When Christian Aid asked Kris Marshall, star of BBC1’s My Family to visit families they were helping in Bolivia, he leapt at the chance. Kris travelled deep into the rainforest to see the problems caused by cattle ranchers who cut down trees, destroying the environment and the lives of people living there. Check out his diary...

I took an overnight flight to Bolivia, the poorest country in South America – 18 hours, phew!

Travelled to the rainforest, crossing three rivers on a barge pulled by a wooden canoe, to the village of Santa Ana – it was amazing, I saw pink dolphins and crocodiles!

I met a 16-year-old boy called Joaquin. His family were angry because people are taking over their land and chopping down all the trees on it. His family needs the land to grow food.  But there is good news. A local organisation called CIPCA is helping his family to survive.

Joaquin showed me some sheep that CIPCA gave to his family. The sheep have had three lambs which his family sold at the market. With the money they made, Joaquin is now able to go to college. He plans to come back and teach his whole community about what he has learnt.

Before I left, I visited the local school and taught them how to make paper aeroplanes. I don’t think their teacher was very impressed because the kids are throwing aeroplanes around the whole time!