When Yotse, age 15, became pregnant in high school, her mother kicked her out of their home. But Yotse was determined not to let motherhood end her dreams. “I want to be someone in life,” she says. “I want to have a profession.” 

You can see where she is now in this beautiful visual story. 

Yotse’s case is not unique. An average of 61 teenagers become pregnant every day in Bolivia, and many end up getting married and dropping out of school. 

Girls in Bolivia—and around the world—deserve the right to choose their own path in life. But this right is often denied by the interrelated threats of teenage pregnancy, early marriage and school dropout. 

That’s why Ipas uses a holistic approach to ensure bright futures for girls like Yotse. In Bolivia, we’re training health workers to provide contraception and abortion care to girls who need it, we’re partnering with public schools to provide sexuality education, and we’re advocating for laws that protect girls’ rights.  

With your support, this work is having real impact. For example, our years of advocacy paid off earlier this year when the Bolivian government voted to ban all marriages under age 18—a historic step to address the country’s child marriage crisis.  

We simply couldn’t make lasting change like this without supporters like you. Thanks for standing with us as we fight for the human rights of girls everywhere. 

With gratitude, 

Your friends at Ipas

PS: Many of our supporters find value in giving stock, grants from Donor-Advised Funds, or Qualified Charitable Distributions, which can be more "tax-smart" than giving cash. If you have questions about these options, our team is available and happy to guide you through the process ([email protected]).