BOLIVIA is a country in political turmoil. Only this week its President, Carlos Mesa (pictured above), offered his resignation in the face of huge protests by thousands, most notably members of the region's poorer communities ? Indians, students and miners.

Demanding the nationalisation of Bolivia's oil industry ? the second largest in South America ? such groups led angry demonstrations and are said to be responsible for a blockade of the capital city, La Paz.

Underneath such unrest, however, lies a nation of children without access to the schooling and the educational tools many take for granted. In July, a Bermuda resident will brave Bolivia's unrest, travelling as a volunteer with an international organisation determined to improve the lot of as many children around the world as possible.

HOTOGRAPHER Sarah Hughes will next month embark on a unique mission, using her skills to catalogue one country's crisis in the hope her actions will have an impact on others. Off to Bolivia with a group of delegates from the international charity Save the Children, she hopes her efforts will help raise awareness about the plight many are facing in that part of South America.

"I will be there to document the trip by photographing the areas we visit," she explained. "The purpose of the trip is to raise money for Save the Children's work in Bolivia, but also to create advocates by making others aware ? in America, Bermuda and elsewhere ? about Developing World challenges and ways to reverse poverty."

Based in the United States, Save the Children has as its aim to effect change for kids in America and around the world. As a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, the charity works in partnership with 27 organisations around the world.

Together, their efforts improve the well-being of underprivileged children in more than 100 countries. When the programme began in 1932 however, a small group of concerned New Yorkers was its only propulsion.

"The history of Save the Children is a story of positive change and people ? millions of people, in thousands of communities around the globe ? working together to create opportunities for the world's children to live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives," a spokesperson for the group explained.

"In January 1932, in a small room in New York City, a group of concerned citizens gathered to respond to the needs of the proud people of Appalachia hard hit by the Great Depression."

Their inspiration, the spokesperson said, came in part from an international movement for children's rights started in England in 1919 by Eglantyne Jebb ? the Save the Children Fund. By all accounts, the New York meeting led to success.

As explained: "From this early effort in the hills and hollows of Harlan County, Kentucky, grew a self-help philosophy and practice still at work today in more than 45 countries: providing communities with a hand up, not a handout.

"This approach ? working with families to define and solve the problems their children and communities face and utilising a broad array of strategies to ensure self-sufficiency ? is the cornerstone of all Save the Children's programmes.

"Through the decades, we have evolved into a leading international relief and development organisation. Countless events and achievements have shaped the development of our organisation and helped change the lives of the children we serve."

organisation recently drew attention from a member of Hollywood's A-list. Actor Brad Pitt visited Save the Children programmes in Ethiopia to promote the ONE campaign, a programme dedicated to making poverty a condition of the past.

"On his trip, Brad visited our HIV/Aids and micro-finance programmes," the charity spokesperson said. "Save the Children is part of a growing movement to help women entrepreneurs in developing countries with a hand up, not a hand-out ? by providing (them) with small loans.

"In Ethiopia, our programmes serve 9,552 women. The average loan is $87. These loans are used to finance home-based businesses such as raising livestock or sewing. The women form groups and guarantee each other's loans, eliminating the need for formal collateral required by banks.

"When all women in a given group have repaid their loans, they are all eligible for larger loans, effectively opening up a long-term line of credit and sustaining income.

"Empowering women financially combats both high poverty rates and low social status. Experience shows that when mothers have the financial means, they invest that money in their families for food, clothing, shelter, medicine and education for their children." The spokesperson added that Mr. Pitt also spent time talking with young participants in the organisation's HIV/Aids programme, dedicated to helping orphans and vulnerable children in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.

"Save the Children works with communities and local governments to provide care and support for these children. We help children stay in school, ensure they get adequate protection, food and healthcare, and give them options for the future."

Nestled between Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay, Bolivia is the fifth-largest country on the continent and consists of five geographical regions.

Ms Hughes' journey will take her to the Altiplano, an 11,480-foot plateau that stretches from the Peruvian border north of Lake Titicaca, southwards to Argentina. According to Save the Children, it is an area in dire need of assistance not only because of the extreme levels of poverty found there, but because of the few advantages afforded all round.

To lend some perspective, "Bolivian children have the worst educational performance records in all of South America, with only 38 per cent of them finishing the eighth grade".

Children in the Altipano fare far worse than that. As explained by the charity: "Situated at approximately 13,000 feet above sea level, the Altiplano is frequently cold and windy. The children who live here are some of the poorest in all of South America, and for a Bolivian child living here, educational achievement, nutritional status, standard of living and life expectancy are all below the standards for the rest of both South America and Bolivia."

Save the Children hopes to improve those statistics with the aid of a novel programme, Primary Education Now (PEN). Included among its initiatives ? most of which are unique in the region ? are teacher training, educational activities and renovations.

"As well, the scheme endeavours to provide schools with technological equipment and exposes them to health and hygiene projects and environmental programs. To ensure success is achieved, PEN also encourages community participation."

of that, Save the Children's efforts have led to the growth in programmes specifically aimed at adolescents and women. Called Making Decisions, the first programme assists children in Oruro ? a city in the south western part of the country known for its adherence to tradition and custom ? make "responsible and informed decisions regarding their futures".

It is divided into three areas ? reproductive health, vocational orientation and education, culture and sports.

"With the co-operation of the United States-based Moriah Foundation, Save the Children initiated this programme with the aim of encouraging adolescents to make life plans based on education about such topics as self-esteem, values, culture, educational opportunities and occupations, and the realities of life not only in Bolivia, but in the rest of the world," the charity's spokesperson said.

"(In addition) Save the Children developed the WARMI programme to train and educate women in reproductive health. WARMI, which means 'women' in the Aymar? language, works to empower mothers and mothers-to-be to identify problems during pregnancy and to seek needed care."

The programme aims to increase women's access to prenatal care and to a trained midwife to assist with childbirth ? two interventions proven to be among the most effective in reducing maternal mortality.

"WARMI helps to strengthen the abilities of communities to identify and take steps to solve reproductive health issues," the spokesperson continued.

"Through WARMI, Save the Children has helped demonstrate that healthy women are more likely to give birth to healthy babies and, are better able to care for them. These findings have been reflected by the Bolivian Ministry of Health's commitment to incorporate WARMI into health promotion and delivery programmes on a national level throughout Bolivia."

SHUTTERBUG Sarah Hughes is to travel to Bolivia next month, an extension of a gesture of goodwill initiated earlier this year with fellow photographer Amanda Temple.

According to Ms Hughes, her decision to travel to the South American region gripped by political unrest stemmed from a charity event she held with Ms Temple in March.

That event saw 60 men and women participate in a ritual more commonly observed in America and England, speed dating. Proceeds from the event were directed to the Save the Children's Tsunami Relief Fund and the Bermuda Society of Arts.

"I have a really good friend who works for Save the Children and I've always been interested in their work as a charity," Ms Hughes explained of her involvement with the charity.

"But the reason I became involved is because Amanda and I wanted to do something for Tsunami Relief. We held a speed dating event for charity and gave that money to the Save the Children's Tsunami Relief Fund."

While on a trip to New York, the pair met up with one of the charity's representatives, Timothy Rogers. He had been apprised of Ms Hughes' considerable experience - more than 20 years - as a photographer, and invited her to join him on his next sponsor delegation.

"I told him that I would like to remain involved," she explained. "He said he was going to Bolivia in July, and asked if I wanted to come along. So I'm going to document the trip for Save the Children - they'll be able to use (the pictures) to encourage sponsors, for whatever they need. During the trip we will be visiting the high altitude, the Altiplano."

Once in that region, the group is to visit El Alto, an area with one of the highest poverty levels in Bolivia. There, the delegation will witness "Save the Children's adolescent programmes, employment generation programmes and food security programmes, all of which are designed to alleviate hunger and malnutrition," Ms Hughes added.

"We will meet Aymara women who are involved in an empowerment programme focusing on income generation and reproductive health. We will visit health centres and technology centres and also (view) Save the Children nutrition programmes that help to reduce infant mortality and child nutrition and provide basic healthcare education to rural families.

"If the trip goes well, I hope to go on others. Because I'm (not Bermudian and) not allowed to work here as a photographer, I'm using (my skills) to help (them). But basically, I just want to be able to help them raise more awareness about the work they're doing."

The photographer says the trip will last approximately eight days and has been given the green light despite the recent demonstrations and general political unrest in the area.

"There is a lot of rioting and political unrest at the moment, I am aware of that - friends are sending me e-mails every day. Save the Children did consider postponing the trip but decided to go ahead and if they're comfortable taking us, I feel confident in that decision."