food, and the chance to travel and experience the world.

My hope for the future is that one day justice will reign, equality will prevail, and those who are without will have what they need.