Our new video series, "Hi from the field," comes direct to you from our field staff. Learn why our mine action team is planting trees after clearing weapons in Colombia. Step inside a rehabilitation center in Bolivia, where our donors ensure that children with disabilities can thrive.

Watch and share! 

Colombia

Meet Erika Romero, Humanity & Inclusion's demining area manager in Colombia and learn why our mine action team is planting trees in places where they've cleared weapons.

Niger

Take a step inside an inclusive classroom for children with visual disabilities in Niger and watch as these incredible children learn how to read and write in Braille.

Laos

When villagers in Laos found unexploded ordnance (UXO) left over from war, they immediately reached out to Humanity & Inclusion's mine action team to help remove them. Watch our deminers in action.

Chad

While visiting Humanity & Inclusion in Chad, Gilles Lordet from HQ met up with our demining team. There, he followed their every step and got to see the SAG200 (like a HUGE combine tractor) in action!

Bolivia

Valérie Beauchemin, HI's country director for the Andean States, visits a rehabilitation center where our team conducts physical therapy sessions for children ages 0-3 in Caracollo, Bolivia. Join the tour and meet sweet kiddos, Ruban and Nicolas!

“Qualified rehabilitation professionals are in short supply in Bolivia with very few training courses, particularly outside the capital,” explains Narel Gomez, Handicap International’s rehabilitation project manager. “One of our top priorities is to boost the skills of professionals working in the sector and to help people with disabilities become more self-reliant and integrated in their communities.”

When Ismael was four, he lived with his parents and two older sisters in the city of Oruro–in western Bolivia. Ismael was a cheerful and energetic boy, who loved playing outdoors. One day, when his mother was out of town and his father was busy, Ismael went to the train tracks to play. After a few hours, Ismael became tired and fell asleep on the tracks.

Transform the lives of children by making a donation.

MANDATE

Humanity & Inclusion has worked in Bolivia since 2011 to prevent disabilities and promote the self-reliance and social inclusion of people with disabilities. Since 2014, Humanity & Inclusion has set up seven pilot rehabilitation centers in the departments of Potosi and Oruro. The program in Bolivia employs a staff of 13. While the program currently only operates in Bolivia, Humanity & Inclusion plans on developing projects for Ecuador, Peru, and Paraguay under the umbrella of the Andrean States Program. 

BACKGROUND

Bolivian society and its institutions have changed dramatically since 2005, when Evo Morales was elected President of the Republic of Bolivia. This marked a major turning point in the recognition and inclusion of the country’s 36 ethnic groups and indigenous cultures. Despite a program of social and economic reform, Bolivia still struggles with widespread poverty and social exclusion, which mostly affect the majority indigenous population living in the countryside and on the outskirts of major towns. Inequality persists and people with disabilities remain marginalized.

ACTIVITIES

• Socio-economic inclusion
• Functional rehabilitation
• Disaster Risk Reduction

Socio-economic Inclusion

In the municipality of El Alto, Humanity & Inclusion enables community members with disabilities to access decent employment through various institutional, technical, and sociocultural activities. Particular attention is paid to the most vulnerable people, including children, young adults, and women with disabilities. Specific activities of this project include building the capacities of institutions working in the field of disability and inclusive employment, providing inclusive employment support to local employers, and conducting awareness-raising activities to proliferate a better understand of disability throughout the Quechua community. 

Functional Rehabilitation 

Humanity & Inclusion has partnered with the Bolivian Ministry of Health to set up seven rehabilitation centers in the departments of Potosi and Oruro. The organization trains and provides educational tools to rehabilitation staff and doctors that work in these centers. This project enables people with disabilities to access the functional rehabilitation services they need in order to live full lives. All educational tools developed in these centers are then shared with Bolivia's network of 30 rehabilitation centers across the country.

Disaster Risk Reduction

Bolivia is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. The country is highly exposed to earthquakes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. Humanity & Inclusion supports local officials and civil society representatives to ensure that they take the most vulnerable citizens, including persons with disabilities, into account in earthquake preparedness plans.