Yapay Bolivia is a 501c3 education and healthcare nonprofit organization, born out of love for and dedicated to serving impoverished women and children in Bolivia. Recognizing the need for improved healthcare among Bolivian families, four women in 2016 saw an opportunity and pulled together to found what is known today as The Yapay Bolivia Foundation. Priding itself on being a zero-overhead charity and since its founding in 2016, 100% of donations have gone directly to Bolivia to help those who need it most.
At the heart of every organization are the donors that make it possible, and Yapay Bolivia works tirelessly to ensure that all donations go directly to those in need. In addition to striving for excellence as a healthcare nonprofit organization, Yapay Bolivia is a zero-overhead charity, meaning that all work is done by volunteers and that all overhead costs are covered by the founders themselves. Yapay Bolivia values transparency above all else, and donors develop a deep trust by knowing exactly where their donations go.
In Quechua, an indigenous Bolivian language, “yapay” means “give a little more.” This adequately serves as the root of Yapay Bolivia’s mission statement to alleviate poverty and suffering through research, testing, implementation and revision of best social practices related to nonprofit healthcare. Organizations in Bolivia work side by side with Yapay Bolivia to ensure that solutions are sustainable and impactful for generations to come.
Since its founding in 2016, donations have been used to purchase life-saving medical equipment including an ultrasound machine, pediatric aesthetic machine, surgical equipment, breast pumps, mother postpartum kits, masks, PPE and sanitation kits. A private mothers’ center was also constructed, allowing for mothers of newborn babies to have somewhere to shower, sleep and wash clothing during mandatory hospital stays.
Yapay Bolivia has not limited itself to being only a nonprofit healthcare organization but actively supports the education and professional development of Bolivian citizens as well. It contributes to education by providing educational supplies, teachers’ salaries, and aid specific to the COVID-19 Pandemic and other timely events. Yapay Bolivia also works closely with other orphanages, child protection centers and education facilities across rural and urban Bolivia.
Thanks to its generous donors and partners, Yapay Bolivia continues to create an impact and “give a little more” to those who need it most.
Data from Unicef⁽¹⁾ and CDC⁽²⁾
- 1. https://www.unicef.org/bolivia/07_UNICEF_Bolivia_CK_-_concept_note_-_Maternal_and_Child_Health_low.pdf
- 2. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-mortality-surveillance-system.htm
The Board
Sara Bybee Fisk cherishes her eighteen months spent as a missionary for Bolivia and feels a deep attachment to the country. She taught elementary school for four years in Utah and Texas after graduating from BYU. When she's not homeschooling her five children, she volunteers with Lifting Hands International helping to settle and mentor refugee families.
Cindy Champion Searle earned a B.S. in Education from BYU and holds a graduate certificate from the U of U in Teaching English as a Second Language. She is currently teaching in Alpine School District for her 11th year. Cindy lived in Bolivia for a year and a half and has a great love for the people of Bolivia. In addition to her work with Yapay, she volunteered with Days for Girls for several years.
Randi Johansen's love for Latin America started early when she spent high school summers volunteering in Tijuana, Mexico for the Los Ninos program. She served as a missionary for eighteen months for her church in Bolivia where she developed deep relationships with the people. She also taught English language classes to Spanish-speaking adults in Boston with Catholic Charities.
Ariane Holtkamp Dansie was a missionary for her church in Bolivia and loves the people and culture of that country. She is a tax attorney and estate planner with the Salt Lake City firm Durham Jones & Pinegar. She works extensively with nonprofit organizations to help them achieve their charitable goals. She hopes to introduce her three young children to Bolivia some day.
Neil White first visited Bolivia in 1998 as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has maintained a love for South America and the people of Bolivia since that time. He joined the Yapay board in 2023 as a director. Professionally, Neil is a Partner and the President of HGGC, a private investment business based in Palo Alto, California. Neil and his wife, Carly, live in Menlo Park, California, with their 5 children.
Our Team
Rachel McDonald Young joined the Yapay team in April 2017 as their first intern and cherishes working in Bolivia. She first developed a deep love for the Bolivian people and culture as a missionary there from 2015-2016. Rachel has a B.S. in Physiology from BYU and enjoyed working in several medical research labs before having her now two year old daughter.
Bethanie learned Spanish while serving as a missionary in Bolivia from 2015-2017. She began working with Yapay in 2019. Her time and experience in Bolivia lead her to get a degree in Spanish with a minor in Pre-Health from BYU. She is currently getting her Master of Physician Assistant Studies in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Derek is fluent in Spanish and has a B.S. in Public Relations from UVU. He organized the assembly and delivery of over 500 hygiene kits to refugees in Sudan and loves to help those around him. He loves working with Yapay Bolivia to help bring relief to those in need.
Alexa Ballard lived in Bolivia for a year and a half as part of a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but that was only the beginning of her involvement in the region. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in public administration with an emphasis is social impact from BYU and hopes to work in in international development evaluation in the Andean Region. She loves Yapay Bolivia and its work to alleviate poverty.