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STORY: Bolivian engineer Antonio Riveras makes prosthetic limbs that cost as little as $300

In Bolivia, prosthetic limbs are largely imported from Europe or North America

where they are designed to replicate white skin and cost thousands of dollars

Riveros founded his company Creotac to cater to low-income Bolivians

[Antonio Riveras, Founder, Creotec]

"For example, this is a prosthetic for a 55 year-old person, who is 1.60 meters tall, and obviously, with a darker skin tone, like mine. These are not usually found in the market. I learned the technique and brought it here. Now with plastic artists and anaplastologists we are making these prosthetics with lots of realism."

Richard Vargas lost his hands in a dynamite explosion six years ago

He lost his job as a metal worker, struggled with bills and faced social discrimination

With Creotec's prostheses, he's been able to return to work

[Richard Vargas, Metal worker]

"In the beginning, I used older prostheses for working, to sustain myself. Now these, they have my skin tone, they are more aesthetic, but they also do more. I can write now, I can do more things, I can feed myself, hold a spoon, that is the difference."