On February 27, 2010 I traveled to Bolivia on assignment with the NGO Save the Children.  Working in 120 countries, Save the Children is dedicated to the well being of children worldwide.  The poorest country in Latin America, Bolivia was ranked 117 out of 177 countries in the world in the Human Development Index and is a major priority for Save the Children.  Bolivia's  most extreme poverty is centralized in the high planes especially where the climate is harsher and there are less resources overall.  I came to document the ongoing programs of Save the Children in Bolivia, traveling from the city of La Paz to the rural regions of Oruro, Caracollo and Arampampa.  Already aware of Save the Children's outreach programs, I was eager to document their incredible efforts.  It was only until I began my journey, that I experienced the extraordinary impact they were making.  

A girl wanders through a garden in Arampampa, a remote village in the Andes, where communication is still based in Quechua, the traditional Bolivian language.

A student demonstrates proper hand washing during a class hygiene routine, which includes soap provided by Save the Children. Teaching children the benefits of soap and hand washing might be taken for granted in developed nations but in Bolivia these programs are necessary to protect children from disease.

I believe in the importance of NGOs paying attention to the human element in order to make an effective change. Save the Children's programs in Bolivia are sculpted around the people they are working to help, which is a characteristic many NGOs are lacking.  Leaving behind a foundation for the community to continue their programs even after Save the Children starts their efforts elsewhere, is one signature effort of this far reaching NGO that was founded in 1919.

An instructor in the small village of Caracollo incorporates Save the Children nutrition curriculum while he teaches math.

Students learn the benefits of clean water and vegetables in a class in El Alto, La Paz. A recent nutrition survey demonstrated a 5.6 percent reduction in chronic malnutrition as a result of Save the Children's programs in 200 rural communities in La Paz.

Save the Children aims to increase the enrollment of elementary students, as most people in rural villages can't afford to keep children in school.  Approximately 24 percent of children are unable to enter school at age 6 because they do not have access. This is especially the case in rural villages where they have no choice but to work to help support their struggling families.  To increase the future opportunities of children, Save the Children's programs include lessons in nutrition, health, techniques in water purification and hygeine.  In Caracollo, students are taught how to purify rain water.  Clean water resources are more often than not inaccessible in rural villages.  In Oruro, workshops are held for villagers teaching the importance of neonatal & infant health, and how to identify symptoms of unwell babies.  Bolivia's infant mortality rate is 50 deaths per 1,000 live births. Among children 6 months to 5 years old, 51 percent are malnourished.  In El Alto near La Paz, Save the Children collaborates with women who help build new roads in exchange for food to feed their families. It would be an understatement to say that Save the children' programs are effective, but in fact, they are revolutionary. Save the Children creates strong community in undeveloped countries by giving them the tools to nurture and grow.

A group of women work with Save The Children to build streets in La Paz. The women are given food for their families in trade for their work.

A workshop to educate villagers on neonatal and infant care. On average, of the 255,000 infants born each year in Bolivia, 7,000 die in their first month of life, and another 7,000 do not survive their first year of life.