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This project addresses the critical lack of ÃÂÂâ€Ã..."human infrastructureÃÂÂâ€ÃÂÃÂÂâ€"the mentorship, safety, and skillsÃÂÂâ€"that adolescent girls in Bolivia need to build their own futures. While basic education services may exist, girls face deep structural barriers that limit their agency, voice, and long-term opportunities.
In 2024 alone, more than 28,000 pregnancies were registered among adolescents in Bolivia, with thousands occurring in girls under the age of 15. At the same time, approximately 10% of children and adolescents are engaged in labor's rising to nearly 25% in rural areasÃÂÂâ€"significantly impacting school attendance and completion. These challenges, driven by poverty and limited access to education and reproductive health information, contribute to cycles of inequality and reduced life outcomes for girls.
In response to this urgent need, we launched our GLOW Club program in Cochabamba, Bolivia, beginning with a cohort of 30 girls ages 10ÃÂÂâ€"11. The program is implemented in partnership with IPAS, an organization with more than 25 years of experience advancing reproductive justice and strengthening the ability of women and young people to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights. This collaboration ensures that our mentorship model is grounded in local expertise and aligned with broader efforts to improve health and rights-based outcomes for girls.
At the core of this project is the GLOW Club, a high-impact mentorship program that functions as a gym for leadership. Local womenÃÂÂâ€"mothers, teachers, and community leaders"are trained as mentors using a standardized, trauma-informed curriculum focused on Social and Emotional Learning competencies, including self-awareness, decision-making, and relationship skills. These mentors proactively identify and recruit girls who are most at risk of dropping out of school and provide consistent, relationship-based support through weekly sessions over the course of a year.
This approach directly addresses the identified mentorship gap in BoliviaÃÂÂâ€"the absence of sustained, trusted guidance that helps girls translate education into empowerment. Rather than one-time interventions, the program builds long-term support systems that enable girls to stay in school, delay early pregnancy, and develop the confidence to make informed life choices.
The project is implemented through close collaboration with local stakeholders, including educators, community leaders, and families, ensuring that solutions are co-created and locally owned. Sustainability is further strengthened through a Train the Trainer model, which equips local partners to continue training mentors beyond the life of the grant.
Additionally, the presence of an active Rotary Club in Cochabamba provides a valuable opportunity for ongoing community engagement and oversight, reinforcing the long-term success and accountability of the program.
By investing in human potential rather than temporary inputs, this project creates lasting impact. Educated and empowered girls are more likely to remain in school, avoid early marriage, and contribute to the economic resilience of their families and communitiesÃÂÂâ€"generating benefits that extend across generations.
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