Sucre - great hosts and tough visits

[Ashley with Julio Revollo's granddaughter]

Our hosts in Cochabamba were kind enough to buy us a plane ticket to Sucre – which made our trip 30 minutes instead of 6 or 7. Bottled water and as much hand lotion as you could want were totally ok going through security, and no one had to take off their shoes.

Instituto Psicopedagógico San Juan de Dios

We made two visits today in Sucre, and both were very sobering. The first was an institute for kids with severe disabilities. Some of them are orphans, but most come from families that can't take care of them, or were abandoned (4 children were left there last year - their parents gave fake addresses). We were greeted enthusiastically by the kids and the flashing toothbrushes went over well. Unfortunately, the institute gets by on less than a shoestring. The government gives them $1 a day to take care up to 135 kids, but that amount is barely enough for breakfast AND the institute regularly has up to 250 kids on site.

Three travellers who stayed to volunteer were helping at the institute, and Rosario Osina (who showed us around) let us know that they absolutely cannot run the place without the help of volunteers and the donations that trickle in from various sources, including the local Rotary Clubs. Rosario asked us specifically to help with disposable diapers. While the institute does not have any babies at this time, many (most?) of the young people staying there need diapers. They especially need larger sizes (adult sizes). I was shocked to hear it costs $10 for 16 diapers. When you consider the government gives them $1 day per person, you can see it doesn't even cover the cost of the day's worth of diapers. When disposable diapers run out, they use diapers made from cloth, but then that leads to bed sores since the kids aren't changed that much (lack of staff). Let's just say my heart broke a little during this visit.

Hogar Jesús de Nazaret

Our next stop was at a boy's orphanage. Some of the boys have extended family of some sort, but from what I understood, they are mostly street kids that are being given a home, food, chores, schooling, and love.


The boys lined up to get a fresh T-shirt/underwear set. Their sweaters were so dirty, with holes in them, but they were very friendly and every one of them wanted me to take their pictures.

What I noticed about both of these visits was the very serious need for help (money, volunteering, clothing) but also the fact that they do not have websites or ways to communicate their need. There's an organization in Cochabamba that connects people to volunteer opportunities called Sustainable Bolivia. Sucre, and especially the kinds of places we visited, could definitely benefit from something similar.