TIA (meaning Aunty in Spanish) is an Australian based grassroots non-profit organization that works in Cochabamba, Bolivia. We work together with children and young people through their transition from state care into independence, empowering them to become thriving members of society and create brighter futures for themselves by providing the necessary training, support, and opportunities.
One of our main projects is a residence for young care leavers, which acts as a stepping stone for them to learn how to live independently after they leave state care at the age of 18. We have 6 young people living in the residence at any one time, a mix of females and males, and they can live with us for up to 2 years while they adapt to adult life. They are required to study, work, save money, and maintain the residence, setting goals for themselves and learning how to live independently.
We recently acquired a lovely set of old couches to set up in the house for the young residents in their living room, however they are very old and need reupholstering. Our goal is to raise enough money to reupholster these couches so we can make the house more homey and comfortable for our residents. Often young care leavers can feel very lonely and scared upon exiting care. They have no family to go to, and often a very limited network of friends and supports to lean on. That's where TIA comes in. We try to make sure they have a safe and warm place to call home.