CESO and its partners create economic growth in the agriculture industry, improve tourism services and enhance governance and social services in society. Together, we are increasing independent livelihoods and the quality of life.
Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Many small businesses struggle to become financially self-sufficient due to a lack of financial services, technical assistance, poor infrastructure, and unstable political and social conditions.CESO is currently partnered with the National Chamber of Commerce, an organization of businesses in management areas such as marketing, customer service and human resources. CESO and the Bolivian government are strengthening the small enterprise sector to increase production, create new jobs, improve existing job conditions and combat poverty. These priorities build on CESO’s past programs, such as our Public Sector Reform Support Project (1996-2006) that contributed to poverty reduction by improving the Bolivian public sector.CESO has also partnered with the Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship Foundation (IES), a non-governmental organization that operates technical assistance and SME development projects.
Municipal Governance
CESO and its partners strive to improve municipal governance and to generate equitable, sustainable growth in local economies. In order to reduce poverty the government is developing social programs that increase access to health care, high quality education and employment training opportunities.
Agriculture and Food Processing
The agriculture industry provides employment to half of Bolivia’s rural population. Bolivia is the largest producer of the quinoa grain in the world, and is responsible for 46% of its worldwide production. Bolivia is working with CESO volunteers and partners in areas such as food processing, which is a key to economic development and poverty alleviation.CESO has partnered with the Bolivian Chamber of Quinoa Royal and Organic Products Exporters (CABOLQUI), which is an organization of quinoa and organic crop producers that complete field work and food manufacturing.
Tourism and Hospitality
According to the 2006-2010 Bolivian National Tourism Plan, Bolivia has the potential to attract 12 million tourists per year. However in 2005, the country attracted only about half a million foreign tourists, compared to neighboring countries like Chile, which had over two million tourists and Peru, with almost one and a half million. This may be due to social and political unrest in Bolivia, in the form of public demonstrations, and the poor conditions of roads and lack of highway access to rural areas. CESO and its partners, including IES and the Departmental Hotel Chamber of La Paz (CDHLP), boost economic growth in the tourism industry by improving customer service, strengthening tour operations and providing training for other tourism initiatives.
CESO volunteers began working with partners in Bolivia in 1979. In recent years (2004-2009), Canadian volunteers completed 45 assignments with Bolivian partners.Together, their results are impressive. In those last five years:
- Industrias Lacteas La Paz SRL increased sales in 2007 by 250 percent and hired 55 new employees.
- The Bolivian Chamber of Quinoa Royal and Organic Products Exporters received training in ISO 22000, an international standard for food safety, which can make quinoa, a Bolivian chief export, more competitive on the international market.
- The capital city of La Paz established a municipal recycling program to provide tools and machinery for skilled workers.
Interested in becoming a program partner or client? Contact our Country Representative:
Country representative
Carlos Ramallo
Calle Víctor Sanjinés #2678
Edif. Barcelona Piso 2
Plaza España – Sopocachi
Casilla 13032, La Paz – Bolivia
(591 – 2) 242 – 3550
Fax (591 – 2) 241 – 6696
ceso.ramallo@uascc.bo
For more information in Canada about the program, contact:
Program Manager, Asia & Americas
Beatriz Munarriz