What do the Eggens do?
Occasionally we get asked to describe what we do on a daily basis here in Bolivia. That particular question is hard to answer, since our daily tasks vary significantly. One day might be spent working on the ministry website, putting together a group therapy lesson, visiting the homes, or showing visitors around La Paz. One day we might be visiting kids on the street, or dealing with a "crisis" in the home or on the streets when something bad happens to a kid. So instead of trying to answer the impossible question of what we do on a daily basis, I want to share with you what our larger goals are as a ministry and as missionaries.
First, we work with Children of the Streets in La Paz, Bolivia. Bolivia is a land-locked country in South America and is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. (Haiti is the poorest.) Most Bolivian families make less than $2/day. Our ministry is located in La Paz, which is the functional capital of Bolivia, and is the highest capital in the world. La Paz is bordered by El Alto, which is a rapidly expanding city and one of the poorest in the region.
The children we work live on the streets, and primarily within the city of La Paz. They are abandoned, abused, neglected, and invisible. Most of society either chooses not to notice them, or purposely avoids recognizing them. Over 90% of our children report abuse either in their homes, on the streets, or both and over 90% of them huff paint thinner to dull their senses. Many of the girls living on the streets are involved in prostitution. Boys and girls both are abused physically and sexually by adults living on the streets, or by passing adults and authorities. Life on the streets is not easy, is dangerous, and is addictive. While the evidence is only through observation, it seems that about 10% of the population dies each year.
Our homes focuses on reaching boys ages 6-12 and bringing them into our residential home. Our mission is to return to these children their rights, dignity, a home, family, and education and help them develop to their full potential. We see each child as an individual, and strive to continually improve our program to retain each child that enters our program. Transition is not easy for these boys. They leave a life that is without schedule or rules, and involves playing with their friends most of the day. While street life has its dangers in the short-term focus of a child playing soccer all day often sounds funner than studying all day. Our homes have a great success rate, and we pride ourselves in helping boys that have failed in other homes and have nowhere else to go.
We often get asked about a girls home, and the reality is that girls have much different needs than boys. It is not simply constructing another home. In many ways, it is constructing another program. The day we are blessed with a large donation of seed money we would love to start developing such a program.
Our goal as missionaries is to develop individuals and an organization that will see that vision through, but without being personally responsible for the completion of that vision. We are convinced that within this generation the biggest agents of change in Bolivia will be Bolivians. The key agents of change for the next generation will, hopefully, be former street children advocating for the rights and care of children in Bolivia. We are committed to developing Bolivian leaders who can be visionaries in their own right, take ownership of the overall vision, and make that a reality within this context. We are hopeful for a future where resources exist that allow us to focus our efforts on the multiplication of this program within Bolivia or internationally.
While there is no quiz at the end of this reading, we hope it helps you grasp what guides our daily work as an organization and as individuals.
For some more reading here are a couple of relevant articles in Wikipedia and our website:
Bolivian Street Children Project - http://www.bolivianstreetchildren.org
Street Children - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_children
La Paz - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Paz
El Alto - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Alto
First, we work with Children of the Streets in La Paz, Bolivia. Bolivia is a land-locked country in South America and is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. (Haiti is the poorest.) Most Bolivian families make less than $2/day. Our ministry is located in La Paz, which is the functional capital of Bolivia, and is the highest capital in the world. La Paz is bordered by El Alto, which is a rapidly expanding city and one of the poorest in the region.
The children we work live on the streets, and primarily within the city of La Paz. They are abandoned, abused, neglected, and invisible. Most of society either chooses not to notice them, or purposely avoids recognizing them. Over 90% of our children report abuse either in their homes, on the streets, or both and over 90% of them huff paint thinner to dull their senses. Many of the girls living on the streets are involved in prostitution. Boys and girls both are abused physically and sexually by adults living on the streets, or by passing adults and authorities. Life on the streets is not easy, is dangerous, and is addictive. While the evidence is only through observation, it seems that about 10% of the population dies each year.
Our homes focuses on reaching boys ages 6-12 and bringing them into our residential home. Our mission is to return to these children their rights, dignity, a home, family, and education and help them develop to their full potential. We see each child as an individual, and strive to continually improve our program to retain each child that enters our program. Transition is not easy for these boys. They leave a life that is without schedule or rules, and involves playing with their friends most of the day. While street life has its dangers in the short-term focus of a child playing soccer all day often sounds funner than studying all day. Our homes have a great success rate, and we pride ourselves in helping boys that have failed in other homes and have nowhere else to go.
We often get asked about a girls home, and the reality is that girls have much different needs than boys. It is not simply constructing another home. In many ways, it is constructing another program. The day we are blessed with a large donation of seed money we would love to start developing such a program.
Our goal as missionaries is to develop individuals and an organization that will see that vision through, but without being personally responsible for the completion of that vision. We are convinced that within this generation the biggest agents of change in Bolivia will be Bolivians. The key agents of change for the next generation will, hopefully, be former street children advocating for the rights and care of children in Bolivia. We are committed to developing Bolivian leaders who can be visionaries in their own right, take ownership of the overall vision, and make that a reality within this context. We are hopeful for a future where resources exist that allow us to focus our efforts on the multiplication of this program within Bolivia or internationally.
While there is no quiz at the end of this reading, we hope it helps you grasp what guides our daily work as an organization and as individuals.
For some more reading here are a couple of relevant articles in Wikipedia and our website:
Bolivian Street Children Project - http://www.bolivianstreetchildren.org
Street Children - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_children
La Paz - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Paz
El Alto - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Alto
posted by Unknown @ 11:07 AM
2 Comments:
At 10:54 PM,
Unknown said…
As always, you, the children and the ministry are are in my prayers.
God Bless you all.
Mom
At 2:26 PM,
Unknown said…
You guys are awesome! God has provided and will continue to provide your family with the strength needed for the ministry.
Saludos :) Katia
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