CRS Work in Bolivia

CRS Bolivia focuses on citizen participation and promotes integral programming by designing and implementing projects in collaboration with local residents and partners. The CRS Bolivia approach combines citizen participation with the technical areas of HIV and AIDS, health, education, emergency management, microfinance, peacebuilding, advocacy and civil society and governance. This participatory development approach achieves a greater impact by establishing and maintaining relationships with local partners to whom we ultimately transfer the greater responsibility and sustainability of our projects.

CRS Bolivia and our partners work to effect positive change, enhancing the potential for dignified integral human development.

Youth Leadership and Education

Collaborating with the national Bolivian Social Pastoral-Caritas organization, CRS Bolivia is implementing a program to reduce poverty in the Department of Chuquisaca. This program educates rural and indigenous youth to become promoters of structural change in their communities.

Health

CRS Bolivia, along with local partners and institutions, supports the efforts of rural communities to improve their health situation. This is done by providing dignified, clean and healthy housing. Programming includes housing improvement to prevent Chagas disease in high-risk communities.

HIV and AIDS

The goal for CRS' HIV and AIDS programming in Bolivia is to increase human dignity and the quality of life for individuals, families and communities affected by HIV and AIDS and to reduce HIV prevalence by addressing its fundamental causes. CRS will reach this goal through programming and advocacy. CRS Bolivia expects that through project activities, individuals and institutions will be more aware of the issue of HIV and AIDS in general, and will be able to respond in constructive ways to the pandemic.

Water and Sanitation

CRS Bolivia's Water and Sanitation programming supports rural communities lacking basic water and sanitation services through alliances with international organizations and local partners. CRS Bolivia has designed a municipal and community strengthening component, including monitoring and evaluation tools. Community members receive training in:

• Environmental health education
• Management
• Operation and maintenance of water services and systems

Emergency Mitigation and Response

Bolivia's varied topography makes the country's population vulnerable to a range of natural disasters, from flooding to earthquakes to landslides. CRS Bolivia focuses on disaster mitigation and preparation, working with local municipalities and communities to help them prepare for an emergency. CRS Bolivia also provides funding and technical assistance in emergency response. Such emergency response projects have included providing food and medicines to flooding and heavy snow victims, and building sanitation facilities for families displaced to temporary shelters during intense rains in 2006.