According to the 2001 census, 45 percent of Bolivia’s population is children and adolescents under the age of 18. Children’s rights are not widely recognized in Bolivia’s culture. Children are often viewed as objects and their parents' property.
Even then, many parents are discarding their “property.” According to UNICEF, an estimated 3,700 children and adolescents live on the streets in the cities of La Paz, El Alto, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Tarija, and Sucre. This represents a growing social problem in Bolivia. The living conditions of street children are deplorable, affecting their physical and emotional well-being. Street children are susceptible to sniffing glue, consuming drugs and alcohol, and being involved in prostitution. Most of these children have been living on the streets since their birth.
ACT: You can partner with WGM Bolivia’s ministry to street children. Support Rick and Lori Lampen with a monthly gift to account # 21620-CALL. Please note the account number on the memo line of your check.
Beginning at 8 a.m., WGM’s Prayer Lifeline will feature a prayer for Bolivia. Call 671.7232 (Marion, Indiana, area) or 1.800.426.0846 (toll free) to join the prayer intercession.
You may also access these prayers at www.wgm.org/lifeline.
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