Annual Report 2002

Background

Project Angels of Hope, PAOH, was founded by Michael and Virginia Marroquin. They are formerly of Round Rock, TX, and currently live in the Chapare jungle of Bolivia. The Marroquins plan, coordinate, and supervise all of the activities of the Project in the Chapare with the aid and orientation of their Board of Advisors and the local people, as well as Bolivian volunteer specialists. A Board of Directors, centered in Austin, TX, determines the PAOH mission and purpose, reviews the application of funds, approves the budget, and oversees the Project planning both in Bolivia by the Marroquins and in the United States by the U.S.A. Director.
PAOH's work is limited to the Chapare area near Cochabamba, Bolivia. It is located in the "red zone" where the collection of coca leaves has been vigorously combated by the government. Telephone and electrical services are available but precariously. Transportation is difficult over unpaved and poorly maintained roads.

Mission Statement

Project Angels of Hope is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to helping raise helpless and hopeless Bolivian children out of poverty. PAOH believes that the best way to help children in a permanent way is to begin with their families.

A study profiling the local people, their society, culture, and living conditions highlighted the needs of this Bolivian community. As a result, PAOH decided to offer to parents education, health practices, survival skills, and the religious support to pass to their children. These offerings are conducted through hands-on, interactive programs working with locally accessible materials and community members as much as possible. Families are encouraged to participate actively in their local jungle communities and both give support to and draw support from one another.

Goals, Objectives, and Strategies

Theoretical (philosophical) perspective
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In order to aid the needy with any sustainability, one must adopt a perspective of an "empty head and empty hands," i.e., without preconceived proposals and predetermined projects, according to the Conference of Brazilian Bishops. Implicit in this approach is the understanding that the poor, and people in general, often know what they need but lack the means of acquiring it. Historically, this lack of means includes organization skills, monetary support, and material resources. The resulting reaction is PAOH's effort to form a respectful, inclusive network of services and educational offerings created to meet emergent and identified needs, while drawing upon the strengths and innate wisdom of the community. The desire is to create a community of people who are healthy, self-sufficient, and have a sense of purpose and accomplishment within their own lives.

The community needs and resources are identified through a variety of techniques, but basically, by meeting the people where they are. PAOH continually conducts a census and survey of the focus families. Personal visits by PAOH members to the homes and fields of the people yield information that cannot be accurately obtained in any other way. Local meetings conducted by PAOH members reveal the level of willingness of the people to work together as well as which needs they are willing to address. These meetings also determine leaders and the readiness of the others to follow the leadership. Through the meetings the members of PAOH can present themselves to the people and foster mutual confidence.

After study and consultation, PAOH determines what programs can be provided to help the community. Local people are identified and trained in the programs. These people then help train others. Since both Michael and Virginia participate in the training, both men and women become open to be trained by other men and women. Children are drawn into the program activities as much as possible with the support of the adults. Ideally, the adults guide and support the youth and youth guide and support the children under adult supervision. PAOH expects these techniques will build stronger conjugal bonds and trust, foster more active, unified families, and promote more effective and efficient communities.

Project Angels of Hope is supported through financial contributions and, especially, the Child Sponsorship Program, described below. The U.S.A. Director coordinates a group of volunteer workers and maintains a web page on the internet at http://projectangelsofhope.org. One can contact this person by email at:
USADirector@ProjectAngelsOfHope.org.

Programs

Census Taking

Before a family can become a part of the Project, PAOH members visit the home. These members gather information such as cultural background, work history, health history, family history, child mortality, family size, hygienic practices, etc. They also record the family's hopes and expectations. In 2002, PAOH members visited about 200 families.

Child Sponsorship Program

One result of the family survey is to determine which children can be prepared for sponsorship. PAOH raises financial support from the United States through the promotion of individual "adoption" of the children. These monthly contributions are directed to the children, both directly and through their families by means of different programs.

Health Program

A small clinic is located at the Project center. A doctor and two nurses attend to health problems. Vaccinations and medicines, furnished by the Project, are fundamental in promoting health and controlling epidemics, such as yellow fever, malaria, and intestinal parasites. Dengue is now reaching epidemic proportions.

Basic Health Education Services

Hygiene-—With the aid of a doctor and two nurses, basic hygiene is taught to the Project families. This brought about the campaign for a latrine at each Project member's home. Families are taught why one should properly wash the body, use adequate soap.

Medical-—Family orientation about intestinal parasites, coupled with the collection of individual stool samples led to the reduction of debilitating symptoms and reestablished healthy practices. PAOH sponsored five major surgeries performed in Cochabamba. Parents are instructed in the treatment of small wounds, what to look for in common illnesses, and when to call a physician.

Dental-—PAOH furnished two dentists who gave full dental care to over 150 children. PAOH took another 100 for dental care at a local hospital. In family visits children are shown how to brush their teeth.

Child Care-—Ten expectant mothers received prenatal care, vitamins and iron supplements, and transportation to and from the hospital for delivery. Parents learn child care techniques at the Project center.

Formal Education Programs

Pre-school-—PAOH finds it necessary to provide day-care at the Project center for the very small children. Within the local culture, children usually accompany their mothers into the fields where they become victims of parasites, snakes, and insect bites. At the center children can learn self-respect, respect of others, and cooperation in games as well as enjoy a nutritional meal.

Educational Assistance

Elementary-—Children in the Chapare are not allowed into public schools without a school uniform and certain school supplies. PAOH aided 240 children who could not have acquired them.

Technical-—PAOH sponsors students who are accepted into a technical school and are willing to study hard to learn a profession.

Work Hours Program

Consistent with the philosophy of a community-driven program, each member is responsible for providing a certain number of hours monthly to the Project, the number of hours vary by the individual's age and health. Assignment of project members' tasks occurs through local meetings.

PAOH participates in the monthly meetings of the local rural workers' union of each sponsored community to address their needs. The union members vote on the proposals and are assigned tasks to perform. A community leader is responsible for the workers and the given tasks.

Latrines Program

Efforts continue to enable each family of the Project to construct a latrine. This program includes orientation on the use and maintenance of the latrine as well as its purpose in avoiding disease.

Gardening Program

PAOH directs a program of home gardens as a means of self-sufficiency, nutrition and sense of accomplishment. Each of the four sponsored communities has adopted a program. Local public school teachers instruct the children in gardening techniques. Seeds are provided by PAOH.

Handicraft Program

This program is especially directed to home-bound women. A knitting program in 2001 prepared several dozen women in this skill and some were able to sell their handiwork. A rural teacher in handicrafts was hired for the fall semester and lived at the Project to teach more profitable skills. The teacher instructed 60 women in making of hats of native materials and Christmas cards for sale in the United States.

Youth Program

Students from Cochabamba have integrated themselves with the youth of the Chapare. The students helped prepare a Christmas party for 700 community members and distributed some 600 presents to the local children. They have also participated in retreats with the local youth.

Bolivian Culture Program

While still in its early stages of development, this program promotes the local culture and Quechua language. This includes educational and instructional movies in Quechua and encourages native music and dances at public and religious gatherings. One such was the Christmas pageant where 30 children participated in song and dance.

Emergency Food and Shelter Program

PAOH helps several dozen families every month with this special care. Usually the Program workers discover signs of malnutrition, anemia, and diarrhea when parents bring their children for their periodic development and growth check-up.

Transportation Program

Program participants may need three or more hours to reach the Project on foot. PAOH provides transportation in a covered pick-up truck to and from the Project site, the nearby hospitals and clinics, and for the weekly Mass. Usually some 500 people are given such rides each week.

Religious Programs for
Catholic Project Members

Project members are encouraged to be faithful to whatever religion they practice, though religious instruction is given only to Catholics.

Liturgy-—Weekly Mass is celebrated by some 200 adults presided by a local priest, while the children are given religious instruction and taught to pray.

Prayer groups-—These spring up in the local communities. PAOH encourages and supports these groups in their prayer and outreach to others.

Instruction-—Project members prepare adults for matrimony and baptism of their children. They teach Christian doctrine to the youth in preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation and children for Holy Eucharist.