Cochabamba, Bolivia is the home to about 800,000 people. The city is beautiful, but similar to many large cities, there are also some parts of the city that are poorer than others.
While we were in Bolivia, we spent most of our time in Cochabamba, but were able to visit Cliza and Tarata. These two nearby towns were much smaller than Cochabamba and more colonial/traditional as well. The time we spent in Cochabamba was focused on volunteering at an orphanage, Solomon Klein. Solomon Klein is the home to about 160 children between new born and 5 years old. All of the children had either been abandoned, abused or their parents are physically or financially unable to take care of them.
At the orphanage we did a lot of diaper changing, feeding, and playing with the kids. We also learned to fold cloth diapers as that is what they used for the kids. Solomon Klein is a very clean place and is run very well. There are mamas, room mothers, specific to each room who get to know their 20-25 children very well.
We had an amazing experience and I highly recommend to anyone who likes to work with kids to do this. The ability to speak spanish helps, but is not essential in the orphanage.

--Janis Dickman '03

Inspiring, exciting and heartbreaking would be the way I would describe my trip to Cochabamba, Bolivia. My eyes were opened, my legs were tired and my soul was invigorated. The trip reminded me that there are people who have nothing. There are children who live their lives in lines. And that it takes an overabundance of courage and perserverance to try and change those things.

The trip was a complete immersion into another language, culture and the soul of a different country, which many take for granted. It was impossible for me to not come back changed and with the desire to change much of what I see around me. I learned twice as much Spanish in Bolivia as I have ever learned in a single class and the
people were wonderful at helping me learn as much as possible. But I
must say I learned even more about myself, my country and the lives of
other people in other places than anything a book could have ever taught me.

--Nicole Chilla '03