"This past summer, I accompanied CHOICE Humanitarian on an expedition to the Altiplano of Bolivia. Our mission was to assist in the construction of classrooms in the town of Taracollo, home to indigenous Bolivians. Along with my sleeping bag and work clothes, I packed my camera and watercolors supplies. Although I knew I would be giving the majority of my time to the humanitarian work ahead of me, I wanted to record what I could of the village, its people, and my experience in watercolor and ink.

As part of the Spring Into Action campaign running from April 16 – May 1, we will be posting daily about topics related to extreme poverty and how anyone and everyone can join the movement to end it.

At one point, I’m sure we’ve all dreaded the day when we see that we have a dentist appointment on the calendar. But what if we didn’t have a dentist to go to? Think about it.

My name is Pieter and I am from Belgium. After completing my Bachelor of Science in economics/ finances, I switched up my academic story for a Master’s of Science in economics: international governance. After the academic part of life, I decided to spend a few years abroad working, volunteering, and traveling and that was how I spent time working with CHOICE Bolivia.

Five hours from the city of La Paz is the Municipality of Moco Moco. The majority of the communities in this are dedicated to the breeding of llamas and alpacas for the purpose of keeping alive a craft that is generations old. Luisa Quispe and her grandson Pedro live in the community of Huarachani and dedicate their time to their craft. Luisa says that Pedro has been working as an artisan since he was six years old.

On behalf of the staff, Board of Trustees, and the tens of thousands of villagers whose lives you have helped improve thank you for being a part of the CHOICE Humanitarian family. Together, we reached new heights in 2016, and we owe this success to you for two reasons. First, you believe that extreme poverty can and should end in our lifetime. And second, you trust that CHOICE Humanitarian is the organization best suited to achieve this goal. Quite simply, you are the reason CHOICE continues to flourish and, on behalf of the entire CHOICE team, we can't thank you enough. Impact highlights. 

Bolivia is located in the center of South America and is rich in natural beauty and culture, but it is one of the poorest countries on the planet. More than 2.5 million Bolivians do not have access to potable water services and another 5 million lack sanitation services. 

Benito Vargas has a wife and five children. What he does not have is a left foot or a right arm. 

KUDOS to team Bolivia for completing another eco-friendly Greenhouse Classroom! Each time a greenhouse is built, our team improves the technology and thrills local schools.

Clean water saves lives. Women and children spend up to 4 hours a day collecting water. The journey, which could include encounters with dangerous animals or men, can be as dangerous as the quality of the water. And this taken away from education and economic development.

Jaede is 18 years old. She was born and raised in Utah, but she is Bolivian. When she was younger, she traveled to the small town of Villa Serrano in Bolivia where she became keenly aware of the need for a facility for the elderly, many of which are homeless.