A 12-hour bus ride north from La Paz, on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, lies Inti Wara Yassi. Founded in 1992 by Juan Carlos Antezana, Inti Wara Yassi was originally a place where poor and orphaned children from the city would come learn skills that allow them to earn a little money and eventually escape the slums.

Over the years, as nature started to play a stronger role in his youth program, Juan Carlos began to see the possibilities in bringing troubled kids and animals together. In 1996, Inti Wara Yassi became a sanctuary for injured, abandoned or abused animals, and a place where children play important roles in the rehabilitation and return of these animals into the wild. During these rehabilitations, strong relationships often develop between the kids and the animals based on trust, respect and empathy.

Inti Wara Yassi (which means Sun, Star, Moon in Quechua, Aymara, and Guarani, the three indigenous Bolivian languages) has become Bolivia's biggest animal sanctuary, housing over a thousand animals, from capuchin monkeys and parrots, to pumas and ocelots. It also serves as a base for Juan Carlos's nation-wide campaigns against illegal animal trading, slash-and-burn deforestation and the loss of animal habitats in Bolivia.

Recognized as an Ashoka Fellow (as well as one of Jane Goodall's personal heroes), Juan Carlos and his team return frequently to the slums of Bolivian cities to lure youngsters away from a life of poverty and drugs. He hopes to someday reach out to 70 percent of Bolivian youth, and effectively stop animal cruelty and environmental degradation in his country.

www.intiwarayassi.org