PROJECTS

Agricultural Production and Livestock

Much of the country’s poor are significantly rural, indigenous, and live in the altiplano, the high valley regions of western Bolivia. Samaritan’s Purse focuses its agricultural efforts on stimulating agricultural growth in the altiplano through improved production and productivity. We work with local communities to identify critical constraints limiting production/productivity in four key areas: meager endowments of productive assets; unproductive technologies or practices; poor access to markets; and vulnerability to shocks. The focus includes both direct, production-oriented interventions such as introduction of improved seed varieties, soil fertility management practices and transfer of improved crop and livestock technologies, and expanding activities that create a conducive environment for the small-scale farmer and improve his or her asset base. In particular, these include activities such as the improvement of market access and the development of local producer organizations and viable agribusiness designed to enhance the marketing potential of local products and help farmers increase product value. These activities are supported by productive infrastructure investments to improve local agricultural physical assets such as the construction of wells (in the arid altiplano, provision of water for irrigation and livestock is a crucial anti-poverty tool), animal folds for livestock, and the construction of silos. Overall, the program is expected to reduce poverty and enhance food security in the target areas through improved food availability (direct production) and food access (enabling farmers to market surplus production to generate resources and, in turn, obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet, some of which may not be produced on-farm).

Camelid Producer Development
The objective of this project is to improve camelid (llamas and alpacas) production systems and bring about significant increases in the income levels of camelid herders in the altiplano. The project works with approximately 180 poor llama and alpaca herding families: 20 families in the Achiri area of Caquiaviri who hold on average 40 camelids each, and 160 families in central Caquiaviri who hold, on average, 30 camelids each (5,400 camelids in total). It is expected that the project will help increase camelid-related production and productivity levels in the targeted municipalities, leading to higher household incomes and market participation and, ultimately, to a reversal of the economic stagnation in this marginalized region. The central premise in the project’s approach is that valuation of camelid products and production systems can be achieved given the right conditions and inputs, leading to higher income and market participation of project beneficiaries that, in turn, can break production stagnation and catalyze the local camelid economy in the communities.

Maternal/ Child Health and Nutrition
Altiplano dwellers show extremely high levels of malnutrition, with 50.4 percent of young children suffering from anemia due to malnutrition. 35 percent of children in our areas of operation are chronically malnourished (stunted). Since chronic malnutrition is difficult to reverse, primary prevention through community-based growth promotion is key. We work with mothers to identify at-risk children so steps can be taken to avoid growth faltering. Beneficiary children receive regular growth assessments. Infants under the age of 1 are weighed and measured on a monthly basis, while children aged 2-3 years are weighed and measured on a quarterly basis. Children with growth faltering (insufficient weight gain) are identified as at-risk and are weighed monthly until 2 years of age. Children with malnutrition, or those identified as at-risk, receive nutritional counseling in aspects of child feeding, more frequent growth monitoring, and follow-up home visits. These children are also evaluated for micronutrient deficiencies in coordination with the local Ministry of Health services. Our health promoters train Leader Mothers in nutritional education for children, including complementary feeding and the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for infants.

School Feeding
The promise of at least one nutritious meal each day attracts children to school, boosts enrollment, promotes regular attendance, and enhances student performance. Through the school feeding project, Samaritan's Purse works to improve the nutritional status of about 2,150 elementary students in 70 rural schools through the provision of a daily school meal which significantly impacts students’ ability to focus in the classroom and therefore greatly improves their ability to learn, comprehend and apply new concepts. To guarantee project sustainability and local acceptability of the school meals, a weekly menu is followed with food preparation done based on local practices and using foods purchased from local farmers, thus stimulating the local agricultural economy (SP’s agriculture project focuses on the production aspect). Community Parent-Teacher Associations are trained to take responsibility for managing the food rations and organizing the purchase of local, nutritious food to complement the school meals. These organizations are also responsible for assigning cooks who are trained in aspects of cooking, hygiene and sanitary conditions.

Well digging/drilling
Samaritan's Purse dug 20 wells with hand pumps in 2008. With in-kind support from the Japanese International Development Agency, SP has begun to drill 95 additional wells. These water-related activities will ensure the supply of clean water to improve the health of local households and will also improve the supply of clean water to the livestock of these families.

Building Transformative Leadership/ Evangelism
The main objective of this project and related activities is training, education, and behavior change communication (or worldview changes) to communities benefiting from SP’s assistance, with the aim of ensuring that local capacity is developed by enhancing the ability of local church and community leaders to promote and sustain locally elaborated development and relief initiatives. SP-Bolivia hopes to ensure sustainability of activities by placing knowledge, and skills in local hands, to equip and support churches in reaching out to their communities and strengthen their evangelistic and discipleship outreaches, and to promote worldview and behavior change. SP’s evangelists work alongside its agricultural and health promoters to effect demonstrated changes in behavior that are based on biblical principles and values and relate to the programmatic sectors. This program runs both in the altiplano and the Amazon.

Post-Flooding Livestock Recovery
As people begin to return to their communities following the heavy floods that hit Beni in early 2008, livelihood recovery and rehabilitation is their principal concern. Cattle farming is the main economic activity in the region, but farmers lost much of their herds due to the floods either as direct losses (death, disease) or to opportunist speculators buying cattle at extremely low prices. Samaritan's Purse has initiated a restocking project aimed at improving the post-disaster food security of vulnerable families and communities in Loreto and San Andres Municipalities of the Beni Department through restocking of lost animals and through facilitating productive, profitable and sustainable business-oriented livestock projects while sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The plan uses a revolving animal method, whereby 90 beneficiary families are provided with 2 female, dual-purposed, local-breed cows with the agreement that, at a later date, they will return two similar offspring to be given to their fellow group members. In order to supply vulnerable households with a more immediate source of food/protein, poultry is also provided to beneficiary households.

Beni Community Health
The project provides medical care to poor communities in the Loreto and San Andres municipalities. These communities are reached by a mobile clinic staffed by a doctor and a nurse and equipped with medicines and health materials. Project activities include medical care for infants and children, mothers, and the elderly; donations of medicines to combat tropical, diarrheal, and respiratory diseases; provision and training in the preparation of Oral Rehydration Solution to children with diarrhea; de-worming of children; and the provision of medical care to pregnant women and women giving birth. With the help of a Canadian International Development Agency grant, this project is working through mothers, community health volunteers, and local facilities in preventive health and improved hygienic and child feeding practices to improve health and nutrition. Working through focus groups, Samaritan's Purse also is educating men regarding alcohol abuse and violence against women and children, based on biblical principles. The program includes a Gospel component through evangelistic outreaches in the communities.

Water Filters and Sanitation
Water and sanitation interventions targeted at the poorest households are a critical strategy for decreasing water-borne disease and the prevalence of malnutrition. In Loreto, the prime target area of this project, some 98 percent of the population lack access to safe water. In San Andres, the second target area, 64.9 percent do not have adequate water and sanitation facilities. Many rural households have a basic pit latrine, but the sanitation facilities are mostly in disrepair or/and unused. Samaritan's Purse aims to increase access to clean water and sanitation facilities by providing household water filters and basic sanitation facilities in 30 rural communities in the target municipalities, providing help to 4,800 direct beneficiaries. Staff is working closely with beneficiary households to promote improved hygiene practices.