Bolivia 

Fighting Chagas Disease - Bringing Health and Healing to Families 

Chagas disease is a silent killer among the poor in Bolivia. It is transmitted by the Vinchuca insect, which thrives in adobe walls and thatched roofs - common materials used in Bolivian homes. The parasite enters the victim’s bloodstream and can live undetected for decades while quietly destroying their internal organs - especially the heart. If caught in time, Chagas can be treated. With simple home renovations, re-infection can be prevented. However, the costs for medical care and construction supplies are far beyond the means of the people most affected.

The Sharing Way’s Chagas project provides both prevention education and treatment of the disease in partnership with local communities and agencies.
 

The key components are:

1. Community education on the prevalence and danger of Chagas disease.

2. Blood testing campaigns in connection with the Bolivian Ministry of Health.

3. Supervised medical treatment for children and youth through Doctors Without Borders.

4. Renovations of homes to make them Vinchuca proof.
 

Bolivian and Canadian volunteers witness to God’s love for the poor by assisting in this program, particularly in the home renovation stage.

A local selection committee decides on recipients based on the condition of their houses and their financial status. Then a skilled buider works alongside family members to plaster the walls and ceiling and pour a cement floor. The family is responsible to provide doors and windows.

Once a house is secure form the Vinchuca bug, the entire family is tested for Chagas.  Those who have positive blood tests then have an ECG and chest x-ray to determine the level of damage to their heart. The project provides for medicine and treatment. In the early stages, the person can be treated and damage to internal organs can be prevented. Later on, heart damage cannot be reversed, but proper health care can prolong lives.

Those who have worked on their own homes often go on to help other family members.  Each year the program gains more skilled builders.

Although the houses are small (just one or two rooms), some recipients efficiently use the space to create their own business.  For example, one woman has turned one of her two rooms into a small store. 

Get involved
Your prayers and generosity are deeply appreciated.  Consider becoming a monthly donor in support of Chagas ministry.  You can give through our online donation page.  Select "The Sharing Way Projects" in the first drop down menu and "health" in the second drop down menu.
$20 provides testing and treatment for one person
$320 pays for the cost to renovate one house, including materials and labour