Support 125 children at Refugio Rafael in Bolivia

Growing Stronger Together: Supporting Children and Families

This quarter, Fundación Ayllu continued to walk alongside children and families facing economic and social vulnerability. Through education, food assistance, sustainable agriculture, and opportunities for women to develop income-generating skills, we are working to create practical opportunities for families to build stronger and more secure futures.

We are deeply grateful to the donors and supporters who make this work possible. Your generosity reaches far beyond a single activity or donation. It helps a child receive the encouragement they need to learn, helps a family put nutritious food on the table, and gives women opportunities to develop skills that can contribute to their family's income. Every contribution helps us continue this work in partnership with the families we serve.

Helping Children Learn, Grow, and Thrive

Through “La Escuelita,” Fundación Ayllu provided academic support in mathematics, language, and early childhood development. Children received individual attention in areas where they were struggling while also being encouraged to recognize and develop their own strengths.

Our relationship with families goes beyond the classroom. Through home visits, we have been able to better understand the challenges families are facing and identify households experiencing particularly difficult economic or family circumstances. This personal connection is an important part of our work because it helps us understand what each family needs and how Fundación Ayllu can respond.

We also wanted to make learning joyful. In coordination with Universidad del Valle, we celebrated Children's Day with the children, who were delighted to receive gift baskets and soccer balls. They also made special cards for Mother's Day. During the school vacation period, children participated in English classes, soccer, mini-Chef activities, memory games, drawing, and painting.

These activities give children a safe and encouraging place to learn, play, express themselves, and discover new abilities.

Nourishing Families Through Food Assistance

Through our partnership with the Food Bank Foundation, we continued to receive and distribute groceries and fresh food to families participating in Fundación Ayllu programs. This support makes a meaningful difference for families with limited resources and helps them provide nutritious meals for their children.

We also continued home visits with support from social work interns. These visits help us understand each family's circumstances more fully and identify where additional assistance may be needed.

We are especially grateful to the partners and donors who help make this assistance possible. Providing food is an immediate response to need, but it also gives families a stronger foundation from which to focus on their children's education, health, and future.

Growing Food, Skills, and Possibilities

Our agriculture program is about more than growing food. It is an opportunity to demonstrate to families that even with limited land and resources, they can produce nutritious food and, in some cases, create potential sources of income.

This quarter, our agricultural activities included:

• Family gardens: We demonstrated how families can grow vegetables at home, including in bags and other small spaces. The goal is to make fresh, healthy food production accessible even to families without large gardens.
• Egg production: Fundación Ayllu purchased 50 laying hens, which are currently producing approximately one and a half trays of eggs per day. These eggs benefit families who participate in our programs.
• Vermicomposting: Our three-bed vermicomposting system produces worm castings and liquid fertilizer that are used to nourish plants. It also demonstrates a simple way to turn organic waste into a valuable resource.
• Guinea pig production: What began with 10 guinea pigs has grown to 35 animals. Guinea pigs reproduce quickly, making them a practical example of how small-scale animal raising could become an additional source of food and income for families. The project also demonstrates how appropriate kitchen scraps can be reused as animal feed.
• Strawberries: Approximately 31 strawberry plants are producing fruit gradually, and the harvest is being used to supplement snacks for children participating in academic support.
• Green forage: Sorghum and barley are being grown to provide forage for the Foundation's chickens and guinea pigs.
• Hydroponic lettuce: This project has been especially encouraging. Lettuce is harvested approximately every two months, and we now have regular customers for the produce. The project operates through a partnership with the Food Bank Foundation, which provides access to its hydroponic facilities.

Each of these projects is a small demonstration with a larger purpose: showing families that sustainable food production and small-scale enterprises can be adapted to their own circumstances.

Creating Opportunities for Women

Our sewing workshop continues to be a place where mothers can turn practical skills into economic opportunities. Several participants have already received orders and developed regular customers, with products also being sold directly to the public.

For us, entrepreneurship is about more than earning money. It is about creating opportunities for women to recognize their own abilities, gain confidence, contribute to their households, and imagine new possibilities for themselves and their families.

We are grateful to the donors who support this kind of long-term empowerment. Their generosity helps us invest not only in immediate needs, but also in the skills and opportunities that can continue benefiting families into the future.

A Community That Participates and Gives Back

Fundación Ayllu also held a community fundraising fair (kermés) with the participation of staff members and families involved in the Foundation. The event was successful not only because it raised funds, but because it brought our community together.

Seeing families, staff, and supporters working together reminds us that Fundación Ayllu is not simply providing services to a community. We are building a community of people who participate, contribute, learn from one another, and share responsibility for creating positive change.

This Quarter's Progress

During the quarter, we:

• Completed the activities planned for the period.
• Maintained active participation among children and families.
• Strengthened participants' knowledge and practical skills.
• Expanded demonstrations of household food production and small-scale animal raising.
• Continued creating opportunities for women through sewing and entrepreneurship.
• Continued providing food assistance to families in need.
• Identified areas for improvement and further development during the next reporting period.

Looking Ahead — And Thank You

Every quarter brings new challenges, but it also brings moments that remind us why this work matters: a child discovering a new ability, a family harvesting vegetables from a small garden, eggs being shared with families who need them, or a mother turning her sewing skills into a source of income.

None of this work happens alone.

To our donors, partners, volunteers, and friends: thank you. Your support allows Fundación Ayllu to continue standing beside children and families and to invest in both their immediate needs and their long-term possibilities.

We are especially grateful for the trust you place in our organization. We hope that when you read about a garden growing, a child learning, or a woman developing a new skill, you can see your own contribution as part of that story.

Together, we are helping families not simply get through difficult circumstances, but build the knowledge, skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to create a stronger future.