Bolivia > Puerto Camacho > Overview

Malnutrition is one of the main health concerns in Puerto Camacho. Due to low income levels, families cannot afford sufficient quantities of food. In an attempt to satisfy hunger rather than nourish, families consume the cheapest foods such as pasta or potatoes. The resulting malnutrition and hunger leads to weak immune systems, leaving hundreds vulnerable to disease.

Sadly, malnutrition and hunger affect more than just health. They can also lead to a lack of concentration at school. This clearly affects a child’s studies, and in turn their intellectual development and future job prospects.

Other health problems in the community include infant mortality, respiratory infections, acute diarrheal diseases, poor dental health and cavities, and scabies and lice. These are all caused by poor living conditions, poor access to health care and a lack of knowledge of good health and hygiene practices.

Fortunately 89.5% of the population of Puerto Camacho has running water in their homes. This prevents numerous health problems and disease. However, only 5% have a toilet and access to a sewage system. 20% have an outside latrine, while the rest have to use the river as a toilet. As well as being uncomfortable, as mentioned above, this can easily cause the spread of disease. USAID (US Government Aid) and the local Mayor’s office are currently constructing a sewage system and connections to each house.

The average income provides around 40p per family member per day. 58% live on ‘low economic resources’ and 16% live on ‘very low economic resources’. As and when available, men work in casual manual labour such as carrying loads, carpentry or brick laying, and women commonly make clothes in microenterprises.

As the total expenses for a family are greater than the income of the mother and father combined, children often have to work to supplement the family income. However, this still does not provide sufficiently for basic needs.

If a husband dies or abandons his wife, both of which are not uncommon, the mother is left to provide for herself and her children without the main income. This leaves the family in a desperate situation.Low income can also result in parents abandoning their children in order to look for work in other areas of Bolivia or abroad.

Children are not equipped or expected to find work other than poorly paid unskilled labour. In this fatalistic culture, the prevalent belief ‘we were born poor, we will die poor’ is reflected in parents not valuing the education or development of their children. Pressing immediate needs require children to work to supplement the family income therefore education is not prioritised. This results in poorly educated children who never reach their full potential. They therefore have little opportunities in the future and remain in poorly paid unskilled work. The poverty cycle continues as these children have families of their own and are unable to provide for their families on a low income.