Bolivian Children's Fund

The Bolivian Children's Fund e. V. ( BKHW ) is a non-profit German organization based in Stuttgart that supports Bolivian children, young people and their families. The aim of the association is to support institutions and projects in Bolivia with monetary and material donations, as well as through the use of volunteers in partner organizations in order to improve the living conditions there.

The BKHW helps to satisfy basic needs in the projects as well as to enable an improvement of the education, takes care of the improvement of the medical care and an adequate nutrition of the children and adolescents. The BKHW contributes to international understanding and information transfer.

history

The Bolivian Children's Fund e. V. was founded on June 23, 1985 in Grönwohld near Hamburg with the aim of supporting orphanages in Bolivia with donations and the work of sponsors. The initiator of the entire project was Fritz Stratmann, a German-Bolivian. He died in 1987, which jeopardized his continued existence. In Aichtal near Esslingen am Neckar , a member gathered acquaintances and friends with the aim of continuing the association. On March 5, 1988 a general meeting took place, which changed the statutes and elected a new board. Since then, the office has been in Wendlingen .

In addition to donations, donations in kind were also collected. From 1988 to 1991, children's clothing, food and medicines with a total weight of over 2.5 tons were sent by air freight. This activity became not only time-consuming but also costly, as the Bolivian side incurred transport costs and customs duties. It was decided to stop these activities, as donations made it easier and more targeted to help.

In the 1990s, the BKHW began using donations to set up the CEMVA - Centro Educativo Multifuncional Villa Armonía project, a kindergarten and school in the north of Sucre, in the Villa Armonía district, as many farmers moved to the outskirts and these facilities were urgently needed .

In the following years the number of projects and institutions to be supported increased further. State co-financing was used to set up the technical workshops CEMVA (mid-1990s) and Alegria (2011/2012) and the BKHW-financed campaign to find children with heart disease at Cardiocentro La Paz was carried out. The entire project and administrative work was done by volunteers.

Due to the expansion of activities, it became necessary from 2009/2010 to support the volunteer employees on a full-time basis. In 2012 the office was relocated to Stuttgart .

Voluntary service

The BKHW has been sending volunteers to Bolivia since 2006, and since 2007 also as part of the Other Service Abroad (ADiA). In July 2008, the BKHW was recognized as a sending organization within the framework of the weltwärts volunteer program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and has been sending volunteers to Bolivia since the weltwärts program began. In addition, the BKHW also organizes the South-North exchange of Bolivian young people to Germany. Currently (2017) 16 Bolivian young people are doing voluntary service in the Stuttgart area and in Berlin.

Main focus of work and goals

Projects

The focus of the work is the promotion of projects in Bolivia in order to promote a positive development of the country and the future prospects and to provide help for self-help. Most of the supported projects are located in the capital Sucre , as well as in La Paz / El Alto , Santa Cruz and Cochabamba , Tarija , Comarapa and Independencia .

The close continuous cooperation and personal contact with the local partner organizations in Bolivia, as well as the feedback from the volunteers deployed in the partner organizations, ensure that the funds are used sensibly and that the donations are invested in projects that create the basis for the future become: in kindergarten, in school, in the training workshop.

public relation

The most important part of public relations work in Germany is to inform the population about the situation of children and young people in Bolivia, the projects to be supported and the use of the donations. The BKHW provides information through its homepage, annual reports and monthly newsletter. In addition, the BKHW organizes its own cultural events (such as concerts) and has been involved in the Summer Festival of Cultures in Stuttgart since 2013.

financing

The BKHW is financed mainly from public grants, donations and contributions from members as well as from sponsoring membership fees.

organization

The Bolivian Children's Fund is a registered association based in Stuttgart.

DZI donation seal

On June 9, 1994, the association received the donation seal of the German Central Institute for Social Issues , which it has worn continuously since then. The share of advertising and administrative expenditure in total expenditure is low according to the DZI standard (“low” = below 10%).

Memberships, cooperations, prices

Membership in associations and organizations in Bolivia:

The Bolivian Children's Fund e. V. works with over 50 non-profit partner organizations and has its own partner organization in Sucre, Bolivia (Fundación BKHW Bolivia).

Membership in associations and organizations in Germany:

Working group of the Latin American associations Baden-Württemberg e. V. (Circulo Latino)
Forum of Cultures Stuttgart e. V.
Stuttgart partnership One world
Association of Development Exchange Organizations V. (ventao)
Association of the Waldenbuch Board of Directors

One World Prize 2010 from the Baden-Württemberg Development Cooperation Foundation: In 2010 the Bolivianische Kinderhilfswerk e. V. was awarded the One World Prize Baden-Württemberg for development policy engagement in the category of non-governmental organizations and private engagement abroad. The prize is awarded every three years by the Baden-Württemberg Development Cooperation Foundation (SEZ).