President's Annual Report 2002-2003

According to the Constitution of Friends of Bolivia, the officers of the Management Committee cannot remain in their positions for more than three years. Therefore this report is my last report as President. It has been an honour and a pleasure for me to lead this charity for the last three years. I would like to express my gratitude for the support and trust that I have received from the other members of the Management Committee and from all the members of the General Committee. This report also coincides with the celebration of our 20th Anniversary and I think it appropriate to look back to the achievements of the past.

Friends of Bolivia came into being in response to the suffering caused by a terrible drought, which afflicted the Altiplano in 1983. The first fund-raising event proved an instant success and we were able to send some urgently needed funds. What was thought of, at the time, as a one-off event developed into a thriving venture, now celebrating its 20 years. To date we have managed to send some £133,000 to selected projects in different parts of the country. The money sent has been used for a variety of purposes such as: the purchase of medicines; food; medical equipment; books and implements for the blind; wheel-chairs; musical instruments; a bread oven for a community in El Alto; the building of a workshop for a drug rehabilitation centre for children; the establishment of a permanent fund in the La Paz Children's Hospital to cover the cost of medicines for children whose parents are unable to pay; we cover the yearly salary of a community worker in Potosi; , and many other projects. Also we have also managed to respond to some emergencies like the earthquake of 1998 when we built 15 homes for the rural community of Montecillos near Cochabamba. Last year after the powerful thunderstorm that ravaged the Department of La Paz, we were able to build classrooms for the school of Jupapina, in the district of Mallasa. The building was inaugurated on the 4th of October in the presence of Sra. Ximena Sánchez de Lozada, wife of the President of Bolivia, Sr. Juan del Granado, Mayor of La Paz and Sra. Miriam Saavedra de Quiroga, wife of a former Ambassador in London and our representative in La Paz. Thanks to her dedication and work this project had a very successful conclusion. The total cost of the building was £7666.94 amount raised by our Flood Appeal. We have a video of the inauguration ceremony. You will be able to see it after this meeting.

For the period 2002 to 2003, we had some specific goals: Friends of Bolivia has now an email address; the aim is to publicise our events to a wider audience and to be more accessible. We also now have a webpage with detailed information about the projects we support with the hope that people will realise that the sums we sent to Bolivia really make a difference and thus be persuaded to become regular donors. Our aim is to provide not merely palliatives, but by increasing the amounts we sent to each one of the projects we hope that our help will have a lasting effect.

Fundraising Events 2002-2003

Mother's Day Tea Party

On the 27th May, Sra. Elba de Pérez, wife of the former Bolivian Ambassador gave a tea party at the Embassy in aid of the work of Friends of Bolivia. The profit was £819.

River Boat Party aboard the cruiser The Royal Princess

Held on the 21st of September. This has now become a yearly event. Always sold out, a happy and successful occasion. We made £2950.77

Grand Raffle

For the first time last year we held a raffle with tickets being sold in advance and in accordance to the Lottery and Amusements Act. It was successful and we hope to hold one annually. We made £813.27

ALAF Christmas Fair 2nd November

This is also an annual event. This year it will be held on the 22nd November at the Kensington Town Hall. We made £398.99

Christmas Cards

For the third consecutive year we printed our Christmas Cards. Each time we aim to reproduce a painting by a Bolivian artist. Last Christmas we made £355.37

To celebrate Friends of Bolivia 20th Anniversary we held two special events.

Latin American Carnival

Held on the 15th February. This was a most rewarding event as all those present showed their appreciation to the Committee Members for the achievements of the charity and we were also able to express our gratitude to the people that through the years have supported us by attending our events. Profit £2106.59

Wigmore Hall Concert "Baroque Music of the Chiquitos and Moxos Indians of Bolivia"

On the 19th March we had a concert of the music composed at the Jesuit Missions in the 17 and 18th Centuries in what is now Bolivia. The concert was held at the most prestigious concert hall for chamber music in London. Dr. Piotr Nawrot, Musical Director of the International Festival "Misiones de Chiquitos" gave a pre concert talk. The concert was sold out and, the beautiful programme is a document to be kept as a memento, the evening was a tremendous success, an important musical event that promoted the image of Bolivia in this country to the highest level. The BBC recorded the concert, which was transmitted by Radio 3. The Times Newspaper said "The 'Pastoreta Ychepé Flauta' delighted with its prancing recorder and gaiety and the motet 'In hoc mundo' climbed the heights of dancing bliss and left the house sighing with pleasure." The main sponsor of this concert was BG Group. With this and other sponsorships we were able to cover all the costs. The final profit was a tremendous £8192.73. On this particular occasion we decided to use this profit to purchase instruments and scores and to pay for teachers to promote the musical education of children and youngsters in two projects, the Choir and Orchestra in a shanty neighbourhood of Santa Cruz and the National School of Music, Oruro. The reason for this decision is that we feel that these two projects offer young people the opportunity for self-development, recognition and a greater knowledge of their culture, opening new horizons and helping them aspire to a better future.

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