Bolivia
- Population:
- 9.8 million
- Capital city:
- La Paz
- GDP per capita:
- $4,206
- HDI ranking:
- 113 out of 182
- Life expectancy:
- 65 years
VSO is working in Bolivia in the areas of youth economic and social and inclusion, and protecting environments and managing natural resources.
Youth economic and social inclusion
Young men and women make up the majority of the population of most developing countries. As well as bringing economic wellbeing and self-esteem, decent work for a young person is the first step toward autonomy and recognition as a citizen.
Youth employment is a matter of increasing concern in Bolivia. Over 25 per cent of the population is currently between 15 and 30 years-of-age. Around 120,000 young people enter the labour market annually, but the demand for labour is only able to absorb about one-third of this number. And the situation is expected to get worse. Every year, more young people are looking for work and the growth in decent employment is not keeping pace. This reinforces the cycle of poverty and migration, and has social consequences. The effects on young women between 15 and 29 are particularly striking.
VSO volunteers work to support:
strengthening of youth groups and organisations
strategies for promoting economic activity that generates income and employment for youth
initiatives to provide youth with job-skills training and improved access to micro-credit
increased youth participation in local economic development initiatives
awareness-raising, information and communication on issues relating to youth employment
strategies for engaging youth through the arts, culture and sports
participatory assessment and documentation of integrated youth employment centre pilot projects.
The impact of VSO in this area is that young women and men confronting poverty, unemployment and social exclusion benefit from access to new opportunities for employment, education and community participation.
Protecting environments and managing natural resources
Volunteers work with communities that are aiming to better manage their natural resources through strategies that combine environmental conservation with the reduction of poverty and the satisfaction of the basic needs of community members. Our goals – which include increasing community capacity to both mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change – are achieved by directly supporting and linking local and national initiatives, and by facilitating exchange of relevant knowledge across national and regional boundaries.
The program focuses on the management of forest landscapes, watersheds and protected areas, and on the empowerment of traditionally disenfranchised communities to help them become key actors in transformative change. The impact of this program is that communities are empowered to manage their natural resources in ways that sustainably satisfy their basic needs. In Bolivia the program is implemented through an alliance with the Chiquitano Model Forest and its member organisations in the eastern part of the country.
