Letter 43 - She Was Banished When She Was 6 Years Old!

Dec 19, 2024

Hello Bregdan Woman!

I’m excited to tell you about this incredible Bregdan Woman. Elvira was born when her homeland of Bolivia, in central-western South America, was in constant turmoil. A military dictatorship resulted in the torturing and murder of countless Bolivian citizens.

She couldn’t do anything to stop what was happening in the country, but she was determined to act when she witnessed horror on the farm she grew up on.

Elvira grew up working alongside her mother on the farm her father owned. She was only six years old when she started asking questions.

“Mama, why is Daddy so mean to those people?”

“Don’t look at them, Elvira, just do your work.” Her mother spoke quickly and fearfully, keeping her eyes down so she wouldn’t attract attention.

Elvira couldn’t do that. She worked hard, but she saw how her father abused the other workers. It didn’t matter that she was six years old. She knew what was happening was wrong. Her indignation grew.

One day, Elvira watched as one of the field hands escaped. She later learned her father had hunted him down with dogs, whipped him and hung him by chains in their basement.

Later that night, Elvira found her father’s keys, slipped in quietly and invisibly into that dark, dank basement, and freed the man.

Can’t you imagine how frightened she was?

And how astonished and grateful the man must have been to be freed by a child?

Her courage came at a high price.

Elvira was banished from her family – sent away to live in La Paz (Bolivia’s capitol), so her father would never have to see or speak to her again.

Young Elvira witnessed an atrocity that would never leave her. Those memories would carry her passion and zeal to right the wrongs of her society.

Undaunted, Elvira Alvarez Ala grew up to carve a life as a staunch advocate for human rights and social justice.

Elvira didn't just see the injustices - she acted.

When her youngest child died because the local doctors refused to care for her family because they couldn’t pay, she and her husband developed affordable public health care clinics so others wouldn’t experience the same tragedy she had.

She Acted.

When she and her husband were working in an area where local miners sold their gold to an international mining company, she learned there was serious pollution of the drinking water because of the mining techniques.

She Acted.

Elvira went to work publicizing what the dangerous pollution. As you can imagine, this angered the mining company. It also made local doctors angry because their patients (who paid them in gold) were choosing to visit the new health care center Elvira’s group was providing.

Elvira and her husband were accused of being subversive to the government and put into prison.

She had no access to a public defender or to family since her husband was also in prison.

She could only hold on to hope that something would change.

Finally, after transferring to a woman’s prison, a lawyer and The Assembly of Human Rights group quickly proved her innocence.

She Acted.

During the seven months it took for her release, she organized the other women in the prison to demand visits to their spouses in the men’s prison. Their demand was granted.

After her release…

She Acted.

Elvira worked on getting her husband and new friends out of prison. At that time, justice in Bolivia was delayed with serious violations of human rights. In order to obtain bail, a prisoner had to put up a valuable piece of property such as a car or even their house. Most people simply did not have the resources to do that.

The law also required a rehabilitation program be in place before a prisoner would be released. Ironically, no such programs existed and people could spend months, even years in prison – waiting and forgotten.

She Acted.

Elvira developed a process to help these abandoned prisoners. Her system included the prisoner, family members, friends and a sponsor pulling together to work through the necessary requirements so the prisoner could be released.

She put together the steps a prisoner’s advocate must take; how to create and propose a rehabilitation program and carry it out; how to develop a support system for the prisoner upon his or her release; and how the prisoner could get work once out of prison.

Do you see why I am excited to tell you about this incredible Bregdan Woman?

From abandoned child… to health care activist… to prison reform activist…

She Acted.

Elvira Alvarez Ala boldly stepped into the gap on behalf of others. Her entire life has been dedicated to helping those whose freedom or rights have been ripped away.

She chose to use what life handed her and turn it around to make a difference in the lives of others.

Her determination and perseverance are a complete inspiration.

What have you learned from her story?

What actions can YOU take to make a difference for others?