Facing COVID-19

The Coronavirus Pandemic arrived in Bolivia with its first case on March 10, the number of infections was increasing slowly. Despite the low number of cases, on March 16, the Bolivian  overnment began with protection measures, firstly suspending school and educational activities in general and mass meetings.

On March 21, a rigid quarantine was decreed throughout the country, suspending all work, educational and commercial activities. So far, Bolivia has more than 138,000 cases. All this data must be contrasted with the total population of Bolivia, which is around 11 million. One of the main consequences of COVID-19, has been its impact on the Bolivian economy, mainly in the most vulnerable sectors of the population. The Arco Iris Foundation, through its different social projects, serves hundreds of families in extreme poverty, families that subsist working on the streets, children and young people who live on the streets, and women deprived of freedom. These families are usually made up of the mothers of the family, generally abandoned by their partners and in the care of between 4 to 9 children, with very precarious living conditions.