Join us in Bolivia as Habitat works to ensure that children receiving cancer treatment have adequate housing conditions once they return home. These shelter improvements will help to facilitate their recovery and reduce the risks of associated diseases.
While on this trip you’ll learn how adequate shelter contributes to the overall health of families in Bolivia. Currently, the houses in this area experience water and sanitation problems. Not only that, but the walls are made of adobe bricks which allow humidity to pass, the roofs are unstable and the floors are made of earth, which spreads disease.
You’ll spend the week on the build site improving a family’s home modularly. You’ll help construct the child’s room, the kitchen and a bathroom. You’ll help move and place bricks, cut and tie rebar, mix cement, dig trenches and lay the floors of the home. Skilled masons and construction leaders will guide you as you learn about Bolivian building techniques.
Throughout the week you’ll meet members of the community and the families whose children are undergoing cancer treatment. In the evenings, you’ll explore the local area with your team, enjoy dinner together as a group, and reflect on the week’s experiences.
Itinerary
- Friday: Travel. Grab your packed bags and head for Bolivia!
- Saturday: Welcome. Arrive at El Alto International Airport where you’ll be greeted by Habitat staff and meet your team over dinner.
- Sunday: Learn and explore. Staff will share about Habitat’s work in the region and barriers to affordable housing there. You’ll learn more about the week’s project in the morning and explore the community in the afternoon.
- Monday-Thursday: Build. Grab breakfast at your hotel before departing for the build site. You’ll receive a daily safety orientation, meet members of the community, and work alongside your team members.
- Friday: Celebrate. Spend time on the build site in the morning before celebrating the week’s accomplishments in the afternoon. You’ll travel back to your hotel and reflect on the week with your team.
- Saturday: Explore. Sightsee around the city with your team and enjoy authentic Bolivian food at a local restaurant. You’ll have time to visit markets, local attractions and more before gathering together for a farewell dinner.
- Sunday: Goodbyes. Continue your journey in Bolivia independently or depart for home.
Leading this team
Hilary Trudell will lead this team to Bolivia. She is the director of local programming at the Clinton School of Public Service and leads first-year Masters of Public Service candidates through their first required field experience. She has been leading teams of Habitat volunteers since her AmeriCorps days in 2007 and is thrilled by the prospect of leading her sixth team.
When asked why she continues to lead Global Village teams, Hilary shared, “I appreciate the opportunity to witness the impact that the experience has on volunteers and on the relationships built with families and communities outside of my own.”
