Stories, hopes and maybe even the dreams

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

This blog has been created to document the next three months of my life, which will be spent working for a development project on the International Citizen Service scheme at over 4000 m above sea level in the breathtaking and truly unique city of La Paz, nestled in the Andes mountains of Bolivia. 

In 40 hours time I will leave our small, overwhelmingly green island and travel to a country of extremes: Bolivia's climate can be described as both tropically warm and bitterly cold; dry and arid as well as exceptionally soggy. This land-locked nation boasts majestic mountains, vast salt flats and more than a few spatters of Amazonian jungle. 

It is also the poorest country in South America and it is Bolivia's indigenous peoples, who make up over 60% of the population, who continue to be among the very poorest.

Over the next twelve weeks I will be working with some of the most deprived communities in La Paz with the charity Aldeas Infantiles SOS, which is an organisation that works to strengthen and offer support to families and aims to give adults and young people the tools to  take control of their lives. 

Through this blog I hope to share some of the stories, hopes and maybe even the dreams of the people of Bolivia, as well as those of the people who have devoted their lives to international development at Aldeas, International Service (which is the UK based charity that has worked very hard to facilitate my place on the project in Bolivia) and anyone else I have the honour to meet. 

I hope you enjoy reading my blog. I cannot promise that the effects of altitude sickness will allow me to continue posting coherent sentences, but I will do my very best....