Two Sisters with Different Outcomes in Life

I'm Madeline from Many Hopes and the best part of my job is telling YOU stories of the children you support - stories like America and Valeria, two sisters who had very different outcomes in life.

When I traveled to Bolivia in March of 2023, I spent a good amount of time with Eduardo, or as the kids call him, Chewbacca (pictured above). Eduardo is the Programs Director of our Bolivian partner site, Alalay. He toured me around La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia, where he leads the team that rescues children from living on the streets where we met America and Valeria, two sisters that took very different paths in life. 

Most children live on the streets to escape violence at home. He showed me around common areas he and his team work; like an abandoned market, an empty 24-hour strip mall, and highway overpasses. The image of a 6 or 7-year-old child hiding in these filthy, dangerous conditions is unsettling. However, it’s the reality for most of the children Alalay rescues - either because it feels safer than home or there was no other option. 

One of the abandoned markets where children will seek shelter from homelessness

One Path: America

In the abandoned market, Eduardo introduced me to America. America’s home was in the corner of the abandoned market where she’d found some discarded blankets and boxes and made shelter. The walls were covered with graffiti and it was difficult to walk around because of the amount of trash covering the ground. America's story is one of generational poverty and struggle - her family faced extreme poverty, and they often teetered in and out of homelessness. She came to the streets as a teen, turning to drugs to numb the cold and stress of her situation.

America, 6 months pregnant in the abandoned market she calls home.

Over the years, Alalay made their best efforts to encourage her to come live in the homes that provide shelter, stability, and access to education and counseling. For spurts, they had success with America. She would accept help from Eduardo or one of his team members and go to the homes, but after a few months, she would return to the streets.

The day I met America, she was 6 months pregnant with a girl. This was her fourth pregnancy, two of the babies were stillborn. America was anxious about having a daughter, “life on the streets is harder for girls than boys.”

The Other Path That You Make Possible

I met Valeria on my final day of filming in Bolivia. Valeria is America’s younger sister who said ‘yes’ to entering the program.

Valeria left home at the age of seven to join her older sister America on the streets. Family life was too unstable and the streets felt safer. However, unlike her sister, Valeria accepted help from Alalay - a decision that changed the trajectory of her life.

Valeria as an exhchange student in Moscow, Russia

Valeria credits Alalay with her success in life. She thrived in a stable environment where she didn’t have to worry about where she was going to sleep or where she would get her next meal. Over time, her worries shifted from survival to things like prepping for a math exam or if she was going to make the football team. Without having to juggle a difficult home life, she learned leadership skills and how to set clear goals. Even simple things like hygiene habits and what a balanced meal looks like, all helped set her up for success. Beyond having a stable home environment and an education, Valeria was exposed to different opportunities like learning the violin, playing sports, and even traveling to Russia as an exchange student.

Today, Valeria is enrolled in university studying management and entrepreneurship. She received a scholarship because of her excellent grades. After graduation, her dream is to start a business that provides employment and livable wages to women from low-income areas, aiming to break the cycle of poverty she experienced growing up.

Valeria studying abroad in Moscow as part of her university studies in Management and Entrepreneurship. After graduation, Valeria’s dream is to start a business that provides employment and livable wages to women from low-income areas

The stark contrast between these sisters' paths is a powerful testament to the impact of the programs you support. It's rare to see such a clear "with" and "without" comparison, and it underscores the life-changing potential of your contributions. Here were two sisters who came from the same volatile home life. One sister refused help, while the other accepted. As a result, she has become the most educated person in her family and is now on track to graduate from university.

Thank you for being part of something big and impacting lives around the world. If you have questions or would like to get more involved, shoot me an email. Chatting Many Hopes is my favorite topic and I’m delighted to share it with you!

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