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Our Mission

La Vida raises funds for health and education projects throughout Latin America. The charity is registered in the UK and has been established to help disadvantaged people residing permanently in Latin America, in particular, by preserving and protecting health, relieving sickness, relieving poverty and advancing education.

About La Vida

La Vida was co-founded by Katy Vatis and Helen Ilsley following a business trip to Brazil in February 2006.

During this trip, they met Dr. Monica Nogueira, an orthopedic pediatric surgeon trying to raise US$50,000 to train Brazilian orthopedic surgeons the ‘Ponseti Technique of treating Clubfoot.

The trustees registered La Vida as a UK charity by August 2006. After successfully raising over £27,500 in just over two months, we decided to look for other projects to support across Latin America.

Subsequently, we have found more projects in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru some of which we support on a continuous basis and some which are now complete.

Although La Vida is a relatively small charity, so far we have raised nearly £850,000 through sponsorship, our annual La Vida fundraising event, direct donations and partnerships with other foundations. The funding we have deployed will have directly impacted the lives of over 30,000 disadvantaged children and their families in Latin America.

Find more information about our partners and sponsors, our annual reports and our policy for grants .

Why La Vida?

  • We focus exclusively on health and education –targeted support has a positive impact in some of the world’s poorest countries
  • We have a rigorous governance process – we go to great lengths to ensure funds are properly allocated
  • Everybody working for La Vida does so on a voluntary basis – at least 98% of donations go directly to the projects we support

At least 98% of all donations go to the projects we support

£20 monthly donation pays for a child’s quality education

Recent Projects

Education for the Children

Education For The Children runs a School of Hope: 'La Esperanza’ in the Jocotenango region, an urban area with one of the lowest literacy rates in the western hemisphere.

Project Somos

The Project Somos Children’s Village is an eco-sustainable community aiming to break the cycle of poverty in Guatemala by providing quality education and healthy food to families in need.

Educate – community library

A project to empower children and young people in Honduras through supporting community-driven initiatives focused on education

Fondo Guadalupe Musalem

Fondo Guadalupe Musalem supports disadvantaged young women, mainly from rural, indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities in Oaxaca.

Mano Vuelta

An equitable life and rights for indigenous children, youth and women from Oaxaca with a gender, intercultural and anti-racist perspective.
Children jumping

El Rio Foundation

Providing educational, sporting and environmental projects to positively impact the local community
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