Bolivia

We started working in Bolivia in 2009 to reduce poverty and ensure the fulfillment of the most vulnerable older people’s human rights. HelpAge in Bolivia works on the following areas:

• Rights and governance: Promoting and reinforcing older people’s rights.
  
• Secure incomes: Developing ways for older people to earn an income, so they can live secure and dignified lives.
  
• Health: Ensuring older people’s access to the Older People’s Health Insurance (SSPAM).
  
• Disaster risk reduction, emergencies and climate change: Supporting the reduction of older people’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
  
• Gender: Promoting the empowerment of older women.
  
• Migration: Mitigating the impact of migration on older people and their grandchildren.

Life story: Nora, 65

Nora now knows how to respond to disasters, such as landslides. (c) HelpAge International Nora, 65, raised her children on her own and supported them by loading minerals in the mines near La Paz. She has taken part in training sessions organised by HelpAge and the municipal government to prevent and respond to disasters. These groups of trained older people or “White Brigades” were first set up after a landslide happened in 2011.

“When the landslide happened, we didn’t know what to do. We were all very nervous. We were told that we had to leave our houses, but some of us didn’t want to. It was terrible; no one knew how to react.

“I looked for a training course to become part of the brigades to learn how to prevent disasters and help others. During this kind of events, I realised that older people do not get much help,” said Nora.

Older people receive training to register and identify vulnerable older people, recognise risks, develop emergency plans and organise emergency drills.

“This is a very helpful activity, as now we know how to take care of ourselves and face disasters. We know what to do and how to escape from dangerous places. Above all, we know how to help each other,” says Nora.

Supporting older people in Bolivia

Rights and governance

• The work of older people’s organisations has resulted in the approval of the General Law of Older People, which guarantees the fulfillment of older people's rights.
  
• In 2012, our socio-legal centres were visited by 17,500 older people.

Secure income

• Research on the participation of older people from rural areas in the labour market has been carried out to raise awareness of their contributions to the economy.
  
• Nine older people’s organisations have set up businesses to increase their income.
  
• Together with our partners, we developed the National Livelihood Model with a focus on older people, which will be replicated among all our partners.
  

Health

• Through our mental health and dementia project, we trained health staff of five urban and rural municipalities to increase knowledge and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.

Disaster risk reduction, emergencies and climate change

• We have trained nearly 900 older people to respond to emergencies and disasters in La Paz.
  
• 70 families from Tarabuco, Chuquisaca, were trained to manage water resources and improve their agricultural production in order to adapt to climate change.

Gender

• Thanks to the alliance established with the Association of Women Councils in Bolivia, 20% of women councils and mayors from 238 municipalities have proposed public policies that include human rights, gender and ageing.

Migration

• 400 people were involved in a number of initiatives to deal with the negative effects of migration and improve older people’s living conditions.

What next?  

We will continue:

• supporting the development of the General Law for Older People, which has been recently approved,
  
• facilitating the approval of the Plan of Old Age and Ageing,
  
• setting up new socio-legal centres in rural areas, to help older people access their entitlements, such as legal documentation and pensions.

Hear what older Bolivians have to say:

Our Affiliates

Fundación Horizontes

Our partners

Fundación Beni, FUNDEPCO, SUMAJ PUNCHAY, SEPADES, Comunidad Aymarás Urbanos de Pampajasi - CAUP - Awichas, Fundación Horizontes (La Paz), Fundación de Alternativas Sociales y Ecológicas (La Paz y Beni), Instituto Politécnico Tomás Katari (Chuquisaca), Plataforma de Atención Inmediata al Adulto Mayor (Gobierno Autónomo Municipal de La Paz), Promotores Agropecuarios (Chuquisaca), RENACER (Santa Cruz), ACOBOL, Defensoría del Pueblo and 25 socio-legal centres around the country.

Our donors

European Commission, Swedish Embassy, AusAid, World Granny