Niños con Valor Children – Children and women’s home, Cochabamba, Bolivia

With over 400,000 orphaned and abandoned children living in Bolivia there is a great sense of hopelessness. Niños con Valor, which means Children with Value, is a Bolivian non-profit organization based in the city of Cochabamba. The organization works to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged and impoverished children and youth. At present, Niños con Valor is growing its vision to include the severely marginalized and discriminated against population of children and youth living with HIV/AIDS. Niños con Valor runs several homes including one for young girls. It is also working with a group of about 12 street children and adolescents near the bus terminal. Niños con Valor journeys to the terminal area 2-3 nights per week, and mostly listens to what’s going on in their lives and suggests what might help. Much of this time has been spent building relationships and trust with these kids who have difficulty trusting that anyone wants to be their friend without any strings attached. The overwhelming majority of them sniff a cheap shoe repair adhesive that acts as a neurotoxin - dulling the pain and both physical and spiritual emptiness of their lives. For more information go to their website at http://www.ninosconvalor.org/