We were picked up last night by the Missionaries we came to help.  He and his wife (Tyson and Carolina) took us to one of their Mission projects.  They have 3 projects that they have started so far:

1. An Orphanage for girls (22 girls age 2-13) – They are completely full now and looking to expand.  We go visit the orphanage in a few days so i’ll learn more.

2. A Day Care for children effected by HIV/Aids.  This is where we went today and is the first Day care in Bolivia that will accept babies that are HIV positive.  They started the Day Care about a month ago, have 9 babies (age 7 months to 5 years) enrolled so far and have received a lot of positive attention from the Govt. for future reapplication across Bolivia.  Apparently, there is a huge need for HIV Day care assistance as the virus grows and parents of HIV are in a position where they cannot work because they have no one who will take care of HIV babies while they work.  So a spiral into poverty or worst if they have to stay home all day to care for their babies.

3.  Street Lights: A program that reaches out to the hundreds of street children in Cochabamba.  Their focus is to build a trust relationship so that they can then point them to other agencies that are their to help.  As it stands these children, ages 9-21, live in common areas across the city (under bridges, etc.) and are either scared or unaware of how to get assistance.  Most of the girls are believed to be HIV positive since they sell themselves for food but are too afraid to go in for free testing and therefore treatment.  This is a core focus for our Missionaries,  to build the trust relationship so they can then get tested, receive treatment, and live a healthier life. 

Today we went to the new Day Care facility.  A very nice complex of 2 buildings, kitchen, play rooms, napping rooms, wash rooms, and some play equipment all surrounded by a 6 foot cement wall and a a security guard out front.  We met many of the mothers and all the children but i cannot share any of those pictures on the public internet for fear of local identification and potential retribution locally when neighbors/fathers/etc. identify the mothers or children as HIV positive.

A few weeks ago a Mission group from Canada fixed up the first floor and now, a month later, we are here fixing up the 2nd floor so they can continue expanding.

More later…….