Capital: Sucre
Area: 1,098,581 km²
Population: 8.9 million (July 2006)
Ethnic groups: Quechua and Aymara, mestizos, and people of European ancestry
Official language(s): Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
Religion(s): Catholics
Currency: 1 boliviano = 100 centavos
SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
Hermann Gmeiner, the founder of the SOS Children's Villages, was visiting Bolivia in 1968. He was approached by Consolata Winkler, an Austrian nun, who asked him whether he could take over the "Gota de Leche" orphanage in Cochabamba and turn it into an SOS Children's Village. The orphanage had been built early in the 20th Century by the Hallein teaching nuns in Bolivia's third largest city. Gmeiner was in full agreement so that the reconstruction and new building work was able to commence that same year. Today, SOS Children's Village Cochabamba-Jordán consists of 10 family houses, an SOS Kindergarten, numerous SOS Youth Facilities, as well as an SOS Vocational Training Centre with training for grocery processing.
From 1964 until the early 1980's, the country was affected by frequent military putsches. The result of all this was great poverty and social need. The worst hit were the community's weakest members, the children. Therefore, SOS-Kinderdorf International decided to build more SOS Children's Villages with attached SOS Kindergartens. In 1975, the first SOS Youth Facility in Cochabamba went into operation. Here the youths are able to prepare themselves to be able to stand on their own two feet.
SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools and SOS Vocational Training Centres were built in Bolivia to help counteract the high rate of illiteracy in the country. These facilities are open to both SOS Children's Village children and children and youths from the neighbourhood. The SOS Social Centres, which have been built since 1988, offer working couples and single-mothers day-care facilities and medical assistance for their children. The aim is to help the families improve their standard of living.
A devastating earthquake hit the Department of Cochabamba on 22 May 1998. Countless people lost their homes and needed immediate aid. SOS Children's Villages of Bolivia reacted immediately by setting up an SOS Emergency Relief Programme. Food, clothing, blankets and medical supplies were distributed. Six temporary SOS Social Centres were set up to care for children who had lost their parents and to help families to rebuild their homes.
In 2002, SOS Children’s Villages started to operate Family Strengthening Programmes, which enable children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers.
In February 2008, thousands of people have again been hit by heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides, provoked by La Niña phenomenon, in the province of Beni. Just as it did last year, SOS Children's Villages was setting up temporary relief centres for children which are also used as community centres. Over a period of three months, the children receive regular meals and medical care, and will be taught and be involved in different educational activities at the centres. In parallel, their parents will receive support and advice, and their communities will be encouraged to show solidarity and take on responsibility. Should it be necessary, the centres will remain open for longer than three months.
At present there are nine SOS Children's Villages, SOS Youth Facilities at all nine locations, three SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, five SOS Vocational Training Centres as well as SOS Social Centres at all locations in Bolivia and an Emergency Relief Programme.
Website of SOS Children's Villages Bolivia
(available in Spanish)