Help Bolivian Children Living in Poverty

Your support during this pandemic has allowed us to step into action!

First of all, we at the Rosa Vera Fund send a big, strong, virtual hug to our GlobalGiving  supporters around the world during this challenging time. The effects of this pandemic have been truly devastating, but they have not dampened the spirits or the resolve of our team. Now more than ever, we are determined to make sure our families are getting the support they need. Our supporters have been asking us how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting our patients and the important work that our staff in Montero does every day, so we wanted to share an update from our small corner of the world as we continue to serve our patients and their families.

The city of Montero is under stay-at-home orders and no one may leave their home; this obviously poses challenges for children requiring in-person therapy. We are working with our families so they may continue this essential work by collaborating with our specialists via live video conference. In addition, since a portion of our regular RVF programming takes place in the child’s home environment, parents and caregivers are able to continue speech and physical therapy goals on a daily basis. During this time of social distancing, we are thankful our patients can continue learning to speak, to control their hands, to gain muscle strength, and to stabilize themselves so they may walk on their own. Your support makes this happen!

Given that the parents and other caregivers cannot work for the time being, we are offering nutrition security to the families by delivering essentials to each home.  We are also providing diapers and other necessities for the children as government services have all but shut down.  We continue to move forward undaunted!

One of the benefits of bein a small organization is that we can be quite nimble and flexible in our response to an urgent need. This is especially evident in our ability to truly meet the urgent needs of the families we work with during the lock-down. Thank you - our dear supporters - for your support during for our vulnerable families. 

Sincerely,

Karen Melk

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Dear Wonderful Supporters

By now, you've probably read or heard quite a bit about the political unrest in Bolivia. Almost every day brought new stories about protests, political twists and turns, and predictions about what might happen next. Tragically, some of the protests incurred violence, and some of the deadliest violence happened right in the city where we work - Montero. Roads were blocked and many businesses temporarily closed. Through it all, though, the Rosa Vera Fund has done what we've done for years......helped children who needed help the most. 

We are proud to say that La Escuelita, our school and therapy center, stayed open for business. Teachers and therapists continued to come to work, and parents continued to bring their children in for therapies and classes. Yes, some of these commutes were hours longer than usual, due to sporadic public transportation or road blocks, but everyone took these hurdles in stride and did what they needed to do in order not to interrupt their child's progress. Due to roadblocks, one teacher rode her bike over an hour and a half, determined to keep teaching the students. Parents didn't miss a beat - when public transportation halted, they carried or wheeled their non-ambulatory children to therapy appointments. It was an amazing showing of dedication!

As future political changes unfold, we are cofident that the Rosa Vera Fund will be able to weather the storm and just keep plugging along, doing what we do best: Provide medical care and social interventions for children with special health care needs, who have no other options. 

I wish I knew the words to express exactly how much your support means to us.Please know, without exaggeration, that because of you, kids are walking instead of being stuck in wheelchairs; because of you, kids are speaking and making themselves understood. Because of you, families are moving away from the abyss of poverty and building a solid, safer life for their entire family. 

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