A smile beyond borders

<p>Bolivia Digna is an NGO located in Cochabamba Bolivia. The aim of the organization is to help disadvantaged children and adolescents.</p> <p>Bolivia is considered one of the poorest countries in South America. The general standard of living is more basic than the Western world and things we take for granted are missing on a daily basis such as a vitamin rich diet, good education, clean clothing and simple toys, just to list a few examples.</p> <p>With a variety of projects we are trying to improve their daily life.</p> <p>In cooperation with Arsenal in the Community we are raising money for the following projects:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>(1) Hospital and Oncology</strong></p> <p>Every morning we visit children in a local hospital. Most of their parents live outside of town and cannot afford to visit regularly. Many of the children suffer from bone fractures, deformities, cancer or have been hospitalized after car accidents or street dog attacks. The younger ones especially, suffer from malnutrition due to a lack of vitamins.<br /> Our job is to ensure the growth and happiness of the children by distracting them from their daily treatments and hospital life. We interact with them in diverse ways i.e playing games with them, introducing them to arts and crafts and simply giving them affection.<img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/594667/Hospital_1-1557888072.jpg" width="100%" /><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/594668/hospital_2-1557888086.jpg" width="100%" /><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="889" scrolling="no" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fplayer.vimeo.com%2Fvideo%2F335619002%3Fapp_id%3D122963&amp;dntp=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F335619002&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.vimeocdn.com%2Fvideo%2F782245758_960.jpg&amp;key=8b7d8dd6504d41af9a77662672aabc2a&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=vimeo" width="500"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>(2) Mercado and Takoloma</strong></p> <p>Mercado and Takoloma are compounds in the suburbs of Cochabamba located in-between the mountains. It is a derelict area and most of the families moved to the area in hope to find work.</p> <p>Both locations consist of a main house with classrooms and playing areas as well as sport facilities outdoors.</p> <p>We teach the children English, life skills and fundamental values. During our physical education sessions we use creative and playful methods to teach the children the importance of team work, friendship and living a healthy lifestyle. After a session we provide a healthy snack and brush our teeth together with the children to establish a routine of hygiene.<img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/593618/_Mercado_main_building-1557604093.JPG" width="100%" /><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/593620/Mercado_sport_facility-1557604765.JPG" width="100%" /><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/594669/fiesta_mercado-1557888568.jpg" width="100%" /><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/594670/hygiene_mercado-1557888586.jpg" width="100%" /><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/593628/washing_hands_Tacoloma-1557605261.jpg" width="100%" /><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="889" scrolling="no" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fplayer.vimeo.com%2Fvideo%2F335619698%3Fapp_id%3D122963&amp;dntp=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F335619698&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.vimeocdn.com%2Fvideo%2F782246607_960.jpg&amp;key=cb39d84f05d8439bbe96012f078e02b0&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=vimeo" width="500"></iframe><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="889" scrolling="no" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fplayer.vimeo.com%2Fvideo%2F335619931%3Fapp_id%3D122963&amp;dntp=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F335619931&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.vimeocdn.com%2Fvideo%2F782250928_960.jpg&amp;key=cb39d84f05d8439bbe96012f078e02b0&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=vimeo" width="500"></iframe><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="281" scrolling="no" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fplayer.vimeo.com%2Fvideo%2F335618537%3Fapp_id%3D122963&amp;dntp=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F335618537&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.vimeocdn.com%2Fvideo%2F782245071_1280.jpg&amp;key=cb39d84f05d8439bbe96012f078e02b0&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=vimeo" width="500"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>(3) La Casa de los Ninos</strong></p> <p>La Casa de los Ni&ntilde;os is an asylum for abandoned children and kids with physical or mental disabilities.&nbsp;</p> <p>It is a big compound with a school, a nursery, a library, an outdoor sports pitch, and houses for the families who live in the area.</p> <p>Our main aim of this project is to integrate children from all sorts of backgrounds and abilities in order to promote a sense of community.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As evident in Casa de los Ni&ntilde;os, some parents struggle to cope with the overwhelming nature of having a disabled child and thus they are left abandoned. This shelter is their only home, therefore our presence and assistance as volunteers is vitally important for the children to feel loved and cared for.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We focus on teaching English and sport, to stimulate all learning types on the pitch and in the classroom. Ultimately, our mission is to provide the kids with new opportunities to learn in fun, safe and creative ways.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>