CRS History in Bolivia

With our partner organizations, Catholic Relief Services Bolivia has been responding to the country's social and political challenges since 1955. The early years of CRS' work in Bolivia focused on delivering humanitarian food assistance to poor communities in collaboration with the Bolivian government, the national Caritas office and the U.S. government. In the intervening 50 years, CRS Bolivia has helped to improve the quality of life for thousands of Bolivians, shifting the focus from basic assistance to an integral approach to development that strives for long-term sustainability.

In spite of its rich cultural heritage, Bolivia has long been one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere. Life expectancy is just 66 years of age, and the average per capita income is below $2,300 per year. The country ranks 28th on the poverty index for developing countries, slightly ahead of Nicaragua. Just 46 percent of the population has access to basic sanitation services and 85 percent has access to potable water, with stark differences between urban and rural populations. Only 45 percent of the population has access to basic health services and the country’s infant mortality rate is the highest in the continent at 54 deaths for every 1,000 births.

Internal migration, fueled by natural disaster and the lack of employment in rural areas, has deteriorated the quality of life in Bolivia's cities. Meanwhile, migration to neighboring countries and Europe has led to human rights abuses and exploitation of Bolivians for cheap labor. Although modest improvements have been made, many Bolivians cannot meet their most basic needs, including water and sanitation, primary education, and basic health and hygiene.

For the first time in the nation's history, an indigenous Bolivian was democratically elected president in 2005. Evo Morales, an Aymara native from the western region of the country, has made the fight against inequality, and advocacy for the country's indigenous groups, priorities of his administration.

Although political turmoil and instability have rocked Bolivia in recent years, CRS Bolivia continues to work with the poor. In 2006, CRS responded to some of the worst flooding in Bolivia's history. In partnership with the National Caritas office, CRS provided food, water, clothing and hygiene kits to thousands of Bolivian families affected by the floods in the northern and eastern parts of the country. CRS continues to support flood victims with agricultural rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the department of Cochabamba, in central Bolivia. Today, CRS programs focus on health, housing, water and sanitation, emergency response, peacebuilding, and the strengthening of civil society.