Luna Llena

Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. In El Alto, a city in the west of Bolivia with 1 million inhabitants, 70 percent of the population live on less than $1 a day and nearly 90 percent of them are illiterate. Many children are on the streets, confronted with drugs and crime. Often, they start working at a young age, for example, as street sellers, and many end up in prostitution.

The project Luna Llena of the Fundación is helping these children byworking through the night on the streets of El Alto. The workers of Luna Llena walk every night throughout the city and provide the children with food and medicine. In addition, the children receive school materials to help them pursue education as well as supplies needed for their work. The workers from the Fundación also establish personal relationships with the children and their families to help solve the root problems.

Currently, Luna Llena reaches around 40 children between 7-14 years every night. The project seeks to prevent these children from slipping into drugs or Pandillas, groups of youngsters prone to violence. McKinsey for Children is funding the extension of the program from previously three nights a week to seven nights a week.

We cooperate in Bolivia with the Fundación, a non-profit organization that currently has three projects in El Alto helping street children: Luz en la Oscuridad helping drug-addicted children, and Cien Pasos caring for young children that work as shoe polishers, and Luna Llena.