Ciudadela SEDEGES
This orphanage is the place where TIA’s founder Tessa worked during her first visit in 2008. It is a government run and funded orphanage, housing up to 85 children, ages ranging from 0-14 years. The children live in 6 houses, approximately 14 children in each. There is one woman employed in each house to take care of the children. Each house has an eating area, sleeping area, bathroom and living area. Most of the children who live at the orphanage come from families who cannot afford to care for them, or who are abusive and/or alcoholic. Many of them have faced enormous hardship and have experienced trauma that no child should ever experience.
There are constant waves of head lice at the home, and the hygiene conditions are very poor which means the children are constantly getting sick. The lack of staff and constant change of administration means that these children have no steady ongoing support and care. Their development is way behind that of children in more stable environments.
The Water Project (El Proyecto de Agua)
For the past few years the water system at the Ciudadela has been deteriorating. It eventually got to the point where there was no running water to any of the houses that the children live in, and the water that came out of the taps in the rest of the centre was black and contained unsafe chemicals. Tia International Aid partnered up with Projects Abroad, German based organisation Escuelita Cochabamba, and BridgIT Water Foundation to replace the entire water system and provide clean running water to all of the houses and buildings within the centre.
In January 2011, a group of Volunteers through BridgIT and Projects Abroad, along with funding contributed from Tia International Aid, BridgIT, Projects Abroad and Escuelita Cochabamba, worked together to remodel the entire water system at the orphanage. Tessa, TIA’s founder, was also present at this time, and everyone worked as a team to complete the job in less than a month! Now the children have clean, running water to all of the houses and their general health and wellbeing is bound to skyrocket!
Medical Assistance
Early in 2009, Tia International Aid was approached by Escuelita Cochabamba e.V., a German non-profit organisation which also works with Ciudadela SEDEGES, to assist in paying for the wage of the Doctor who works with the children at the orphanage. TIA agreed and subsequently paid for 4 months of this Doctors wage. This Doctor, Lucy Moran, is an indispensable asset to the orphanage, ensuring that the children get regular health checks and are treated for any ailments they contract. The health of the children is of fundamental importance and it is vital that they learn healthy habits, which is something Doctor Moran promotes and encourages. Throughout each year, TIA also provides Dr Moran with medical supplies to be able to treat the children effectively.
Future Projects:
Training Programs
TIA is aiming to set up training programs for carers in the areas of basic first aid, hygiene, child development, and education. At TIA we recognise that children need the best care and support they can get while they are growing up. Child development can be strongly affected by the interaction they have with the people caring for them in the early years. Thus it is vital to their development to ensure that the women working with them at the centre are well equipped with education and training to positively impact the children.
Microfinance
TIA also plans to explore possibilities of providing micro loans to families of the children in the orphanage who are living in poverty. This is an exciting concept which has proven to break the cycle of poverty by providing the seed money and training to empower entrepreneurs in developing countries to start their own businesses and provide further employment opportunities within the community.