BQEF supports educational opportunities for Bolivian F/friends through scholarships and programs rooted in Quaker Testimonies, while promoting cross-cultural mutual learning with Quakers from the US, UK, and Bolivia.
Indigenous peoples of Bolivia were systematically denied access to education until the mid-20th century. Landmark educational reforms in 1952 began to dismantle these barriers, and Quaker organizations played a pivotal role by establishing some of the first schools that welcomed Aymara and Quechua students. These efforts were vital in promoting literacy and educational opportunities among indigenous populations. Today, while public education is more accessible to indigenous Bolivians, challenges remain. The costs of transportation, food, school supplies, and housing, especially for those who travel long distances to attend higher education institutions, are serious barriers. This economic burden makes it difficult for indigenous youth to pursue their educational goals.
History of Quakerism in Bolivia
Bolivia’s Quaker community is among the largest in Latin America, with tens of thousands of members.
During the 16th-century Spanish conquest, Andean indigenous peoples like the Aymara faced forced assimilation and Christianization. Many communities used religious syncretism—blending Christian elements with indigenous beliefs—as an adaptive and resistant strategy to preserve their rites and social structures.
Quakerism originated in 17th-century England and spread globally through 19th–20th-century missions and migration. Connections between international Quaker groups and Bolivian indigenous peoples are relatively recent. It is said that the first Quaker missionaries arrived in Bolivia in the early 21st century from the United States. Quaker–indigenous encounters have varied: some were mutually supportive and educational; others, shaped by colonial frameworks, pushing further assimilation.
BQEF is committed to respectful accompaniment that prioritizes Aymara leadership and priorities. Our approach, characterized by self-reflection and mutual-learning, celebrates solidarity and shared values without erasing colonial history or undermining indigenous cultural self-determination.
In 2025, to align our work more closely with Quaker values, BQEF revised its mission to support Bolivian Friends and those we call “friends of Friends.” We prioritize strengthening initiatives that reflect Quaker Testimonies, regardless of recipients’ religious affiliation.
Your donation makes a difference.
As of 2026, BQEF has helped over 277 students earn their professional and technical degrees. With your support, we’re currently providing 23 university scholarships through the Fundación Quakera de Educación en Bolivia, FQEB. In July, 2026 we will launch a new scholarship cohort with five students from the boarding house in Sorata, run by scholarship program alumni, Magaly Quispe of AVP/PAV Bolivia. PAV/Bolivia also provides Alternatives to Violence (AVP) workshops for all scholarship students. All donations support our Scholarship Program, AVP Workshops, Internships and Volunteer opportunities for F/friends in Bolivia and in the US and the UK.
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“ La educación es la llave que abre las puertas del futuro; cada lección aprendida es un paso hacia los sueños que deseas alcanzar.”