Amy Wyron (Trinity '06): Los Hogares De Niños De La Paz, Bolivia
As a junior, Amy enrolled in Child Development and Public Policy, a seminar taught by Dr. Lisa Berlin of the Center for Child and Family Policy. In the course, students are taught the ecological approach to child development as a basis for analyzing programs and policies for children and their families. The following spring, Amy enrolled in Duke in the Andes, a Study Abroad program in Bolivia during which she lived with a family while taking courses. She also volunteered at a local Hogar de Niños, a children's home.
Hogares serve a variety of functions. Some act as group homes for abandoned, orphaned, or abused children, while others provide a daily safe haven for children in poverty.
Combining what she had learned in the public policy seminar from the fall with her volunteer experience in the spring led Amy to propose a summer research project to compare two different hogares and evaluate how well they serve their communities. In meetings with UNICEF officials, hogar directors, and the Bolivian Minister of Health, Amy found that, while there is no easy solution to the challenges faced by hogares, there are specific areas in which they can improve services. She is now using her summer research as the basis for an independent study project through Public Policy.