Tahuantinsuyo Community Centre

From 2018 to 2024 HBF supported children and their families at the Tahuantinsuyo Community Centre. 

The Tahuantinsuyo (Tah-wan-tin-soo'-yo) Community Centre is located in a gritty and impoverished neighbourhood of El Alto. Children attend school only half a day in Bolivia, so the community centre is where they could be safe and happy  for the rest of the day, helping to protect them from the risk of exposure to gangs and abuse.  

On-site Educators improved each child's chances of success at school and within their community by providing extra curriculum, help with homework, and counselling for the children,  many of whom face challenges stemming from domestic violence and/or sexual abuse environments. Children in the program ranged in age from 3 to 18 years of age.  

Families were required to pay a small token admission for their children to attend the community centre. These families were referred to the centre by schools and community leaders, and are survivors of  domestic violence, and may face issues of abandonment, or have parents out of work or in temporary jobs.  Many of the families were single parent. 

Most of these families have migrated to the city of El Alto from the countryside in the hopes of elevating themselves and their families out of poverty.  Like most parents, they want a better life for themselves and their children. Sadly, many  parents & grandparents are illiterate, and are unable to help their children with homework.  The majority of the families are of the indigenous group the Aymara.  Often the grandparents can only speak their regional dialect.  

In addition to homework support, extra educational classes, and counselling, Help Bolivia also ran a hot lunch program that provided a daily nutritious meal to the children at the community centre.  For the vast majority, this was the only nutritious meal they received in a day. 

Hungry children have a hard time learning. Educational support, and a lunch program are vital components of building brighter futures for these underprivileged children. 

HBF opened a new Centre in El Alto in March 2025.  Many families from the Tahuantinsuyo program are in the new Centre.