Profile Capabilities

First Stage of Life

ChildFund Offices Bolivia
ChildFund is a non-government development and protection organization that works with children in 30
countries around the world, benefitting 19.2 million children and young people, their families and communities.
In Bolivia, ChildFund began their work in the country in 1979 through an operational agreement with the
Government of Bolivia. Together with local partners (community grassroots organizations), ChildFund
responds to the challenges faced by deprived, excluded and vulnerable children, adolescents and young
people to support them to become leaders and adults that are committed to childrens rights.

Contact Information
Country

Bolivia

Office Director

Wendy McFarren

Address

Achumani bajo, calle 5 (Francisca Orozco),

Edificio Q Business Center 578, piso 3

Telephone:

(591) 2-2770640 (591) 2-2771377

Website:

https://www.childfund.org/Bolivia-Spanish/

Geographic coverage area

18 local partners in 5 departments: La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Tarija

Summary of ChildFund Bolivias work in early childhood

The First Stage of Life program in Bolivia is designed so that children under the age of 6 grow up healthy
and protected and develop capacities for psychosocial interactions with their families and in their local
settings. Using a rights-based approach, the program adopts a vision of long-term development based on
the Theory of Change to positively influence families in a sustainable manner and contribute to the reduction
of underlying causes of deprivation, exclusion and vulnerability. The program develops the skills of primary
caregivers and engages in actions that favor early childhood development, such as early stimulation activities
implemented in community centers or homes.

Prioritized targeted areas

Training of parents and primary caregivers
Early stimulation for early childhood development
Childhood health
Maternal and neonatal health
Child nutrition
1

Experience of key staff members in the implementation of early childhood

projects
National level - 2 staff: Program Manager: Physician who is a specialist in public health and epidemiology
with experience in maternal, neonatal and childhood health. First Stage of Life Programs Officer: Childrens
physiotherapist with experience in childhood development and rehabilitation.
Sub-national level - 124 staff: 24 psychologists, pedagogues, doctors and teachers with experience in
child development and maternal, neonatal and childrens health. 100 community guides who are volunteer
parents, have received training in integrated childhood development and have worked in the area of early
childhood for the past 8 years with participating families.

Partners
International:
World Forum Foundation
Barnfonden, Suecia
Canadian Agency for International Development
FLASS Canada
National and local levels:
Ministry of Health and Sports
Oruro Departmental Health Services (SEDES)
Municipal Government of San Pedro de Totora - Oruro
Vice Ministry of Alternative Education - Oruro
Municipal Council of El Alto

Special recognition or prizes

Acknowledgement at a local departmental level from the Oruro SEDES Departmental Health Service that
recognised the organisation as a leader in the area of child development.

Previous work of ChildFund Bolivia in national and international settings.

In 2007 ChildFund Bolivia participated in an international event organized by the World Forum Foundation
that was the start of a global leadership process involving advocacy actions for early childhood development
with a focus on a childs first two years of life. Since that time, ChildFund International has engaged in
advocacy work with organizations that promote child development as well as the Ministries of Health,
Education and Justice.
In 2011, ChildFund Bolivia presented the results obtained in the project titled Incorporation of the Child
Development Component in the Zero Malnutrition National Program to the Society for Research in Child
Development (SCRD). This study demonstrated the importance of an integrated approach to a childs growth
and development in their first two years of life.

Year

Objective

Results

Financing

Incorporation of
early childhood
development
i n t o
t h e
National Zero
Malnutrition
program. Oruro
Department,
Municipal
District IV.

Increase coverage
for the provision
of assistance and
monitoring of integrated
early childhood
development for
children under the age
of 2 in the framework of
the area of Growth and
Development.

1) 90% increase in coverage in the services that promote

the growth and development of children under the age
of 2 years compared to the previous year.
2) Integrated assistance provided in the areas of growth,
development and prevalent health problems for children
under the age of 2 years.
3) 948 children that have growth and/or development
problems reach the minimum weight, height and
development milestones for their age:
3a) 45% recovery of children suffering from slight
malnutrition, 18.75% recovery of children
suffering from moderate malnutrition;
3b) 16.6% recovery of children suffering from severe
malnutrition;
3c) 89.6% recovery of children suffering from limited
development in accordance with a childs age.

Total: USD
$21,000.00
financed by:

Strengthening
of the Manitos
program, El Alto

Strengthen the
educational services
provided to children
under the age of 6 in
the Manitos childcare
centers in District V of
the city of El Alto.

1) 3 Manitos centers in the District V of El Alto

improved their infrastructure and equipment for the
implementation of child development activities.
2) 2 centers renovated and have additional equipment in
Villa Remedios and Santa Rosa
3) 93 educators hired by the municipal government to work
in 16 centers in the Municipality of El Alto.
4) Training of educators in alternative forms of stimulation
with paper and cloth materials based on the experiences
of childhood development centers in Japan.
5) Provision of educational materials to 9 early childhood
centers in District V of the city of El Alto.

Total: USD
$32,700.00
financed by:

Contribute to reducing
maternal and neonatal
mortality in rural
zones through:
a) Improving the
quality of communitybased maternal/
neonatal services.
b) Improving the quality
of health services
for obstetric and
neonatal emergencies.
c) Increasing the
coverage of births
attended to by trained
staff, including
traditional midwives.

1) Increase of pregnant women that have 4 prenatal

medical checkups from 46% to 67.3% in two years.
2) Increase of vaccination coverage with the percentage
of pregnant mothers vaccinated increasing from 19.4%
to 35.1%.
3) 3 Municipal Health Centers have updated equipment and
trained staff to provide maternal and neonatal health
services.
4) 94 traditional midwives trained in maternal and
neonatal health and hygienic conditions for births and
are in contact with public health services for possible
emergencies through cellphone networks.
5) Increase in the provision of medical assistance during
births by trained staff from 22.7% to 45.1%.
6) Reduction in the number of births that dont receive
medical assistance from trained staff, dropping from
46.1% to 39.8% over two years.
7) Increase in the provision of hygienic conditions for
births from 45.1% to 71.03%.
8) Increase in post-partum medical assistance from 12.9%
to 58.4%.
9) Increase in immediate breast-feeding from 66.9% to
81.2%.

Total: USD
$231,805.00
financed by
CCF and in-kind
contributions
from community
members (time
donated by
midwives).

2007-2009

2007-2009

Title of the
project

2006-2007

Description of Successful Projects

Sub-regional
program for
maternal and
neonatal health
(Sky Funds
p r o g r a m )
implemented
in Bolivia,
Honduras and
Guatemala.

- Ministry of
Health and Sports
O r u r o
Departmental
Health Service
( S E D E S )
- Municipal
Government
of El Alto
- CCF Bolivia

- CCF Bolivia
- Municipal
Government
of El Alto
- Contributions
from families
living in two
neighborhoods
(Santa Rosa and
Villa Remedios)

Year

Title of the
project

2009-2011

Integrated
Communitybased Early
Childhood
Development
program: From
my roots.

Objective

Results

Financing

Contribute to child
development and health
in the Municipality
of Totora through
interactions with public
health institutions, local
community leaders
and the municipal
government.

1) 171% increase in coverage of services for the early

childhood population in 10 health centers.
2) Municipal Government of San Pedro de Totora allocates
10% of its annual municipal budget for integrated child
development activities.
3) 31% of recovery for children at risk of limited growth
and development in terms of achieving age-based child
development milestones.
4) 100% of acceptance of health services among families
living in rural areas associated with:
4.1) Implementation of a culturally appropriate birthing
ward in coordination with Unicef and SEDES.
4.2) Implementation of child-friendly spaces for children
and women while they wait for assistance in health
clinics (communication products, educational
videos and educational games for children under
the age of 5 years).
4.3) Organization of a community child development
network with participation from young people and
articulated with local health services.
4.4) Establishment of a nutritional recovery ward (UNI
for its initials in Spanish) in coordination with the
Zero Malnutrition program.
4.5) Provision of visual aids and materials for the
monitoring of individual growth and development
of children under the age of 5 used by families,
caregivers, community networks and staff from
the 10 health services.
4.6) Diffusion of information in Municipal Information
Analysis Communities and in biannual meetings
with local community leaders (Mallkus).

Total: CDN
$80,110.22
financed by
the Canadian
International
Development
Agency, through
an initiative led by
FLASS Canada.

WE BELIEVE
WE BELIEVE that each child has the right to receive the support, protection and care that they
need so that they can grow up healthy, educated and safe.
WE BELIEVE that the well being of all children leads to the well being of the world.
We help children achieve their full development during all stages of life so that they can
be leaders of long-lasting change.
WE BELIEVE that each one of us has the power to help children grow.
WE BELIEVE that when you support children you improve the world and yourselves.
In this way we create opportunities for individuals and institutions to positively impact on
the lives and futures of children.