Virtual Tours Bolivia

Is a picture worth a thousand words? Decide for yourself. Visit our photo gallery--and meet the amazing women of Bolivia. A picture may be the only way to convey the sense of fun and friendship the women experience during their weekly Credit with Education meetings.

Bolivia Photo Gallery

Click on any of the images below for a larger view and description. While they're enlarged, you can browse by clicking the "Next" or "Back" arrows or returning to this page to select another image.

 

Children find ways to amuse themselves as their mothers tend to their small businesses.Mud bricks lay in the sun to dry before being used to build a home.A woman prepares food to sell in the market while her daughter curiously looks at the camera.La Paz is home to one million people, almost one-eighth of Bolivia's total population of 7.8 million.Beautiful, hand-woven blankets are used daily by Bolivians as well as being a favorite purchase for tourists.Families work together in the fields for much of the day to harvest crops.Daughters often assist with their mothers' businesses--such as this girl seen tending to her mother's selection of green beans.Large drawings are often used during the learning sessions to represent concepts and ideas that the women discuss as a group.Mud homes with thatched roofs are the most common type of shelter for families living on the Altiplano.Despite a daily life that can be harsh, Bolivian children are quick to laugh and smile.Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world.The Altiplano sits about 11,500 feet above sea level and is a barren yet majestically beautiful landscape.The daily markets in Bolivia are bustling with color and commerce.Upon arriving at the La Paz airport, one of the first breathtaking sights is a view of the white-capped peaks of the Andes that tower over the city. The highest, called Illimani, stands 21,188 feet high.Farm machinery is too expensive for most Bolivian farmers, so they rely on livestock, as they have for centuries, to do the work.Field agents are local staff who oversee the Credit Associations' weekly meetings and facilitate the learning sessions.The Credit Association's elected officers have the responsibility of collecting and recording weekly loan repayments from each member.The women, always precise about loan disbursements and repayments, count and re-count the money at each meeting.The Secretary and Treasurer of the Credit Association count the money repaid during the weekly meeting.Even the younger generation in Bolivia wears the traditional dress of their ancestors.Older children often help care for the younger ones.Children help their families tend to animals, as this girl is seen leading her family's alpaca (an animal closely related to the llama).This little girl's intense curiosity over the camera made it impossible to coax a smile.This woman sells a diverse inventory of spices and dried food products in the daily market.A Credit Association member proudly displays the hand-knit lace that she sells in her small business.This woman displays the spool of wool she uses to weave blankets.Young children often accompany their mothers to the Credit Association meetings each week.