A local youth recently undertook a project to aid Bolivian orphans as part of a larger COVID-19 outreach through Friends In Action Intl. (FIA), a nonprofit headquartered in Middletown. The project began when Lily Medich, 11, of York, learned through FIA's website about the great need in Bolivia.

Northern Bolivia in particular has been significantly affected during the pandemic and continues to be severely under-resourced. The town hospital has a maximum capacity of 35 beds and one ventilator, and many people from nearby villages along the Amazon River travel two days to find medical items as simple as acetaminophen. Bolivian doctors have run out of many medications.

"I can't imagine living somewhere where there are no food banks, no shelters, or no clothing banks to help the people. I just knew I had to help in any way I could," commented Lily.

Lily decided to raise funds to help the Hogar de Andre de Esperanza y Alegria Orphanage. Due to another round of lockdowns, the children had not been able to get new shoes in quite some time, so Lily set a goal to raise $2,000 so each of the close to 100 orphans could receive a new pair of shoes.

Working from her interest in art and fashion, Lily decided to hand-paint bayong bags her Thai aunt helped her purchase from a woman-owned Thai business. "I was excited that purchasing the purses was also going to bless the artisans who handmade them in Thailand. It's like a double blessing," Lily explained.

Starting with 16 bags, Lily used acrylic paints to decorate the purses with her own design or with different flower patterns she learned through YouTube tutorials. By producing something both beautiful and useful, she hoped other women and girls would join her fundraising efforts. As of May 3, Lily had raised $1,200 toward the effort by asking family and friends to donate online to FIA's work in Bolivia.

Community members interested in buying any of the remaining bags may email Lily at ssmedich@comcast.net. Direct donations to FIA's ministries in Bolivia can be made at http://www.fiaintl.org/donate/. Lily hopes to have the full $2,000 raised by early June, so donations are sought in May.

FIA provided close to $45,000 in 2020 for COVID relief to the hard-hit town of Guayaramerin, in northern Bolivia. National pastors who partner with FIA have been using contributions to distribute food and medicine to the small villages in Cauchuela Esperanza and Primero de Mayo. A caravan of three pickup trucks and a minivan have delivered enough food for more than 150 sick or grieving families. Waves of relief resources continue to be distributed every two weeks.

"(In northern Bolivia), 90% of families (have) at least one person who contracted the virus. The local pastors who partner with us are desperate to offer hope and tangible demonstrations of God's love to the villagers," shared Tim Johnston, FIA's executive director.