Help Bolivian Youth Access Higher Education

EFRAIN AND SILVIA

Efrain finished his veterinary studies with Helping Hands a few years ago and now has his own clinic. Silvia just finished her studies in Veterinary Medicine last semester and is doing an internship with Efrain until the end of this year. Both studied at the Loyola University. A big thanks to Efrain for giving this opportunity to his fellow Helping Hands student and CONGRATULATIONS to Silvia upon completion of her studies.

Christmas is just around the corner and we have already raised $596 of our goal of $900 for Christmas bread, powered milk, cocoa, and cookies for all of our students, and gifts for the 13 year olds and under. We only need $304 to go!!!!!

FREDDY AND GREIS

A special thanks to Freddy, a former student of Helping Hands. He and his wife paid us a visit and made a donation of 120 kg of Noodles, 300 eggs and 22 cans of meat in favor of our 24 most needy families who monthly receive supplementary food baskets from Helping Hands. Freddy runs his own business selling cellphones. 

LUZ MARINA

We are pleased to be able to introduce Luz Marina, who graduated in Nursing from the Señor de Mayo Institute in a technical programme. Despite all the difficulties she had, Luz achieved her goals and plans to continue studying at the bachelor's level.

LIZETH

Lizeth just graduated in Public Accounting at the UNICEN. Now, one of her goals is to work in a government institution.

REYNA

Reyna has just graduated in Public Accounting from UNICEN. She is an entrepreneur with many goals ahead. Like many other students, she was able to get ahead despite many difficulties. She is currently working at the School of Architects and also runs her own sewing business.

OUR STUDENTS VOLUNTEER, TOO

Although Andres initially admitted to being afraid of needles, he made up his mind to donate blood. This is his advice, “Most people should donate blood, as others may need it, too. Someone made me understand that life is short, and maybe that donation we make one day can help others or even ourselves.”

Mariel vaccinated pets in La Paz city. This is what she said, “It was a very pleasant experience, although the animals were a bit tense. At the end it was very satisfying to have contributed to the health and well-being of both the pets and their owners.”

Jhovani tutored an elementary student by helping her with reading and writing. Here is his experience, “I felt very happy to have taught the girl Mayra to read and write. Her mother was very grateful and happy that her daughter is now ready for her classes and will be able to take her reading and dictation exam.”

JULY

In the month of July, we had a workshop "Periodontal Health” held by our former student, Dr. Gisela. This workshop was aimed at our post-secondary students. Gisela highlighted the importance of dental health in our lives, explaining about some diseases due to lack of dental hygiene and their treatments.

AUGUST

Due to the pandemic our students were not able to socialize in person for some time and we decided to get to know each other better with a fun workshop in the month of August. We enjoyed some recreational activities and games with our elementary and high school students and much fun was had by all. The students even provided us with a talent show of singing and dancing. At the end of the workshop, we rewarded 19 of our 37 elementary and high school students with bonuses for their very good grades. CONGRATULATIONS, jovenes!!!

SEPTEMBER

In September, Don Pedro, a writer and the owner of a bookstore, gave us the workshop "The Point of No Return". In addition to being a day of outdoor fun for our students, it was a day of reflection on global warming and its consequences, in order to create habits of change for a better world.

GISELA 

Gisela is a former Helping Hands student and now a dentist.  She graduated in 2015 and now has two offices, in La Paz and in El Alto. Gisela did more specialty training in Orthodontics and Periodontology in Brazil and Pharmacology in Peru. She continues to do further study in Dental Implants at a local university while she works at her offices with her husband who is also a dentist.  Gisela attends to Helping Hands students in her offices and has given several talks to our students about dental care and hygiene.  Congratulations Gisela and thanks for giving back!!!

ANEL

 We are pleased to introduce you to Anel from the Universidad Central, who has just defended her degree project in Physiotherapy and Kinesiology with a score of 85%. Her project was about the aftercare needed for children recovering from club foot corrective procedures. Congratulations Anel!!

CLAUDI

In the month of June, Claudia, a former Helping Hands volunteer from 2012, visited the office and filled us in on her working experience at the German Embassy in Washington, DC.  So exciting to see her again and hear of her adventures. Congratulations to you, too, Claudia!!  

OUR STUDENTS VOLUNTEER

Helping Hands promotes volunteer service among our students and encourages them to be creative in their choice of service.   Their written reports about this volunteer experience are very positive and they look forward to volunteering again in September.   Some students served hot drinks and food to the homeless while others visited the elderly at nursing homes.  Some groups of students cleaned up their streets or parks and others fed abandoned street dogs. One of our boys, Alfredo, is very involved in giving classes to school children about caring for the environment.

OUR STUDENTS WORK

Most of our students work at a part time job, just on the weekends or over the vacation, to help pay for their personal expenses, food or  rent.  Helping Hands helps to cover their educational expenses, but they must take care of many other living expenses on their way to becoming independent. In the month of June our students sent us pictures of themselves at work.  We admire their tenacity and determination to improve their lives.

FOOD BASKETS

24 of our most needy students and their families benefit from our supplementary food baskets each month in order to improve their nutrition.  We stress high protein, mineral and vitamin foods such as powdered milk, quinoa, oats, lentils, peanuts, api (maize flour), iodized salt, oil, and eggs, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits such as swiss chard, carrots, turnips, beets, oranges and bananas. 

APRIL

In April, we had the first face-to-face workshop of the year, “Good Periodontal Health”.  Dr. Gisela spoke to our elementary and high school students about the importance of good dental health, and we were all happy to be back together in person.  Everyone received a new toothbrush and presents for the birthday boys and girls.

MAY

Our May workshop, "Social Media Security", was given by Roger, a systems expert.  Our elementary and high school students learned of the dangers of social media and how to keep safe.  They learned about the danger signs, the filters, the different risks they may be exposed to, and how to react to them.  Because it was May, we also celebrated Mother’s Day which is May 27^th in Bolivia!! 

JUNE

In June, we had a special meeting at the Helping Hands office with our 32 new students.  After two years of virtual meetings it was wonderful to meet face to face.  We began with two activities to break the ice, and then reviewed the rules and regulations of Helping Hands.  We are trying to bring our students together again as much as possible.  They are all at different levels of advancement and in different careers, so there are many opportunities for collaboration and learning. 

Helping Hands functions, thanks so very much to the collaboration of our friends and donors.  At any time, donations can be made to either of these two links. 

WE INVITE YOU TO WATCH OUR LATEST VIDEO ABOUT OUR STUDENT LUCY WHO LIVES IN THE ALTIPLANO.

Froilan and Milta were Helping Hands students who graduated in Agronomy in 2018 at the Catholic University. They began working together giving technical assistance in apiculture in the sub-tropical village of Coroico. They now have their own enterprise VIDA BEES "Agro Apícola" in Coroico where they sell beekeeping supplies, live honey bees, hive kits, beekeeping suits, beekeeping tools and more. 

We invite you to visit their 

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/VidaBees

           OR BUY THEIR PRODUCTS WHEN YOU ARE IN COROICO!

Now that the pandemic is about over, last year is history and today begins a new chapter for changing lives. We can do it with your support!

This month there is a great chance to partner with Helping Hands to bring education to more Bolivian youth like Froilan and Milta. GlobalGiving is beginning the year with a special matching campaign called “Little by Little” whereby GlobalGiving will match by 50% all donations up to $50 from April 4 to April 8. This is a great chance to make your donation grow. To donate, please click on the button below.

Our special thanks to the Fundacion San Luis for their support for school materials for our 120 students. With their help, our students have supplies, school uniforms, sports outfits, shoes and much more. 

And many thanks to Vania and Eduardo for the wonderful donation of books.We are making sure these books go out to all of our students who are at the elementary, middle and high school levels. We know it’s very important that our students have access to reading materials so they can strengthen their reading skills.

And a special thanks to Andrea and the American Cooperative School for donating backpacks, folders, colored pencils and other school materials. In Bolivia, students must buy their own classroom materials and books throughout the year. Our students’ families cannot afford this expense, so Helping Hands provides our students with their basic educational needs. Our students have just begun the school year, so these donations came at the right time. We proceeded to distribute the materials to our girls and boys, and they are so very grateful and happy to have them for their studies as you can see by their smiles!!

Finally we have finished the lengthy process of interviewing new students for their acceptance into Helping Hands, and of readmitting last year’s students. This year we will be working with 120 students of which 26 are new. Our volunteer counselors and our team welcome the new students with affection and enthusiasm, this time with in-person interviews to be in touch with each student’s academic and personal progress. We are moved by the strong desire of our students to earn a good education and break the cycle of poverty in which they have lived most of their lives.

 In March, we held our first workshop, an informative one, for our high school and post-secondary students. Our staff explained to the students how everything works in the project. They learned about the monthly requirements, the dates for our monthly workshops and learned about the bonuses that Helping Hands gives for good grades. 

We are all set to GOOOOO!

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” 

Harriet Tubman

Reyna Vanessa is one of five Helping Hands students sponsored by the organization PANTHERA EDGE. Reyna has had to work from age 10 to keep herself in school. She has received support from Helping Hands and Panthera Edge for her post-secondary studies and graduates in May as a Public Accountant. Here in the photograph she is receiving a certificate and special letter from Panthera Edge for the conclusion of her studies. CongratulationsReyna Vanessa on making your dreams come true!!!!!

Of the 117 students supported in 2021, 46 were in elementary and high school, 27 were in technical careers and 44 in university. Some of our university and technical students, with empathy and solidarity, provided extra help in the way of online support and in person extra classes for our elementary and high school students who were experiencing difficulty due to online education. 

In 2021, our students, conscious of the fact that they receive support from many sponsors and organizations, did their best to complete their studies. 59 of our students received bonuses for their good grades, and this was always helpful for covering extra expenses, particularly during the pandemic. 

45 students were also supported with cellphones, laptops and internet acces so they could attend their clasess online. Another 13 students borrowed books books from our library. 

According to our students’ requirements, they were provided with school materials and equipment for their higher education. 24 students needed support in 2021 for short term courses and travel expenses for class trips. Many university programmes required extra English and in 2021 Helping Hands supported 12 of our students with complementary English classes through an agreement we have with the FIRST CLASS Institute which gives Helping Hands a 50% discount. 

In order to protect our students’ health, 66 young people had a dental check-up, 55 received dental treatments, 16 received health care and 5 received psychological support. 

In coordination with parents and teachers, our Social Worker and our Counselors monitor our students’ progress. This is very important for the students to feel accompanied, advised and supported in their activities. In 2021 the Social Worker monitored 88 students and the Counselors interviewed 99 students online. 

Helping Hands encourages volunteerism. Our students are required to do a volunteer activity twice a year according to their possibilities and the needs of their communities. They are very grateful to receive support from Helping Hands for their studies, and they in turn enjoy doing something to help others around them who may need it. Their activities include cleaning up their neighbourhoods, giving food and school materials to families in need, working with disadvantaged youth, visiting the elderly, feeding abandoned dogs and much more. 

In order for the Helping Hands team to continue developing its capabilities and personal skills for a better intervention with our population, workshops were held on Leadership, Strategic Planning and Fundraising with the assistance of the entire staff. Likewise, workshops were held with full staff participation for the review and implementation of Institutional Anti-fraud and Anti-corruption Policies, Vulnerable Population Protection and Disclosure of Bad Practices in the Workplace. All these regulations are being applied, having received feedback according to the experiences of each area.

In spite of all the difficulties encountered in 2021, we are thankful that our students met their goals and rose to the challenges of the pandemic. Although we could not celebrate with our traditional Christmas party, thanks to many contributors, all of our students received the gifts of Christmas bread (paneton), powdered milk, cocoa, cookies and gifts for the younger children. 

Our work and our students’ success would not have been possible without the contribution of our funders who, with their partnership and solidarity, have made the dreams of each of our students come true. Many thanks from each of our students and their families, as well as the all of the Helping Hands team. We send you our very best wishes for a healthy, successful 2022. 

Thanks to our special partners who donated the funds to buy the Christmas breads, cocoa, powdered milk, cookies and children´s gifts, our students had a Merry Christmas indeed.  The children 13 and under received a board game set of 8 games and a National Geographic magazine in Spanish. They were fascinated by the pictures!!