SOS Children's Villages and family support in Bolivia

In Tarija, one of the most developed cities in Bolivia, there is a huge social divide. Tarija is the region with the second highest rate of child poverty. Over 40% of people there suffer from poverty, malnutrition and poor access to education. There is also a great deal of domestic violence, more than in other regions. Because Tarija borders Argentina and Paraguay, the risk of child trafficking is particularly high.

Overview of the SOS services in Tarija

• Day care: children are looked after, supported and fed during the day. Parents learn how to raise their children better.

• Family support: Families in great need receive help so that they can cope on their own again.

• Help for large families: Support for larger families so that children do not have to live outside the family.

• Return assistance: Children living in foster families are supported when they are able to return to their own family.

• Foster families: Families take in children for a certain period of time.

• SOS families in the neighborhood: A professional "SOS mother" looks after children in a normal residential area.

• SOS families in the Children's Village: Children live in a community with other SOS families.

• Help for young adults: Young people leaving care receive support until the age of 24.

• Protection from violence: Groups are set up in at-risk areas to protect children from violence.

• Education and learning: Children are supported to go to school and adults learn to read and write.