Short Term & Customized: Bolivia
Short Term and Customized Opportunities in Bolivia with Amizade
Our diverse network of local organizations provides many opportunities to dive in and address some of Bolivia’s most pressing issues like women’s rights, education, disability rights, food insecurity, and indigenous rights.
OVERVIEW
Cochabamba has a particularly vibrant history of popular mobilization and grassroots activism to fight corruption, most famously during the Water War protests over the privatization of water. Located at the base of the Cerro Tunari mountain, it is the 4th largest city in Bolivia and home to many Quechua indigenous people. In addition to being nicknamed the “City of Eternal Spring” for its pleasant year-round climate, it is also known as Bolivia’s gastronomic capital.
QUICK FACTS
Location: Cochabamba, Bolivia
Lodging: Guesthouses and homestays
Language: Spanish and Quechua
QUICK FACTS
Flight: To La Paz or Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Food: Meat, potatoes, rice, bread, vegetables, fruits
Additional Requirements: Yellow Fever Vaccination
Key Themes: Arts & Music, Construction & Maintenance, Cultural Heritage & Traditions, Disability Services, Education & Teaching, Environmental Sustainability & Conservation, Women’s Empowerment, Global Health, Indigenous Communities
HOW TO PLAN A PROGRAM
We pride ourselves in creating mutually empowering and safe global service-learning programs. This means that when you develop an experience with Amizade, you’re building a responsible, intentional, and community driven service-learning program. Programs typically have three phases: (1) pre-immersion, (2) immersion, and (3) re-entry. Amizade works with you in all three phases to develop your program, including to build curriculum, itineraries, budgets, evaluation, follow-up, and sustainability.
The first step in building your program is to have a chat with us. We’re a people-powered organization, which means a little less tech and a little more human conversation. Send us an email, give us a ring or fill out this form to initiate the start of your journey.
Once we’re all feeling good about a potential collaboration and have a clear, co-created vision, Amizade and its partners submit a proposal to you. The proposal will include an overview of what you might be engaging in, a draft itinerary, health and safety information, and a transparent line-item budget.
After the proposal is agreed on, we send over a digital contract. This includes important legal and financial considerations. After a signed contract and a non-refundable $1,000 deposit are submitted, we can officially lock in your dates and begin the process of preparing for your program.
This phase includes pre-departure orientations (we mandate at least one with our staff), learning about the process of travel, culture, service, and the community you are visiting. This is also when family and community sensitization takes place, as well as any relevant coursework. Often this is when we see group bonding start, comfort zones being extended, and new challenges (as well as some nerves and excitement).
This is the travel phase. Community engagement, reflective practice, academic inquiry, and exploration all should be taking place at this time. All of our programs are a mixture of service, workshops, and cultural and recreational activities. Participants will step out of their comfort zones, try new things, engage complex issues, be introduced to new networks and ideas, and bond. Often this can be a very disrupting, inspiring, and transformational experience.
After a transformative experience, we sometimes can fall right back into the grind of life when we return home. It can be tough, isolating, and confusing. Re-entry is perhaps the most important phase for determining what kind of neighbor – the very person – you become. It’s also the easiest to ignore. In this phase, there should be serious reflection, advocacy, support systems, and/or a plan for community engagement, or social action. Depending on the design and funding of your program, Amizade can help create a plan and opportunities for participants.
Since 1994 we have been thought leaders and pioneers in developing best practices in responsible global service-learning, study abroad, and solidarity-building volunteering experiences. We work with:
Universities (faculty-led, alternative break, and semester abroad)
High Schools
Community and Religious Groups
Corporations
Government Agencies
OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
FSD BOLIVIA
FSD Bolivia seeks to achieve community-driven goals through asset-based development and international exchange. FSD Bolivia believes that the power to end poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity is in people. It’s approach focuses on mobilizing resources–human, economic, and natural–for sustainable, life-changing initiatives.
CEOLI
Ceoli provides education and healthcare to low-income children with disabilities and works with those children to develop self-sufficiency. Participants may work in a number of areas according to expertise, including education, physical or hydro-therapy, administrative support, and recreational activities.
ALERTA VERDE
Alerta Verde (“Green Alert”) works in both urban and rural areas throughout the Cochabamba region. The organization aims to mitigate the effects of climate change, improve food security, raise environmental awareness, and recover ancestral environments for present and future generations.
CARAMARCA OTAVI
Caramarca Otavi Initially comprised of 20 to 30 families, in 2000, the Caramarca Otavi Community was founded as a legally established and recognized local community in the area of North Vinto in the state of Cochabamba, Bolivia. In 2012, the community obtained all of the legal documents to establish a school.
AGROFLORI
Agroflori provides rescue and recovery of trafficked and endangered animals through ongoing care and preventative education.
BOLIVIA TEAM
Ariel Flores
Site Director
Melissa Nix
Site Liaison
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Find here a sample itinerary of activities in Bolivia.