Cinthia, a leader and mother in Monte Rancho, Bolivia, is celebrating with her community members. Together, they’ve overcome the extreme challenges of poverty and built better lives for themselves. Food for the Hungry (FH) started working in Monte Rancho over a decade ago. Through these years, FH has walked alongside Monte Rancho and nearby communities, addressing the root causes of poverty with local leaders, churches, and families. These communities have become resilient and its people are now flourishing sustainably.
Monte Rancho, – and five other Bolivian communities: Loma Pampa, Yambata, Capital, Villa Margarita Alta, and Villa Tunari – have become strengthened. While FH will miss working in these communities, we celebrate their achievement and reaching our shared mission together.
Empowering communities to thrive on their own is at the heart of what FH does to Strengthen Communities. FH partners with local community members to restore dignity, mend broken relationships, and teach valuable skills. When a community has built sustainable resilience to poverty, injustice, and marginalization, it’s time to celebrate! FH’s partnership and shared goal of strengthening communities is complete. Through our generous donors’ support, FH can go on to strengthen more communities, reaching more people in more places.
The Hopeful Transformation
“I am very thankful to FH for all the training they gave us,” Cinthia says. “We dreamed together about how we want to see Monte Rancho in the future, and I can say we have been accomplishing all that was planned.”
Monte Rancho’s largest issues were a lack of income generating opportunities and access to clean water. Before FH started work there, families had to buy water from a distributor that came to Monte Rancho. There wasn’t enough water for everybody, and the water they did have was dirty. The lack of clean water led to sickness, children missing school, and hygiene and sanitation issues.
Now community members enjoy bountiful clean water. Children attend school regularly, sickness and malnutrition have vastly decreased. Families have increased income opportunities through FH’s programs that help support starting small businesses.
The people of Monte Rancho have what they need to continue to flourish and keep building a better future. The community has experienced incredible growth and is full of hope.
“It was our most wanted dream,” Cinthia continues, “We worked for it along with FH for many years. God is faithful with His children.”
Before and After: Communities Transformed
When FH arrived in these Bolivian communities, the challenges included:
- Lack of clean water and access to adequate sanitation.
- Little opportunity for families to earn enough income or develop new livelihoods.
- Children were often too sick to attend school.
- Low access to quality education.
- Discouraged leaders with no hope or vision for their communities.
FH brought key solutions to overcome these challenges:
- Drinking water projects were implemented so families and whole communities have access to clean, safe water.
- Training and resources were provided for families to earn more income and start small businesses.
- Health volunteers were trained to teach healthy hygiene habits and nutrition. They led groups and made home visits throughout the communities to share information. Children’s health and nutrition improved drastically.
- FH Children’s Clubs were established to support students in their learning and motivate them to do well in school.
- Leaders were trained, developed, and encouraged to lead with hope and intention.
A Community Strengthened and Transformed
The Bolivian communities of Monte Rancho, Loma Pampa, Yambata, Capital, Villa Margarita Alta, and Villa Tunari look much different today than they did a decade ago.
Thanks to the continued support of compassionate donors like you, FH addressed the root causes of poverty together with these communities. This is the heart of Strengthen Communities. These six communities have built sustainable resilience. They now have physical, mental, and spiritual restoration, and the people in these communities can continue to flourish and reach their God-given potential.
“I am very thankful to the donors,” Cinthia concludes. “I want God to bless them for the enormous sacrifice and effort they do to support those in need. Their support helped many families thrive, making many dreams true. May God bless them every day of their lives.”
