We Join Forces with APAC to Improve the Lives of the Children at “Los Huérfanos”

27 February, 2025

Soon, the children’s shelter of the Fundación José Mercado Aguado will have new dormitories. Only a few details remain in the renovation work of a new space at Los Huérfanos, as the institution and its building in Santa Cruz de la Sierra are known. The Nacional Vida Segura Foundation is part of APAC’s project, having covered the labor costs.

Piotr Nawrot, director of the Asociación Pro Arte y Cultura, does not hide his happiness and expresses his gratitude for the help received. “You build trust with certain institutions. So, when we developed the project, we were confident that, with the help of Nacional Vida Group, it could be realized,” says the priest, who is also the executive director of the Festival de Música Misiones de Chiquitos.

APAC has had a relationship with the Fundación José Mercado Aguado for six years. In recognition of its support, it was given space to set up its offices in part of the building on Independencia Street. “Sometimes, the children from the shelter work with us at the festivals, and now we also give them music lessons. This is how we have seen their needs, both in terms of health and in the place where they live,” says Piotr.

The conditions at the shelter were very precarious. Piotr recalls that it looked more like a storage room, that the mattresses were very worn out, and that the bathrooms were in poor condition; in addition, the residents did not have adequate nutrition. When the manager expressed to APAC his wish to renovate the dormitory and bathroom area, the artistic institution immediately took on the project.

The chosen location is in the historic part of the building, on the second floor, near the temple.

APAC requested collaboration from various companies, which donated construction materials, toilets, paint, and all necessary equipment. Additionally, an institution committed to providing the shelter with monthly supplies of meat, rice, and sugar. “We have thought with the same spirit as José Mercado Aguado, and that is why we ask society to come together in solidarity to make this project a reality,” says Piotr. “APAC does not only make music and theater; it also cares about human living conditions.”

Piotr values the help from the Nacional Vida Segura Foundation because, as he points out, receiving financial aid is not easy: “We have seen Nacional Vida Group as sensitive friends with whom we can share concerns, achievements, and so on. We already knew them; they covered the travel expenses for the entire Coro Palmarito ensemble when they traveled to the Vatican to participate in the Synod of the Catholic Church in 2018.”

The indigenous choir’s performance at the Holy See was made possible thanks to the Apostolic Nuncio, who at the time visited Bolivia and was moved by their performances. “He facilitated the arrangements with Nacional Vida, and at the Vatican, then-ambassador Julio César Caballero did extraordinary work on our behalf,” the priest emphasizes.

The experience was positive. Now, APAC maintains contact with the Nacional Vida Segura Foundation, with whom they are interested in carrying out initiatives focused on music and theater festivals. “They funded the renovation of the dormitory pavilion for two reasons: out of solidarity, because they wanted to improve the quality of life for the children, and because they wanted to support our association.” According to Piotr Nawrot, soon, between 20 and 30 children and teenagers will have an optimal place to live, learn the value of work, and embrace honesty.