From the Field

Scenes of everyday life in rural Bolivia

A family walks home after church in Soracachi. Local folklore says ancient Incans used a big slingshot to hurl the giant rock in the center from the mountaintop across the valley. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns in rural Bolivia where World Vision works.

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two Bolivian towns where World Vision works.Pitching in: Lucio Mamani Katari (center), a farmer in Soracachi, Bolivia, helps break down a wall near a school. Generous not only with his time, Lucio brings his best produce to World Vision staff to give away to others.

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Tea time: Melissa Rodriguez Mamani, 10, plays with her clay pot collection in Soracachi. She says she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. The pink hat is a gift from her U.S. sponsor. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Sisterhood: Anabel Orosco, 7, tickles her older sister Rocio, 11, at home in Colomi, Bolivia. Both girls are sponsored. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Turning up: Basilia Orosco harvests potatoes in Colomi for her family to eat. The potato originated in the high Andes somewhere between Peru and Bolivia. There are more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Mealtime: Rocio brings her mother, Basilia, a basket of peas to cook for lunch. The large rocks on their tin roof prevent it from flying away in the wind. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Don’t forget the leash: Dogs are not the only animals that need to be walked in Colomi. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Walking on water: Rocio walks to get water from a nearby ground well for washing dishes and cooking. Pesticides from surrounding potato fields wash into the river, making the water poisonous to drink. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Getting it done: “This is where I do my homework. We have no light. No electricity. This is how we live,” Rocio says. The illiteracy rate in Bolivia has fallen to the lowest the country has ever seen at 3.1% of the population. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Scenes of everyday life in rural BoliviaField of dreams: A friendly soccer game is played on artificial truf in Soracachi. In this year’s 2015 Copa América tournament, the Bolivian national team advanced to the quarter-finals. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Finally quiet: Basilia holds her 2-year-old granddaughter, Liz, as she sleeps. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Spoonful of sugar: Children buy a piece of candy or two before heading into class for the morning. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Top of the morning: Colomi is nestled between the lush foothills surrounding Lake Corani in central Bolivia. Despite being a country rich with resources, Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Getting around: Motorbikes are often the best way to navigate Colomi’s bumpy roads, as Sponsorship Facilitator Silvana Herrera demonstrates. World Vision launched sponsorship in Colomi in 2010. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Keeping the faith: A Reformed Church of God service in Soracachi is conducted in Aymara, an indigenous language of Bolivia, and in Spanish. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Just play: Children in Colomi play tetherball. The “ball” is made of a plastic bag densely packed with lots of other plastic bags. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Green thumbs: Sponsored children in Soracachi learn to cultivate a variety of fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, celery, carrots, and onions. “With greenhouses, we’ve demonstrated you can keep growing in a dry climate,” says Principal Juan Luna Chino (center). (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Honey-do list: Lucio gets water from his home’s tap one morning in Soracachi while his wife, Alejandrina, sleeps in. In 17 years, World Vision has helped bring access to water to 35 of the 36 communities in the area. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Got milk: Edgar Gutierrez connects a mechanical pump to one of his cows in Soracachi. He will take the milk to a community cooperative where it will be processed to make cheese and yogurt. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Snack time: A boy sneaks some popcorn during a meeting at a children’s center in Colomi. Mothers can leave their children who are under 5 at the center while they go to work in the fields. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

 

Small moments add up to a picture of what life is like for people living in Colomi and Soracachi, two towns where World Vision works in Bolivia.Folk life: Traditional Bolivian dancers spin in a swirl of color during Soracachi’s Saint Joseph’s Day parade. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)

Child Sponsorship

View All Stories
A group of children joyfully jumping in a green field.
From the Field

2024 life frames: Storytelling from World Vision photographers
Children hold hands and walk away from the camera along a dirt road with bicycle tires and tattered siding hanging from posts on the left. A cyclist enters the scene.
From the Field

Global poverty: Facts, FAQs, and how to help

Latin America/Caribbean

View All Stories
A woman kneels in a garden of greens while holding a bunch of turnips. She is smiling, and there are more gardens behind her.
From the Field

Yessica’s story in Honduras: A new view when she looks in the mirror
A pregnant woman in a striped shirt and an aid worker holding relief supplies look at the camera. Pregnant women are seated in rows nearby.
From the Field

Zika virus: Facts, symptoms, and how to help