I am always amazed at the opportunity to meet individuals from Bolivia, regardless of where I find myself in the world! I was recently talking with a friend of mine in Wichita, Kansas, and she said she needed to introduce me to a friend of hers who was from Bolivia and had ties to a non-profit in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. This is how I had the honor of meeting José Luís, and ended up being invited to his house to celebrate el día de la Independencia de Bolivia (Bolivia's Independence Day) with him and his friends. We enjoyed traditional Bolivian foods, and played nontraditional North American games, while getting to know each other and bridging cultural gaps, as there were attendees from Cuba, Argentina, and Bolivia as well as the United States. Before having the honor of joining José Luís and his wife, Marissa, at their house and meeting their delightful group of friends, I met with José Luís to discuss Stansberry Bolivia and to see what I could learn and apply to my dream of opening a domestic violence shelter in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Stansberry Bolivia has three programs: an orphanage for children who have been abandoned, a daycare center that as part of its philosophy requires parents to be looking for work or working and are required to attend workshops that address issues such as abuse, and a before and after school program to help children with their homework and give them a safe place during the half day that they are off of school and their parents are typically working. José Luís and I discussed the fundraiser that Stansberry Bolivia held during March of this year, where 10 brave souls rode bicycles from Argentina to Chile over a nineteen day period. We also discussed his ties to the organization; José Luís himself lived in the orphanage as a young child and for this reason his passion to help the children is grown out of a personal commitment to repay the favor that he received during his childhood. We also discussed the sustainability of the programs, like how children are required to go to school and do their homework, and there is a program to assist older children in finding a job before they finish their schooling and move out on their own, so that they end up breaking the cycle of poverty and raising a family who is healthy and gives back to society. With healthcare, an adult literacy course, classrooms for children from babies to 5 years old, and a kitchen that provides lunch for more than 300 people (the main Bolivian meal), it is truly a holistic approach to provide not only a means to an end, but also a sustainable future for those who start out with a lack of resources and end up being role models for others in their community. Thank you to José Luís and to all of the staff in Stansberry Bolivia for providing an example of an organization that goes above and beyond as a non-profit to provide hope and healing for those in need in Santa Cruz, Bolivia! For more information about Stansberry Bolivia, please see the following resources: Stansberry Bolivia website Stansberry Bolivia Facebook page Donate to Stansberry Bolivia
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AuthorValerie Ellis, who is in alignment with the Black Lives Matter Movement and everyone whose life is impacted, now or before, by times of social injustice. Archives
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