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Word Made Flesh Bolivia seeks to awaken hope and foster holistic transformation by serving women survivors of sexual exploitation and their families in El Alto. Through partnerships with local organizations, WMF Bolivia strengthens community-led initiatives, creates safe spaces, and supports programs that empower women to rebuild their lives and thrive.

What We Do

WMF Bolivia equips women who have exited exploitation to become leaders and mentors, trains local staff in trauma-informed care, and supports church and community leaders in providing holistic support for vulnerable women. Through these efforts, survivors gain skills, autonomy, and the opportunity to guide others, multiplying the impact across communities.

Leadership Training and Local Capacity Building

At the heart of WMF Bolivia’s work is the development of local leadership. Ariel Alexander, Latin America Regional Coordinator, equips church and organizational leaders through targeted training and mentorship. By investing in their skills, knowledge, and spiritual formation, Ariel ensures that communities have sustainable systems to prevent violence, care for survivors, and provide holistic support to vulnerable women.

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Survivor Leadership Training:

Trainees gain tools to provide trauma-informed care, develop autonomy, and support new survivors entering programs. Training includes 10-week workshops, ongoing mentorship, and hands-on practice in organizational settings. This multiplies impact as trained survivors become mentors themselves.

Staff Spiritual Formation:

Over five months, WMF Bolivia provided 40 hours of formation to eight women who have successfully exited exploitation, equipping them as community leaders to incorporate lessons on poverty, justice, and holistic care into their ongoing work supporting survivors.

Local Church Leader Training:

Classes for church leaders provide a framework for holistic ministry, addressing trauma, intra-family violence, and advocacy for vulnerable women.

These initiatives not only build individual capacity but also foster resilient communities with sustainable structures for advocacy, protection, and holistic support.

A digital painting rendered from a photograph of Mount Illmani, near our community in Bolivia.

Partnership and Collaborative Impact

WMF Bolivia amplifies the work of local partners, connecting interns and volunteers to meaningful, ground-level initiatives:

  • Local Social Enterprises: Provide dignified, non-exploitative employment opportunities for survivors. WMF Bolivia supports leadership development and safe, trauma-informed workplaces.
  • NGOs and Foundations: Offer holistic care for survivors, while WMF Bolivia provides spiritual formation and trauma-informed care training.
  • Missionary Training Centers: Provide theological and contextual training for local leaders; WMF Bolivia contributes expertise in holistic ministry and trauma-informed approaches.

Through these partnerships, local leaders are empowered to protect, mentor, and guide survivors, creating a ripple effect of safety, healing, and sustainable transformation across entire communities.

Get Involved

WMF Bolivia welcomes interns and volunteers to engage directly with programs, support local leadership, and contribute to sustainable impact. Interns participate in daily rhythms of prayer, reflection, and service while learning about the intersections of poverty, gender-based violence, and systemic injustice in Latin America.

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Bolivia Blog

Free Indeed!

By WMF Bolivia | September 9, 2021

Turmoil on All Sides I have lived in El Alto, Bolivia almost all my life. My parents worked in the copper mines, and 30 years ago moved to the city where they raised my four sisters, my brother and me. I have watched the city limits explode, reaching out further and further. I’ve seen up…

Learning As We Go

By WMF US & Global | July 7, 2021

Learning As We Go   Within mission work, all of our fields have had their ebbs and flows of learning effective ministry and mission tools and tricks. From saying the wrong things to practicing ineffective missional practices, we have definitely fallen short. It’s no surprise that we fall short, Romans 3:23 tells us “for all…

Abundant Life: A life free of family violence

By WMF Bolivia | March 29, 2021

As the pandemic turned all of our lives upside down, we suddenly found ourselves at home every day, using our 220 sq. ft., two-bedroom apartment for two jobs, virtual preschool, and everything else already related to home.  Though difficult some days, we were able to adjust as a family and in general enjoy some extra…