Youth Work in El Alto
The Better World Initiative has supported Gregg & Sal Beisly, a New Zealand couple who worked with youth in El Alto for several years through Pioneers NZ.
El Alto is a city of around 1 million situated high on the Bolivian plains above the capital of La Paz. While it is a beautiful place, it is also isolated and faces significant poverty. Youth in El Alto navigate many challenges, including lack of income opportunities, drugs, gangs, and violence.
Well Drilling (Agua:Yaku)
Since 2010, Better World Initiative has donated over $10,000 towards Agua:Yaku, a grassroots well-drilling project addressing the fact that 37% of Bolivians lack access to drinkable water.
The Strategy:
Agua:Yaku provides tools and training that allow rural farm families to drill and maintain community wells inexpensively. Using an efficient manual drilling method, families form 'Water Clubs' to share labor and reduce costs, typically spending only $100–$200 on materials per well.
The program has expanded into four departments: Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, and Beni. With at least two teams drilling full-time, participants use their resources to improve health and farmland income, helping children finish their education and escape the generational cycle of poverty.
Approx. 400 wells are drilled each year using locally available materials.