Bolivia

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America with two-thirds of its population living in poor conditions. Unfortunately Bolivia’s infant and maternal mortality rates rank among the highest in the world.

The Indigenous population (of Aymara or Quechua in origin) constitutes the majority of the poor, and their concentration in the Andean high plains and valleys proves difficult for providing food and basic services. Over 35% of the population live in the rural areas, where the poverty rate is almost double of that found in the cities, and where most Bolivians have very limited access to basic health and education services.

Currently, Bolivia is experiencing an economic slump, and compounded with government corruption and deep-rooted inequality, this is a time of uncertainty for Bolivia’s future. Fortunately, strides have been made in the social area, with infant mortality rates decreasing by 14% in less than a decade.

New discoveries of rich natural resources give the country hope for the foundation of infrastructure and immediate improvements in the lives of many Bolivians. Hopefully through improved legislation the wealth from Bolivia’s natural resources will help the government to execute their plan of expanding public services and strengthening public institutions.

An estimated 800,00 children are working, of which 12,000 in environments where basic rights are not respected. Still persistent are dangerous forms of child labor such as mining and sexual exploitation. Too many children fall victims of abuse and maltreatment, as evident by the 13% of adolescent girls who are pregnant or who already have children. And over 2,500 children are living in the streets of Bolivian cities today. The armed forces specifically targets poor adolescents for conscription, and over half of the Bolivian military is composed of soldiers less than 18 years of age.

Another issue of international concern regards treatment of demonstrators, prisoners and prison conditions. Civil unrest dominated the political situation in Bolivia. Demonstrations in which security forces have intervened have resulted in a number of deaths and injuries to peasants. Prison conditions are very harsh, usually overcrowded, and in some cases the wife and children of prisoners are made to live with the inmates in these severe conditions. Certain prisons have been cited for their lack of clean drinking water and lack of sewage facilities.

Unprotected commercial sex and unsafe sex between males are the two main pathways for HIV transmission. Sexual activity between males accounts for 25-35% of reported AIDS cases in Bolivia. Increasingly, men are beginning to spread HIV to their wives and other women, accounting for more diverse routes of transmission. Overall, the AIDS epidemic in Bolivia is small and largely limited to those in high-risk populations, namely those who engage in commercial sex and homosexual activity.

In children under three years of age chronic malnutrition still exists. Other prevalent diseases include yellow fever, cholera, and in certain areas Chagas disease.

International demand for timber and the need for more agricultural lands are leading to deforestation. As a result, there is a continuing loss in biodiversity.Poor cultivation methods and overgrazing are contributing to soil erosion, which in turn leads to more deforestation as people clear more land for agriculture. As urbanization and industrialization continue, pollution is becoming a larger issue. Water supplies are often contaminated, especially those used for drinking and irrigation. Fertilizers, mining, and pesticides are the leading contributors to water pollution. Only an estimated 64% of rural people have access to pure water.

Bolivia has a considerable high illiteracy rate among Latin American countries. The last few years have seen an increase in primary school enrollment, though there is a great disparity in levels of education received by urban and rural students. Urban students generally obtain five more years of schooling than their rural counterparts. The rural areas are hit the hardest in regards to the distribution of resources, with the majority of primary schools only offering three grades.

A sharp gender divide also exists, and while the male illiteracy rate is 7.4%, it is a staggering 19.6% for females. Families in the rural areas tend to de-emphasize the importance of education and rural children are much more likely to be working than urban children. Rural areas are often home to many indigenous non-Spanish speaking peoples, making literacy difficult to achieve.

Travel To Teach Bolivia - Travel to Teach is a non-profit organization, which provides affordable volunteering opportunities to teach English and Computer Skills.

Volunteer Bolivia - We currently offer volunteer work placements in fields such as English Teaching, Sports, Community Development, Eco-tourism, Conservation, Environment and Technology. We do so by partnering with grass root projects, local non-governmental and public organizations in rural and urban communities in Bolivia.