For over 30 years, SENDAS has successfully worked to improve the lives of women and families in underserved rural areas of Bolivia, helping eradicate illiteracy and poverty in places where most families live below the poverty line.

SENDAS owns and operates CEFIM, a technical school that offers various entrepreneurship programs. Thanks to these programs, numerous women have been able to increase their income and improve the quality of life of their families.

The Entrepreneurship programs help them:
-commercialize agricultural and gastronomical products
-turn artisanal skills into small businesses
-participate in the rural tourism economy

In La Paz, SENDAS works to address the situation of young Aymara women who migrate from rural areas to the city, where many end up living in precarious conditions while working in the informal economy, often underpaid and in unsafe situations.

CEFIM offers these young women a 3-year technical specialization, with which they have access to skilled jobs with competitive salaries and benefits.

The program combines classes with hands-on internships. Over the years, SENDAS has developed a network of partnerships with a number of businesses in La Paz where students can do their internships. Through this business network, graduates are also kept informed about available job opportunities.

Over 5,000 women have earned certificates from CEFIM programs and 100% of students improve their working and living conditions after graduation.

Testimonies

Adriana Arano is a gastronomy instructor:
“I am grateful to Cefim for the trust they had in me since I was a student. I worked at Cefim for many years. This helped my professional development as instructor in gastronomy. Cefim also helped me develop the skills I needed to face life challenges, not just the professional ones.”

Ninoska Zanga started her organic bakery after attending Sendas’ entrepreneurship program:
“My business is growing. Starting a small business can be difficult, but Cefim gave me the professional training not only to develop and commercialize my products but also to use different marketing tools to grow my business.”

Bertha Cutili moved from the countryside to La Paz in search of better living conditions for her and her daughter. She works at an outdoors parking lot to earn a living:
“My dream is to work in gastronomy in the hospitality industry and, eventually, to have my own business.” Bertha knew she needed professional training to fulfill her dream. Thanks to a scholarship she was able to reduce her work hours and attend Cefim’s 3-year technical specialization in gastronomy, which includes hands-on internships. “Cefim helped me grow in self-confidence and now I am helping other women in my community. In Cefim I learned to fight for my dreams and to have a problem-solving mindset. I am grateful for the quality education I received and I am confident I will be able to give my family, especially my daughter, a better future.”

Be part of the solution

To attend these courses, these women need to temporarily reduce their work hours to attend school. To do this, they rely on scholarships. Only in this way they can come out of the poverty cycle. Help give women and families from rural Bolivia an opportunity!

With $60 you can help a woman in rural Bolivia improve her small business and lift her family from poverty.

$720 a year provides a full scholarship for a young woman to pursue Cefim’s 3-year Technical Specialization Program and have access to jobs with competitive salaries.

To learn more visit: sendasbolivia.org

DONATE TO ASOCIACION SENDAS BY CHECK:

Checks made to American Initiatives for Social Development, memo line: Asocación Sendas, may be sent to:
American Initiatives for Social Development
Murray Hill Station
PO Box 1670
New York, NY 10156-1670