The forgotten generation: Old people in Bolivia

Location:	El Alto, La Paz, Bolivia
Category:	Health
Published:	01 March 2008
Progress:	96% funded
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Rating:	39 Ratings

Usually we focus our help on the children of Africa and Latin America which, of course, is the right thing to do. But while first visiting Bolivia I found that many of the older people live in alarming circumstances. They often sit at busy streets or squares trying to sell self-made food, used clothes or some odds and ends like safety pins. Sometimes they even just ask for pittances. Each year, around Christmas, the family I was living with bought presents for the children of the neighbourhood paid by themselves and some donations from Germany.

But what about the old people? Thus, we had the idea to organize something similar for the old people of the neighbourhood. In 2003 we started to pack so called "canestones" (packages containing food like tea, butter, pasta, cookies and so on). Since then, each year at Christmas time we have given these canestones to the old people. Thereby we created kind of a tradition which now is well-known in the neighbourhood of Villa Luisa. For some old people this is the only time in the year that they get a present.

We - a group of senior ladies in Berlin - would like to continue this tradition in 2008. Thus, we now would like to raise the necessary money for food packages which will be given to 50 poor old people. Therewith we also want to improve their poor health conditions due to malnourishement for a short while.We need 5 Euro for each gift hamper. It would be much appreciated if you would support our idea, although it might not be a typical development project.
(translated by betterplace)

Incomplete (1):

• 5 Gefüllte Lebensmitteltüten für Senior/-innen

  0% funded

  Donate

  • Redeem Voucher
  One for 5 Euro. • Still needed: 25 Euro • Published 13 March 2010
  Etwa fünf Euro werden benötigt, um eine Tüte mit Lebensmitteln wie Öl, Nudeln, Tee, Marmelade und Süßigkeiten wie einem Weihnachtskuchen, Schokolade und Keksen zu füllen.

Completed (12):

• 50 Gift hamper

  100% funded
  One for 5 Euro. • Published 01 March 2008
  With only 5 Euro you enable the purchase of one gift hamper.

German (28)

Supporters (23):

• 
  A. Novak
• 
  m. Pieterse
• 
  G. Mueller
• 
  Bernd N.
• 
  M. Hansen
• 
  K. Specht
• 
  J. Hoffmann

Advocates (4):

• 

  G. Mueller

  54/F • Hamburg, Germany

  Auch in Bosnien-Herzegowina ist die Altersarmut heute ein Problem. Es macht mich sehr betroffen, wenn alte Menschen z.B. im Muell nach Nahrung suchen, aber auch wenn alte Frauen bei Eiseskaelte versuchen, ein paar Habseligkeiten oder selbstgestrickte Socken an der Strasse oder auf dem Markt zu verkaufen. Diese Menschen haben ihr Leben lang hart gearbeitet. Sie haetten einen Lebensabend in Ruhe und Sicherheit verdient. Es macht mich traurig, dass sie bis zum letzten Moment um das Allernotwendigste zum Leben kaempfen muessen. Deswegen kann ich mir auch die Situation der alten Menschen in Bolivien sehr gut vorstellen. Ich finde diese Initiative sehr schoen und moechte Sie bitten fuer diese Paeckchen zu spenden.

Visitors (0):