What I’m Here To Do and The Work of Mosoj Yan

Mosaj Yan is the name of the project we’ve come to volunteer with! It means New Road and from what I’ve seen so far that is exactly what its does. Providing a sense of hope to many children and young people living in and around Cochabamba.

Mosoj Yan shines light into dark situations and gives a way for children and young people to be free from the vicious cycle of poverty and living on the streets.

Mosoj Yan’s Vision: For the love of God and His righteousness to come to life in every girl and woman teen in Bolivia
Mission: Based on the principles and values of the Kingdom of God, we will develop the skills and abilities of girls and young workers and on the streets, to processes through comprehensive educational and health

Mosaj Yan does this in a number of different ways with varied groups at 3 different projects.

Centro Albergue de Restauracion – Restoration Shelter for youth

This is the residential shelter of Mosoj Yan, It currently has 14 girls living there aged from as young as 10 upto 17 and 1 baby aged just 18months. This shelter is for girls who have been referred by local authorities due their previous living circumstances been dangerous or abusive, 85% of the girls currently living in the shelter have a history of suffering from sexual abuse.

The primary aim of the shelter is to restore the girls in all areas of life through various therapeutic approaches. The shelter also helps to restore and rebuild family relationships where possible and assist in re integrating the girls back into society. Most girls will stay in the shelter for up to 2 years and on graduating from the shelter will be fully restored with a hopeful career ahead of them and also the skills to be able to live independently.

Centro de Ninas y Adolescentes Trabajadoras – Centre for working children

This centre is for children and young people who work on the streets selling goods and food with their parents. Most of them attend school but struggle and are stuck in a generational cycle of working on the streets. These children don’t live on the streets just work, although most of their home situations are very basic.

The purpose of this centre is to develop the children in their school work and give them a sense of ambition and self belief to achieve more than working on the streets. The children also learn valuable life skills in personal hygiene, cleaning, social skills and also laws and human rights.

Centro de Motivacion – Centre of Motivation

Based in the poorest part of the city Centro de Motivacion reaches out to young children and women who are currently living on the streets. The majority of this centres users are currently using or recovering from drugs, glue and alcohol abuse. This can make reaching these people very difficult as they are battling addiction and so much emotionally and also spiritually that this can over power the feelings of wanting to change.

The primary aim of this centre is to motivate its users to begin the long and difficult road of rehabilitation and to change their lives, and also to support them every step of the way. It provides a safe place to shower, wash clothes, eat, receive counselling and also hear about and discover the love of God that has the power to restore from the inside out. This centre also teaches its users skills in baking and crafts which is used as a form as therapy aswell as skills they can use and develop to make a living.

All of Mosoj Yan’s centres are equally valuable and do amazing work in situations that are all desperate in very different ways but for me this has been the centre that has touched me the most. When visiting we didn’t get to meet any of the young girls as they didn’t turn up, the workers explained that due to the chaotic and destructive lifestyles of these young people it makes it difficult for them to be consistent in attending and using the centre. This to me just shows the magnitude of what the workers are battling with both physically and spiritually. Some days they get the centre full then others its empty. One day a week the workers of the centre put themselves in great danger going to the places where these young people live encouring them to use the centre. I hope this will be the centre I’ll be placed in for my stay as I find it will challenge me the most, I find that out tomorrow so I’ll keep you updated.

If you would like further info on Mosoj Yan take a look at their website: www.mosojyan.org/index.php