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Updated: March 2009

Bolivia

Overview | World Vision's history in Bolivia | World Vision in Bolivia today

Overview

Bolivia, a landlocked republic in west-central South America, is bordered by Brazil to the northeast, Argentina and Paraguay to the south, and Chile and Peru to the west. Two ranges of the rugged Andes Mountains dominate the western third of the country. Between the ranges lies a high plateau that contains the Uyuni salt bed, the largest concentration of salt in the world. The eastern two-thirds of Bolivia includes the lowland plains of the Amazon Basin, gently rolling hills, and a dense tropical forest. The lowlands have a hot and humid environment, while the mountains feature a cooler, arid climate. Natural resources include gold, silver, tin, zinc, iron, oil, natural gas, timber, and hydropower.

More than half of the country’s population is indigenous Amerindian, including the Quechuas, Aymaras, and Guariní. The majority of Caucasian Bolivians, who make up 15 percent of the population, are of Spanish descent. Mestizos (a mixture of Caucasian and Amerindian) represent 30 percent of inhabitants. Spanish is the official language of the country and is spoken by more than 80 percent of the people. The Aymara and Quechua languages are also popular.

Modern Bolivia was once a part of the Incan empire before the 16th century, when Spanish forces took control of the area. After several years of struggle with Spain, the territory won its independence in 1825 and was named after Simón Bolivar, who helped in the liberation. After the War of the Pacific in 1884, several thousand square miles of land and the country’s outlet to the Pacific were annexed by neighboring Chile.

In 1966, a guerilla movement headed by famed revolutionist Ché Guevara began an 18-month rebellion that ended in October 1967 with Guevara’s death. A string of coups followed before the military returned the government to civilian rule in 1982.


 
Country statistics 
Population9.35 million
Land mass426,164 square miles
People per square mile22
Life expectancy66.5 years
Under age 5 mortality rate61/1,000
Literacy rate87%
Access to safe water85%
Average annual income (GNI per capita)US$1,100
Religion
Christian100%
Carlos Mesa became president in 2003 during a controversy regarding the exploitation of the country’s natural gas reserve. Mesa resigned less than two years later amid protests over the rising price of fuel. Bolivian Amerindian activist Evo Morales won the presidency in December 2005, becoming the country’s first indigenous president.

Since Morales’s term began, the country’s economy has grown on average four percent each year—due largely to a high demand for raw materials. Bolivia remains, however, one of the poorest countries in all of Latin America. Nearly two-thirds of the population lives below the poverty line, and more than 42 percent of people live on less than $2 a day. In addition, the country is one of the most economically unequal in South America. The wealthiest 20 percent of the population earns half of Bolivia’s total income, while the poorest 20 percent earn only 4 percent.

Although the government has vowed to reduce the economic inequality, many health issues related to poverty still remain. Access to health services among indigenous groups is limited. Six percent of Bolivian children do not live to see their fifth birthday—the second-highest rate in South America. Malnutrition rates are also high, resulting in approximately 27 percent of children exhibiting stunted growth. The United Nations estimates that while there is enough food in the country to feed the entire population, many poor, indigenous people who live in rural areas still suffer from hunger.

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World Vision's history in Bolivia

World Vision became involved in Bolivia in 1965 when it held a pastors conference in the town of Cochabamba. The conference ministered to 850 pastors, evangelists, and missionaries from all regions of the country. Similar conferences followed in 1970 and 1982. Child sponsorship programs began in 1975, in cooperation with the Salvation Army. Child-care projects throughout the 1970s allowed for the establishment of orphanages and centers for children of working parents, as well as the provision of educational materials and structured activities. Health care, educational assistance, proper hygiene training, and spiritual enrichment were all common project components.

During the 1980s, World Vision implemented additional development programs, increased child sponsorship, and provided relief aid for those affected by natural disasters. In 1982, an office was opened in the capital city, La Paz. The following year, drought affected about 2 million people, or approximately 25 percent of the population. This disaster destroyed 80 percent of Bolivia’s harvest and 50 percent of livestock. In response, World Vision supplied 100,000 pounds of potatoes, vegetable seed, and water pumps.

When rain began to fall in early 1984, the area flooded and nearly all crops were lost. World Vision again responded with relief aid. In addition, family development projects, artisan workshops for parents, veterinarian assistance, and animal husbandry training were all provided. By the end of the decade, nearly 15,300 children in 144 projects were sponsored. Activities during this period also included the training of more than 300 community women and female leaders of evangelical churches, which provided them with leadership skills to help others in their churches and villages.

By the early 1990s, 168 community development programs were working to address the needs of children through day care, education, health care, and nutrition. Vocational and agricultural training were offered to parents. Other World Vision projects active in the 1990s included:
  • In Tiraque, an education project provided school materials to 26 communities, including several books, 22 tables, and 66 chairs benefiting more than 2,000 children in the area.
  • A health project in Soracachi provided training to 21 community health promoters to help prevent acute illnesses and to detect problems that required a transfer to specialized health centers. As a result of those efforts, more than 360 children and adolescents learned the importance of dental and general hygiene care. In addition, more than 100 parents were taught to recognize and treat common infant illnesses.
  • In Santa Cruz, World Vision established a children’s network comprised of 50 boys and girls who were recognized as leaders from 10 communities. They were invited to participate in the development process in their hometowns, providing new and creative ideas on how to build better communities.
In the last five years, World Vision has actively worked to address the health-care needs of children, as well as provide education programs, family health care, agricultural training, and human rights advocacy.

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World Vision in Bolivia today

World Vision is committed to partnering with the people of Bolivia to enhance their lives today and to help enact sustainable solutions for the future of their communities, families, and children. Currently, more than 74,500 children are registered in the World Vision sponsorship program. Several times this number of children and other family members benefit from World Vision activities. Of these registered children, many have World Vision sponsors in other countries. U.S. donors sponsor 21,807 girls and boys. In addition, World Vision operates 32 development programs, nine of which are supported by U.S. donors. Highlights of these efforts include the following:
  • The Bolivian Development Foundation (La Fundacion Boliviana para el Desarrollo—or FUBODE) was launched in 1997 and works to provide financial and training services to impoverished families and communities. The foundation grants loans to disadvantaged Bolivians, allowing them to generate income through agriculture, livestock raising, neighborhood services, and local trade. Training classes are offered in information technology, accounting, marketing, and management. FUBODE has nearly 12,000 active borrowers and a loan portfolio of more than $3.8 million. The average loan size is $284 with a near 100 percent repayment rate.
  • In response to massive flooding from November 2007 to February 2008, World Vision has launched Project Safe Ceiling in the northeastern provinces of Bolivia. Project leaders have supplied families with food kits that included flour, rice, beans, and sugar. Also provided were tool kits for the construction of new houses or the rehabilitation of existing ones; kitchen utensils, such as pots, spoons, knives, plates, and glasses; hygiene items; mosquito netting; clothing; and scholastic materials. Sixty-five families have benefited from this project.
For more information on World Vision’s programs in Bolivia, please contact the United States office.

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