About Etta Projects
Etta Projects improves water, sanitation, and health in rural Bolivia. Empowerment, education, improved infrastructure, and local partnerships are key ingredients that Etta Projects implements to promote vibrant, healthy communities. Empowering women in these communities is essential to the success of our programs.
We offer a two-year training program for rural Community Health Promoters, to prepare them to perform life-saving measures, suture wounds, assist with childbirth, administer antibiotics, and educate their community on disease prevention, family planning, nutrition, hygiene, and child, adolescent, and community health. Back in their villages, they become vocal advocates for the overall health of the 42,000 people they serve.
As part of our holistic approach to public health, our programs also address crucial access to clean water and sanitation, as well as sexual health education, with our impact being the installation of water systems in 47 rural villages, 743 composting toilets, and sexual health education to nearly 7950 students in 39 schools. Significantly, all of our work is only possible through the vital leadership role which rural Bolivian women have played. Our core commitment to women’s empowerment through trainings for women to become Community Health Promoters and Water Committee Presidents has been vital in building systemic, lasting, and sustainable solutions.
Photo by Lisa Bontje
Our impact is made possible by the collective efforts of our talented and visionary staff in both Bolivia and the United States, our contracted input from cutting-edge leaders from various fields, local partnerships, and the helping hands of over one hundred volunteers, each year, from 20 to 30 countries! This vast group of change-makers fuels our work. Volunteers live in residence at our Tekoati campus in the lowlands of Bolivia, which borders the Amboró National Park.
We are currently in 10 municipalities of indigenous villages, with 5 of them benefiting from all 3 of our programs. Our goal is to support 12 municipalities, each with all 3 of our programs!
The intersection and collaboration of Master’s Degree students from around the world, Italian Peace Corps volunteers, Engineers Without Borders, in-country and overseas doctors, herbal medicine specialists, women’s empowerment instructors, teachers on continuing education retreats, and even our first Fulbright scholar, is all powered by a host of support from foundations, universities, Rotary clubs, corporations, and private donors. It takes a village of us. Thank you for the part you play!
OUR ROOTS
Etta Projects was created in 2003 to honor the life and legacy of Etta Turner, a teenager who believed in the power of the individual to effect meaningful change. Though Etta Turner's young life ended tragically in November 2002 while she was in Bolivia as a Rotary International Exchange student, her vision of helping transcend poverty by creating deep friendships and harnessing the power of community participation lives on in our work today.