In the city of Villa Candelaria, on the rocky outskirts of Bolivia, hope once seemed as distant as the mountains on the horizon. This neighborhood was forged in hardship — families of miners, uprooted by lost jobs, created new lives from stone and dust. Yet, even in this barren place, a vision took shape. Moved by compassion, Beatriz Saavedra responded by beginning a school. She gathered the community, and together they pieced together a house, a hut, and transformed a shipping container to form a small haven for children.
Laying the Foundation
These determined efforts laid the foundation for the Wiñay Kusiy, “Eternal Happiness,” Children’s Center. That year, Beatriz and her team built something where nothing had stood before. One of the school’s beloved teachers, Jeane Goytia, shares the journey, “By the grace of God, the project grew. Our community is home to Nuevo Conocer School and the Wiñay Kusiy Children’s Center, where we serve children from 8 months to 5 years old.” The school is no longer just a building; it’s a lifeline in a place where opportunity can feel out of reach.
The community has always faced challenges, but some of the most vulnerable children are those living with their mothers in prison. In Bolivia, children can remain with their mothers behind bars until age five. For these little ones, the center is a daily passage from confinement to the promise of freedom. Each morning, staff pick them up from the prison and bring them to the center, where they are encouraged, taught, and cared for throughout the day. At 4:00 p.m., they are returned to what they call home — a life with their mothers within the prison walls. “All of them are stories of transformation, because coming to school means freedom for them, and that really moves us in a big way,” Jeane shares.
She recalls a little girl who came to the center barefoot, wearing her only dress. Over the years, this girl grew alongside the center itself; eventually attending university and teaching third grade. Today, she stands at the front of the classroom: confident, compassionate, and inspiring a new generation of students with the same hope and encouragement she once received. Her life bears the imprint of God’s faithfulness — shaped by grace, refined by challenge, and forged into lasting change.
Growing in Skill and Spirit
Edify’s partnership has become a continuation of the very hope that first sparked Wiñay Kusiy into existence. Through ongoing training and integrating education technology, teachers are empowered to grow in skill and spirit. They’ve learned to weave faith, literacy, and digital learning together — ensuring that every lesson builds understanding and confidence. “All these training sessions with Edify give us the tools and motivate us to continue working for the good of each of our students, without doubting our personal growth as teachers,” Jeane explains. From preschool through primary school, classrooms now hum with curiosity as students learn to read, think, question, and use technology wisely.
The story of Wiñay Kusiy is one of faith multiplied — from a single act of compassion to a thriving community of learners. What began as a small refuge built from determination is now a pillar of possibility in Villa Candelaria. With God’s grace and Edify’s partnership, the center continues to grow, shaping lives that will, in turn, shape the world around them. Each child who walks through its doors is living proof that even in the hardest places, He is faithful to complete the good work He has begun.
Learn more about our work in Bolivia.
