Colonia Ecologica is our main
project on the outskirts of Cochabamba, the third biggest city
in Bolivia. Kiko
and Carmen, the parents who run it, are Bolivian and have
seventeen children living with them - orphans, children abandoned
by their parents, or former street children. During the afternoon,
up to thirty five more children arrive after school, to be looked
after while their parents are earning money for basic daily needs.
Colonia Ecologica offers prevention,
protection and promotion: preventing more children turning
to street life, protection and safety in a happy family and promotion
of responsibility and moral values.
After having a meal together, the
children work for an hour, doing tasks such as cleaning the
study huts or the toilets, helping in the vegetable garden, washing
up, preparing food and general maintenance, to help them learn
personal responsibility. Next, they do their schoolwork, to improve
their intellectual abilities. The children with most difficulty
are helped by Kiko, Carmen, their family and volunteers from Volunteer
Bolivia and San Simon University. The level of most of the children
is improving thanks to these personal tutors. The children then
read aloud to an adult, through which they can increase their
vocabulary and knowledge. After tea and bread at 5pm, if all homework
is completed, they can play, an integral part of healthy development
for a child.
There is a welcoming and positive atmosphere
at the project - the children are polite, friendly and happy despite
their background, poverty and lack of resources.
We are helping to improve the conditions at
Colonia Ecologica. Our aim is to raise money to replace the shelters
where some of the children still sleep, to complete the orphanage,
and to provide more books and school materials. Charity Bolivia
has helped to raise money to build the orphanage roof and most
of the top floor, but there is still a lot of work to be done
to complete the building.
With your help we can change this, and give them the home they
deserve.
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