tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891538902010217182024-03-05T07:07:45.231-08:00Mano a Mano International Partners' BlogCreating partnerships with impoverished Bolivian communities that improve health and increase economic well-being.Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-38943620333631655532011-11-15T13:48:00.001-08:002011-11-15T13:49:34.556-08:00Our Blog Has MovedOur blog is now part of our main website, and we will no longer be posting blogs here. <a href="http://manoamano.org/blog/">Follow this link</a> to go to our new blog page.Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-77795039406435919502011-10-25T08:57:00.000-07:002011-10-25T08:57:23.835-07:00Keeping the Community InvolvedOne of our major projects currently is a large-scale <a href="http://youtu.be/Re1qnVhKSkM">water reservoir</a> being constructed in <a href="http://youtu.be/tMdUJA2vkfc">Sancayani, Bolivia</a>, which when complete will provide water to nearly 4,000 Bolivian farm families. These infrastructure projects are hard work; for much of the tubing and channels we have to literally cut through mountains, and often just to transport our heavy machinery onsite we have to build roads first. Each day there are around a dozen community members volunteering to help on the project, doing tasks such as clearing the road of rocks and large debris for the heavy machinery:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Community residents contributed more than 32,000 hours on our last water reservoir project</i></span></div>
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In addition to the work that goes into the project itself, at the same time Mano a Mano emphasizes keeping the community engaged and informed throughout the process. For the Sancayani water reservoir project, Mano a Mano has held more than 25 meetings in the last 2 months alone. These meetings will include community members, local authorities, community associations, and residents from neighboring communities that may be affected by the project. We ensure that everyone's roles and responsibilities are clear, talk about how the construction is progressing, and address peoples' questions and concerns. Last week we held a meeting with the new leaders that were elected 8 days earlier, with more than 300 people in attendance.<br />
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We are very committed to ensuring the success of each of our projects, which starts with our <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/03/mano-mano-model.html">collaborative model</a>; there is a lot more that goes into these projects than the construction.</div>
<br />Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-39103085386086335362011-10-24T09:15:00.000-07:002011-10-24T09:15:03.403-07:00Community Maintenance ProjectsTo ensure that the road and water projects that we build continue to be maintained and in good condition, Mano a Mano has implemented 'jornadas de trabajo' (work days) for everyone involved in the project - Mano a Mano, local authorities, and the community itself - to spend a day or two, 3-4 times a year, on improving or maintaining their projects. This past weekend more than 400 residents of Laguna Sulti participated in this jornada, showing up with their own tools to help get <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUeLq1Az9-A">their reservoir</a> (built with Mano a Mano) ready in preparation for the upcoming rainy season.<br />
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Mano a Mano was there to work as well, arriving with our grader and a truck to help with the heavy lifting.</div>
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These community maintenance work days are very important to ensure the long-term sustainability of our projects, and we were very pleased with the hard work and participation of everyone.</div>
<br />Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-44308751583898245142011-10-13T07:57:00.000-07:002011-10-13T07:57:18.360-07:00Segundo Velasquez on "Why I Started my NGO"Yesterday Mano a Mano co-founder Segundo Velasquez was part of a panel discussion at the <a href="http://www.hhh.umn.edu/index.php">Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs</a> featuring local Minnesota organizations that work internationally. They discussed how and why they started their respective NGOs.<br />
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One part of the discussion focused on what makes a nonprofit succes<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">sful; Velasquez responded that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;">"It’s all about the human connection that brings it all together, working side by side to make a difference." You can read more about the panel <a href="http://www.pitchengine.com/manoamanointernationalpartners/minnesotaglobalnonprofitsmaximizenetworksandvolunteers/180204/">here</a>.</span></span></div>
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<br />Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-58819496286812713782011-10-05T11:58:00.000-07:002011-10-05T11:58:53.410-07:00New Road in El Palmar Halfway Complete<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last week staff from Mano a Mano did a site inspection of our <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-road-project-in-bolivia.html">road project in El Palmar</a>, Bolivia. Twenty-two of the 56 total kilometers are now finished, and when com<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">plete the road will<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"> connect the communities of Canon Verde and El Palmar in the department of Chuquisaca, Bolivia and provide access to the larger markets of Tarija and Santa Cruz. </span></span>We hope to complete the road later this year.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial view of completed section of the road</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished section of road<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Constructing these roads is a very difficult process. The road is being built through mountainsides and dense jungle, and staff have to live on-site for weeks at a time without seeing their families. Many of the areas are so isolated that they are only accessible by horse or on foot.</span></div>
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Mano a Mano staff on-site</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Meeting with local leaders. The generator providing lighting is the only one in the region.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">During the inspection we met with local leaders about the project, who are very excited about the road and happy with the current progress; r</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">oads are crucial in improving the lives of isolated rural communities in Bolivia.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> The municipality and community are actively involved in the project and are paying for a substantial portion of the costs themselves. Earlier this year <a href="http://www.caterpillar.com/Foundation">Caterpillar, Inc.</a> made a video highlighting their collaborative partnership with Mano a Mano and explaining why road projects such as this one in El Palmar are so important in Bolivia:</span></div>
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Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-81159274178332720462011-09-30T09:26:00.000-07:002011-09-30T09:26:07.535-07:00Co-Founder Segundo Velasquez Recognized by Metro State<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Mano a Mano co-founder Segundo Velasquez was recently recognized by Metropolitan State University as one of "<a href="http://www.metrostate.edu/applications/drep/files/40Alums.pdf">40 Alumni Who've Made a Difference!</a>" </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWRfA1EP4ZBDCfv665Ypt1CZ8RNJsc7Hs94D3vALzd9R5sLeXqds2CB6eSB2nS6_VQQmKKuHOnsTjonjvQ-WekuPrkdSzOEIGllpQEqud8AfOiYRpfnqG3B94ZpctGJFBYU5wT3JRlVQ/s1600/Segundo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWRfA1EP4ZBDCfv665Ypt1CZ8RNJsc7Hs94D3vALzd9R5sLeXqds2CB6eSB2nS6_VQQmKKuHOnsTjonjvQ-WekuPrkdSzOEIGllpQEqud8AfOiYRpfnqG3B94ZpctGJFBYU5wT3JRlVQ/s320/Segundo.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Segundo Velasquez ('92) founded Mano a Mano International Partners in 1994 to improve health care in his native Bolivia and has led the organization on a </span><i style="font-size: medium;">pro bono </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">basis since that time. From "kitchen table" beginnings, Mano a Mano has grown into an organization that makes health care available to more than 700,000 rural Bolivians, builds water reservoirs and roads to increase economic well-being, and provides emergency air transport to remote regions"</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Congratulations Segundo!</span></div>
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Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-18527501314539347352011-09-29T09:21:00.000-07:002011-09-29T09:21:18.652-07:00Mano a Mano's 123rd Health Clinic in Kumara, BoliviaOn September 10, 2011 we dedicated our 123rd health clinic in the community of Kumara, Bolivia. Our staff at Mano a Mano Bolivia put together a video of the entire process from start to finish:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1iQBDeX2I1U" width="560"></iframe><br />
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You can learn more about our community health clinic model <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/03/mano-mano-model.html">here</a>.Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-28182194356146280042011-09-22T14:00:00.000-07:002011-09-22T14:00:19.279-07:00We have a new plane!This week, after a long search, Mano a Mano has purchased a twin-engine airplane for our <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/nate_mano/mano-a-mano-aviation-program">aviation program</a> in Bolivia. This is a huge step forward for us and will greatly enhance our capabilities.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mano a Mano's new plane!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YpEqaxUPMK4C8EJdQoqz-rLY_Wo_Gv0EjNDn-UwHWNRCHcCTqbNZGuSlwnCDuYt79j_fVHC6xJi-reU7bsJ3IO9A771wALnZsmXJhHSqTuQ3fdspA5ipcm__4T-dx8T6APmRydMZwzU/s1600/Navajo_inside_09_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YpEqaxUPMK4C8EJdQoqz-rLY_Wo_Gv0EjNDn-UwHWNRCHcCTqbNZGuSlwnCDuYt79j_fVHC6xJi-reU7bsJ3IO9A771wALnZsmXJhHSqTuQ3fdspA5ipcm__4T-dx8T6APmRydMZwzU/s320/Navajo_inside_09_11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To this point, Mano a Mano has flown two Cessna 206 planes for our <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/07/mano-mano-flights-in-bolivia-in-july.html">emergency air rescue</a>, <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/09/weekend-health-clinics.html">jornada</a>, and commercial flights. Both of these planes are single-engine planes, and while they will continue to be utilized in our program, having a twin-engine plane has numerous benefits. First, a twin-engine plane is safer. Because of the improved safety, we are now able to provide flights to organizations and businesses whose insurance plans only permit them to fly in twin-engine planes, which will provide a new source of revenue. Second, a twin-engine plane can fly further and faster, increasing our range to include other countries that border Bolivia and also decrease travel time on all flights. Third, the new plane is much larger, with 10 seats. Not only does this provide more passenger space, it also allows us to have more comfortable transport for passengers on emergency flights; we can now transport patients on a gurney rather than force them into a regular seat.<br />
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We are very excited to what this new plane will mean for all of Mano a Mano. Our aviation program is an integral part of our whole program: Bolivian medical professionals use the Mano a Mano plane to get to weekend health clinics in distant rural areas, shortening travel time to allow more time with patients; heavy equipment operators will now be able to purchase new parts and have them flown to construction sites in a matter of hours rather than days by car; and travelers to Bolivia will have a safer and more convenient mode of transport to see more of Bolivia.<br />
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We especially want to thank the donors and foundations who dedicated their time and resources to make this dream of ours become a reality!Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-83905141117507634762011-09-14T09:48:00.000-07:002011-09-14T09:48:32.266-07:00Accomplishments<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As we celebrate our <a href="http://p0.vresp.com/EJAS5n">17th year this weekend</a>, we continue to be amazed at what a small group of dedicated people in the US and Bolivia can accomplish! Here are just a few of our acheivements since we started in 1994:</span><br />
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 15px;"><b>120,272</b> - volunteer hours in the US since 1994</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 15px;"><b>2,180,061</b> - pounds of surplus medical supplies shipped to Bolivia</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 15px;"><b>$10.1 million</b> - value of this surplus</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 15px;"><b>123</b> - number of clinics built in Bolivia. 115 of these clinics are financially independent and do not rely on any funding from Mano a Mano. (All clinics receive continuing health education and medical supplies on an ongoing basis.)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 15px;">14,065 deliveries with <b>0 maternal deaths</b> and <b>0.5% infant mortality rate</b> (average infant mortality rate in rural Bolivia is 8%)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 15px;">Schools, teacher housing, and community sanitation projects in <b>42 communities</b></li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 15px;">Built <b>3</b> large water reservoirs and <b>153</b> atajados (small water ponds)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 15px;">Constructed or improved over <b>1,400 kilometers </b>of roads</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 15px;"><b>962</b> emergency flights</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Xh_q-_CirIHNsGLzlagmPOzW0hVk_v13qrmQRys8ZEH1Pdryml-p7W-vjTKu4RjSnvzxhsjdIaRbxawGRoc5XRa-udtFm0bnTlHpDel_eEeyY8q8viUk5wZJfpNYJTTlOFwxPdh7f4Y/s1600/Girl+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Xh_q-_CirIHNsGLzlagmPOzW0hVk_v13qrmQRys8ZEH1Pdryml-p7W-vjTKu4RjSnvzxhsjdIaRbxawGRoc5XRa-udtFm0bnTlHpDel_eEeyY8q8viUk5wZJfpNYJTTlOFwxPdh7f4Y/s320/Girl+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to everyone that has been a part of Mano a Mano!</td></tr>
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</span></span>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-70348857907794858162011-09-09T12:07:00.000-07:002011-09-09T12:07:36.861-07:00Weekend Health ClinicsAs part of our <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/03/mano-mano-model.html">integrated approach to improving health</a>, Mano a Mano provides jornadas, or weekend health clinics, in rural areas of Bolivia that have no access to health services. Doctors, nurses, dentists, and other medical professionals from Bolivia volunteer hundreds of hours of their time with Mano a Mano Bolivia traveling on weekends to some of the most remote areas of the country to provide free basic healthcare. They also give educational workshops on treatment and prevention of prevalent diseases in the area, such as malaria, dengue fever, chagas, leishmaniasis, and tuberculosis. Mano a Mano Bolivia volunteers usually fly to the jornada sites on the Mano a Mano plane; the trip can often be 15-20 hours each way on treacherous mountain roads, whereas flying reduces travel time to an hour or two, allowing more time to be spent with patients.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWfDhgZnBch_HlnT0gsaXnPvRTqP2wSf5JPImmy1XYpfVfZSGi3eEbc2ElTcrdey35dyz8ujevuUXfm9NCK4EbowfU7HL9g7XL1JuPn10R253hpVuQqN7RTLCQo0a6vTE054jVmV1YS0/s1600/Jornada+group+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWfDhgZnBch_HlnT0gsaXnPvRTqP2wSf5JPImmy1XYpfVfZSGi3eEbc2ElTcrdey35dyz8ujevuUXfm9NCK4EbowfU7HL9g7XL1JuPn10R253hpVuQqN7RTLCQo0a6vTE054jVmV1YS0/s320/Jornada+group+shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Jornada volunteers</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSvWfja524qZI4nDJp6BduQRvYBgn-hVwyw-5BDkvup0XUX9UQWNvgqUbzwBQLt8-lNwds0TWlDotoQnZqFgEVZp49HO_PO-lDTYXQRpH8VYT7cgb4Ny_azpQziE5CXnFh3-UnSRZ0oQ/s1600/Nemecio+with+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSvWfja524qZI4nDJp6BduQRvYBgn-hVwyw-5BDkvup0XUX9UQWNvgqUbzwBQLt8-lNwds0TWlDotoQnZqFgEVZp49HO_PO-lDTYXQRpH8VYT7cgb4Ny_azpQziE5CXnFh3-UnSRZ0oQ/s320/Nemecio+with+baby.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Mano a Mano volunteer Nemecio evaluating a baby</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i></i></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Between 2006-2010, Mano a Mano provided 79 jornadas and had 15,200 patient visits. We have another 29 scheduled for 2011, such as a recent jornada to San Pablo de Isiboro in late July, an isolated community in the Amazon jungle in the Beni department (photos below). In a typical jornada our volunteers will see around 200 patients.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAa_i2-3FudxHjf4BPqB63LGBqVoY0joDaDIQ4uVDcZT0iyD6rSHmj-gzSJ0WRbWuuxadXSgGuO9ChRETlNTQWJvwJm0sHuS_ES3l1Ur4qE5rGra0KoLk0q_3baZ9-gMXlkur9ovM-jk/s1600/Consultorio+Improvisado+en+Jornada+de+Salud+Beni.MMB.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAa_i2-3FudxHjf4BPqB63LGBqVoY0joDaDIQ4uVDcZT0iyD6rSHmj-gzSJ0WRbWuuxadXSgGuO9ChRETlNTQWJvwJm0sHuS_ES3l1Ur4qE5rGra0KoLk0q_3baZ9-gMXlkur9ovM-jk/s320/Consultorio+Improvisado+en+Jornada+de+Salud+Beni.MMB.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Mano a Mano Bolivia doctor with a patient</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7h0mutwNFu-jwmD_YPSxaqyrLtOM1A-PhuNtobOkHHz4vT-wglJ5tRhrrlDtwotjlRqXGF4vc5_xMSf-ZVKxZvrTPUaPB-eQM9QyYwDcCWwdPjPbiRPxFBvWHJ9YM1ijP1-BV6-V0BNY/s1600/Ni%25C3%25B1os+para+consulta.Jornada+San+Pablo+de+Isiboro+-+Beni.MMB.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7h0mutwNFu-jwmD_YPSxaqyrLtOM1A-PhuNtobOkHHz4vT-wglJ5tRhrrlDtwotjlRqXGF4vc5_xMSf-ZVKxZvrTPUaPB-eQM9QyYwDcCWwdPjPbiRPxFBvWHJ9YM1ijP1-BV6-V0BNY/s320/Ni%25C3%25B1os+para+consulta.Jornada+San+Pablo+de+Isiboro+-+Beni.MMB.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>People in San Pablo de Isiboro waiting to be seen</i></div>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-74609593378466944692011-08-11T08:57:00.000-07:002011-08-11T09:00:02.731-07:00Reading and Games with Sancayani Children<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Yesterday was our second Saturday of books and games with the kids of Sancayani. Along with big bags full of mandarinas, bananas and bread, we loaded a few heavy boxes full of books into the back of the car and drove up to 14,000 feet to meet them in their schoolyard. As we bumped along the road at about 10:30, we came into sight of the school and the ten or fifteen kids waiting for us leapt up and ran towards us. A few pretended to hide behind the whitewashed pillars and in the door frames in shyness, but peeked out, smiling, as we hopped out of the car. It was sunny but the wind was cold, and so strong that it kept blowing our hats off of our heads. At Blanca's (Blanca works in the Mano a Mano Internacional office in Bolivia) bidding, the kids led us behind the building to where the wind was less bitter. Perched on logs, rocks and concrete ledges, we gave the older students pencils and word-finds that Tracy (a volunteer from Europe) had put together while Blanca helped the younger kids glue together foam cutouts to make churches and bells. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ18hEYPrVFM58zdVKiclTMI-0js_GLy6z3O3m0d6RJXE802PIC6eaxA1VyxlPBmxwx_BaBsOXjbCa9rSaNCAcifFtoEA_GCOJHnitPG4mRybllXPm1vf-MlADChZ7BXabmtuQ0PHpyK0/s1600/P7300601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ18hEYPrVFM58zdVKiclTMI-0js_GLy6z3O3m0d6RJXE802PIC6eaxA1VyxlPBmxwx_BaBsOXjbCa9rSaNCAcifFtoEA_GCOJHnitPG4mRybllXPm1vf-MlADChZ7BXabmtuQ0PHpyK0/s200/P7300601.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJ64kz_u8MBrio8PJIbmBezlKeAw8xuswbU8_YJeLOu0N_7TRKtBW9arA1hcwOLMFRY_Wdf68rHP1ZWr05UNvrnPejTjzlgUBoGSZ3p7H7ochnZbrxh7PZirgohyKGp80W2QtgFDfWLA/s1600/P7300621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJ64kz_u8MBrio8PJIbmBezlKeAw8xuswbU8_YJeLOu0N_7TRKtBW9arA1hcwOLMFRY_Wdf68rHP1ZWr05UNvrnPejTjzlgUBoGSZ3p7H7ochnZbrxh7PZirgohyKGp80W2QtgFDfWLA/s200/P7300621.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Throughout the morning kids kept trickling in, arriving by bike or walking with a little sibling strapped to their back. By noon about thirty had found us. Generally the kids were fairly quiet and reserved, though more than a few were outwardly enthusiastic: the two little boys in my group of ten huddled together and whispered quietly to each other, looking around at everyone else and only vaguely trying to complete the word-find at hand; the girl at my side tapped my shoulder and proudly announced every word she found, and raced to finish first. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">After word games and foam cutouts were mostly completed Blanca and I retrieved the books from the trunk, spread them out on a blanket, and invited the kids to each pick one to read. At first they approached the blanket shyly in twos and threes; after a few minutes nearly all of the kids ages eight and over clutched a book or were crouched over the pile, shuffling around for a suitable story to read. Rachel (a volunteer from the US), Ivo (<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/nate_mano/mano-a-mano-aviation-program">Mano a Mano Apoyo Aereo</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> pilot) and I sat with them, listened to them, and helped them read aloud. I read with Ronald, a 12-year-old boy wearing a red sweater and homemade slingshot slung over his shoulder. He read hesitantly, following the words with his index finger, carefully sounding out each sound and neglecting the spaces in between the words. Although I'm sure he knew most of the words he was reading, I doubt he understood them as he occupied himself with differentiating the sounds of b versus d and putting syllables together. His earnest attempts at what was obviously a difficult task were immediately interrupted if anyone, particularly a girl, looked over or walked by us: his eyes would nervously glance up at her and his voice would get suddenly soft. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhm0vhmDEBJaWrSB5K-j0ykEf0IHwYnqwNzPGzMf6x3a98QCQ-yFFw6m7da5sfM026RwPFZOTpNFYqxMSZK2u6LxZrFAOctns4XtqdJ9TufYYlP7ZEov_NQw7gaw6BG-VRnzbyluzcyo/s1600/IMG_0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhm0vhmDEBJaWrSB5K-j0ykEf0IHwYnqwNzPGzMf6x3a98QCQ-yFFw6m7da5sfM026RwPFZOTpNFYqxMSZK2u6LxZrFAOctns4XtqdJ9TufYYlP7ZEov_NQw7gaw6BG-VRnzbyluzcyo/s200/IMG_0452.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ronald<br />
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<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">The ten-year-old word-find enthusiast, Maribel, was reading aloud to herself at our feet with a confident, consistent voice, exclaiming at pictures and funny phrases. Ronald sometimes paused and listen shyly to her reading, and then stumbled on his way. I was half sure he was scared of me, but I got a few genuine smiles out of him as we read and talked about the words. We got through one page in about twenty minutes, but his voluntary persistence really impressed me. None of the kids was required to be there, and could leave at any time. There was only one mom present, who came with a baby and her young son, and who quietly sat and observed the morning activities.</span></div></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">I joined a seventh-grade girl named Flácida who was devouring a story about two kids and a homemade jam competition, and she willingly read to me for the remaining fifteen pages of her book. Her voice was low and consistent and she read with little expression, though she rarely struggled with the words and sounded out the tough ones systematically. I asked her from time to time what was going on in the book, and she would briefly – and accurately – explain what had just happened, in a quiet voice with her eyes cast downward, though her quiet enthusiasm was obvious. She took the act of reading very seriously, and was not distracted for a moment by the kids wandering around, holding books and talking. She had walked an hour up from her town with her little brother to do this.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Blanca maintained a group of toddlers and young grade-schoolers by reading aloud and talking about reading with them. They sat in a group at her feet, wearing knit hats and shawls for the wind, squinting up at her and shouting out answers to her questions. Though a few unnamed members of our group suffered while wearing scarves, hats, and multiple sweatshirts, none of the kids mentioned the cold. After over an hour of reading time, we handed out food and little stapled booklets of stories to everyone and began packing up our materials. As some hopped on their bikes and headed down the hill towards home, a few students followed us around as we packed up, munching on bread and eagerly asking when we would be back. Blanca's idea is that Mano a Mano will make this sort of reading and activity day a weekly routine,</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> which</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> can eventually be passed on to the teachers and students to self-sustain, and which will spark the students' interest in books and reading. When the new six-room school is finished, Mano a Mano plans to donate boxes of books to make a small library of books for the students to take out and read at their leisure.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPqu8d3otgRISXkafvYItf6EJJOjOh3O0bcIlnk1gfM-RsXP5aEhJuJK4p-XikOH_7R3SCeiUhV-91BFaUBVQ-sA10YT8Q5-kAgEr7zF6UXEKe2Rm62rEANMKPGc8n3-ZFePjRW5zsXk/s1600/IMG_0476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPqu8d3otgRISXkafvYItf6EJJOjOh3O0bcIlnk1gfM-RsXP5aEhJuJK4p-XikOH_7R3SCeiUhV-91BFaUBVQ-sA10YT8Q5-kAgEr7zF6UXEKe2Rm62rEANMKPGc8n3-ZFePjRW5zsXk/s200/IMG_0476.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Libby Arnosti, Mano a Mano Volunteer</span>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-82969277501890410002011-08-10T11:37:00.000-07:002011-08-10T11:37:06.144-07:00Agriculture Fair in El Palmar, BoliviaYesterday local residents in El Palmar held an Agriculture Fair to show off their crops. The Fair was a huge event; the governor of the department was in attendance, as well as a number of local mayors. There were horse races and other games, and judges were there to select the best crops.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpLIgNRMfejnvdHfYEs3pJnaJhFUKek1_S754lpTRYWEps4AjHt3HMpNj5DL1h0TWilrzA9K73S150BpOyW-P3KXNeP11eqye6y4I6JcVcR296Xqj3LO2XfZlC-myUYL1jIruCJJesbo/s1600/photo+2+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpLIgNRMfejnvdHfYEs3pJnaJhFUKek1_S754lpTRYWEps4AjHt3HMpNj5DL1h0TWilrzA9K73S150BpOyW-P3KXNeP11eqye6y4I6JcVcR296Xqj3LO2XfZlC-myUYL1jIruCJJesbo/s200/photo+2+%25285%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENIMXytiLQBORxRNrS1smODsw1SdnOlxi1L8dmgA1c92kp5-eyBeeL7BLw4ybHyLy8aEDi0cPfkJxcCFTIvG1HMm8zYJZh7WZxFMTErMNKZjG05WTM-7vNIX3T63D-J1r9yiafddHQPE/s1600/photo+3+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENIMXytiLQBORxRNrS1smODsw1SdnOlxi1L8dmgA1c92kp5-eyBeeL7BLw4ybHyLy8aEDi0cPfkJxcCFTIvG1HMm8zYJZh7WZxFMTErMNKZjG05WTM-7vNIX3T63D-J1r9yiafddHQPE/s200/photo+3+%25284%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">El Palmar</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Many residents said that these crops that they are now growing are because of the road that Mano a Mano built here 6 years ago. With the road, they said, they could now grow crops in addition to what they grew for their own consumption because they knew they could transport the produce to market before it rotted. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ85_4vX1BmOeuD5w675qpX3N_R2LdcXa17kbcB1xvKa1keIOj3EyMNm4kgyu9IdWvCasaOtPXWqxEniWmnW6CnuXik_3xqcSO_EvH5lSvY8W0aDAcCYyb5xBE8OnUSsZuCOVerRr2J-g/s1600/photo+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ85_4vX1BmOeuD5w675qpX3N_R2LdcXa17kbcB1xvKa1keIOj3EyMNm4kgyu9IdWvCasaOtPXWqxEniWmnW6CnuXik_3xqcSO_EvH5lSvY8W0aDAcCYyb5xBE8OnUSsZuCOVerRr2J-g/s320/photo+%25288%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsdyyAjNx_3UhDzD1Kv8j13tWNEmQ1ravSQM6LIED4sH6OCFea_s9o_pibCTd4EEzz6_oT8i3rT7V9XsXjS4zgG6C3UBuqu-Q2dNfEZiZaShUFKhctV6dzBqyGZxSgK6JzBoAgcyStPE/s1600/photo+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsdyyAjNx_3UhDzD1Kv8j13tWNEmQ1ravSQM6LIED4sH6OCFea_s9o_pibCTd4EEzz6_oT8i3rT7V9XsXjS4zgG6C3UBuqu-Q2dNfEZiZaShUFKhctV6dzBqyGZxSgK6JzBoAgcyStPE/s320/photo+%25289%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are currently improving their access further, <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-road-project-in-bolivia.html">building a 56-kilometer road</a> that will connect them to the larger markets in Tarija and Santa Cruz. This new road is 33% complete and should be done later this year. You can find more pictures from the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150398992353294.433937.118914898293&type=1">Agriculture Fair here</a>.</div><br />
Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-1172126817206393582011-08-10T09:34:00.000-07:002011-08-10T09:51:57.083-07:00Interview with Mano a Mano Traveler Monica Geocaris<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Next week a group of travelers will be going to <a href="http://manoamano.org/travel">Bolivia with Mano a Mano</a>, including Monica Geocaris and her family. Monica took a few minutes last week to talk about why she chose to go the trip. You can l<a href="http://www.providentpartners.net/html/podcast/monicapack1.mp3">isten to the interview here</a>.</span>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-11060879522179705372011-08-08T11:20:00.000-07:002011-08-08T11:20:28.451-07:00Interview with Alberto Salazar, Sancayani Resident<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Last week Mano a Mano volunteer Libby Arnosti visited Sancayani, Bolivia with local Mano Mano staff, where we are currently constructing a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150152502248294.348919.118914898293">major water</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150391608773294.431711.118914898293&type=1">reservoir project</a>. Libby is a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">20-year-old college student from Minnesota who is spending the summer collecting stories of people touched by the work of Mano a Mano. The purpose of her project is to get to know more personally the people we work with, hear their reactions to Mano a Mano projects, listen to their thoughts and ideas about the future, and gauge the need for more community improvements. </span>While in Sancayani, a local community leader mentioned to Libby that a resident was interested in doing an interview with her.</span></div><br />
<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJeHUCZJb-fWdRyHNyQuN2XNp0xa3o7McgB6envu8lJZZt2UjXx6cI12gvdnq4AlMXHTkDCrYKKq5VsWXrlKTWyGyx8eu_rR2-EqPzsX40vUf_Iva-6lZOHHOpKl8jUHvIFe-ETAS0Gs/s200/P7090019.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="175" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alberto Salazar<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Below is the transcript of the interview with Alberto from Libby:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><strong>What is it like to live here?</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><strong>"</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="apple-style-span">Life is hard. There are a lot of responsibilities, starting with getting food to survive. In agriculture, even though it's a hard job – brutal – when you grow a lot, there is that much more income. In the city you have to buy everything! Everything. Meanwhile in the campo at least you have potato, beans, wheat, oca, chuño [peeled and freeze-dried potato], something. Which you don't have to buy. So in a big way that alleviates the economic situation in the family."</span></span><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Why the water project with Mano a Mano is important:</b> "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Well, I think Mano a Mano is giving us [the associates of the project] a great opportunity. Because before in the highlands there was a lot of rain, a lot of water. But these last five or ten years, the water has dropped a lot. So now there isn’t enough to water our crops. We have spring waters higher up, but before a lot came down and now there is only a little. We don’t know why the spring waters are drying up, but this is also why this type of project benefits us so much. The reservoirs, during the rainy season, will fill up, and in these times [the dry season] we will have enough to water the crops, to plant, to produce. So what Mano a Mano is doing is going to at least somewhat alleviate that problem. So at least we will be able to produce potato, wheat, soybeans."</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #666666; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>On hopes for the future:</strong><span class="apple-style-span"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">In the campo, though, money is still important. If there is no money, there can be no studying. So you have to produce first. We sell our crops at the market and with that money the kids can study, we can buy clothes, food. </span>Looking to the future I think that you always have to look out for the kids, no? My kids are the happiness of my family. My children, I think that their future is primarily through education. As their dad I would like them to study. Study - because here in the campo there is a lot of need. If there was a professional here who understood agronomy well, for example, that person could make a lot of money. Because in the campo we don't have the same possibilities as in the cities. In the city there is everything, but in the campo, we make do with what we have."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>On future projects:</strong><span class="apple-style-span"> "Maybe from here looking to the future, doing more projects with Mano a Mano, no? And I would think that not just here. Here we still have spring water. In other places they don't even have water to drink. So they have more need. This is what I hope, that [Mano a Mano] continues, and that it keeps supporting like that – directly – the community members. Because when help comes from the state it sometimes arrives very late or doesn't even arrive at all. So it suits us that help arrives directly to the communities. And this benefits us in a big way. This is the only thing I would ask; if they could do other reservoirs for Sank'ayani, even better, no? [laughs]"</span></span><br />
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<strong>More comments: "</strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">I have finished high school. Few people, maybe ten percent finish high school, of the people in Sank'ayani. My older brother was working as a carpenter, he was working in Punata. And so he brought me so I could help him during my summer vacation. And I stayed there, to work and to study. I worked by day and studied at night, for six years. Working eight hours a day Monday through Friday – and only until noon on Saturday – and studying from 6pm until 10:30. </span></strong><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span">After high school I went to Chile, to Concepción. I was looking for more opportunity. But there, as a stranger it is not easy either. And so I came back too and when I came back I dedicated myself more to agriculture. But you always bring something from other places. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">There are some people – like me for example, no? – study, finish high school, but sometimes forget about their communities, and they go somewhere else, to the city, or somewhere else, foreign countries. But they forget. And when they come back, they come back then like strangers, no? And it's not the same. So, we always want to retain those roots, of where we came from, where we were born – we want to retain that, not lose it. Because, if it is lost, I don't know, then there wouldn't be this community – there would be no organization, and so everyone would think of their own family and no more. And we wouldn't achieve any type of project – like we always say, 'unity makes force'. So this worries us a little sometimes, that when our children leave here and sometimes forget. </span></strong></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Of course, older people, with the time they have lived, have more experience than we do. And that is a good thing. So they have more experience but this person maybe has not had even one day of classes. They haven't gone [to school]. They don't know how to read, they don't know how to write. But they have more experience than we do. We always share their experiences and our thoughts – we who have finished high school – and so we strengthen ourselves between the two. And so any type of problem that comes up we can solve quickly. So, this is the good thing. Between their knowledge, and those of us who have learned a little in school, in high school, so we between the two make our living so that any type of work that has to be done, we do it easily. And this – and this, I think, is our wealth."</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLD0mzGh1aE3rboiFcJs8If1ELg3LtreEcdymyGW9lh9xqeyVOyRqgylBTQYaqHwsL81e-YT-uX5IIPh2zHMGByPh7SnDK0OQOPz5UXbQqTOy6FHOOTIizWzRheSRf3qGttuG5HZFrk8/s1600/IMG_1472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLD0mzGh1aE3rboiFcJs8If1ELg3LtreEcdymyGW9lh9xqeyVOyRqgylBTQYaqHwsL81e-YT-uX5IIPh2zHMGByPh7SnDK0OQOPz5UXbQqTOy6FHOOTIizWzRheSRf3qGttuG5HZFrk8/s200/IMG_1472.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Libby Arnosti and Alberto talking in Sancayani</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-42446265003966620532011-07-29T09:28:00.000-07:002011-07-29T09:28:51.221-07:00Sancayani Students Participating in Water Reservoir ProjectMano a Mano is currently working on a large <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/03/world-water-day-water-is-life.html">water reservoir in Sancayani, Bolivia</a>, which is being done in close collaboration with the entire community, as all of our projects are. In order to involve the younger children, recently 60 students and 5 local moms participated in an art class where they drew cutouts of the Caterpillar machinery that is being used to construct the reservoir. The <a href="http://www.caterpillar.com/foundation">Caterpillar Foundation</a> has been a huge supporter of this project, and we are happy to have a way for the children to show their thanks. More pictures of the childrens' class are <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150386487788294.430050.118914898293&type=1">here</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YpD5iChP41uLAtQAaXddZxcreOeDoHRpBJ8SiHfL0It3qFuJWyVe6vaXivFPUdyHUoAeSHCwSS7iqGHGrtuikVpLJJU_f_vnqMA9FLVA6J2mmJ_gQ9WpStv2I1l_PX6R9MVeaPCtfdE/s1600/IMG_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YpD5iChP41uLAtQAaXddZxcreOeDoHRpBJ8SiHfL0It3qFuJWyVe6vaXivFPUdyHUoAeSHCwSS7iqGHGrtuikVpLJJU_f_vnqMA9FLVA6J2mmJ_gQ9WpStv2I1l_PX6R9MVeaPCtfdE/s320/IMG_0316.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-76123854890579412422011-07-27T12:58:00.000-07:002011-07-27T12:58:09.579-07:00Shipping 75,000 pounds of supplies to Bolivia<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Over the weekend Mano a Mano volunteers helped <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150384669733294.429600.118914898293&type=1">load 2 containers with nearly 75,000 pounds</a> of medical supplies and construction equipment. The containers will be shipped to Bolivia, where the<a href="http://www.razoo.com/story/Medicalsurplusdistribution"> medical supplies will be distributed to our network of 120 health clinics</a> throughout Bolivia. We also shipped bridge-making supplies and equipment in collaboration with <a href="http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/">Bridges to Prosperity</a>, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide isolated communities with access to essential healthcare, education, and economic opportunities by building footbridges over impossible rivers. They are <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHJ6wLEz3so&feature=player_embedded">opening an office in Bolivia</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">, and we shipped a number of large spools of used wire rope that will be used in the construction of footbridges.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3qY8s9K2uvfc0BXjhF4ARIAU4RXBlS8Oo4p1TY4KjtmArVuDU6O9OHz3iu8Zfszb6fcsD4N9bl1ZbZrS5CSlZxWp0ULQQLtWpaU7VuritmfJ4kHnGnkAZhhkr5NISHOydWdO1AGRcF8/s1600/DSC05127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3qY8s9K2uvfc0BXjhF4ARIAU4RXBlS8Oo4p1TY4KjtmArVuDU6O9OHz3iu8Zfszb6fcsD4N9bl1ZbZrS5CSlZxWp0ULQQLtWpaU7VuritmfJ4kHnGnkAZhhkr5NISHOydWdO1AGRcF8/s320/DSC05127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Loading 2 spools of wire rope</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i></i></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks to our great volunteers who helped out this weekend, despite temperatures in the 90s and a lot of heavy lifting; we really appreciate it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeeSuVPYifYMVI-fdMPSw3rAtLgRDA1ZcmBdeNROLPk4mYulr16aysz19rWkxHTi0WJ3Wnd17PIRTXtnsXjvMH3Vnexw7OevVus7wixB0klClpu6nKLVsAO4n1eWIn6bM60rYIW8Qybo/s1600/2011-07-22+14.22.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeeSuVPYifYMVI-fdMPSw3rAtLgRDA1ZcmBdeNROLPk4mYulr16aysz19rWkxHTi0WJ3Wnd17PIRTXtnsXjvMH3Vnexw7OevVus7wixB0klClpu6nKLVsAO4n1eWIn6bM60rYIW8Qybo/s320/2011-07-22+14.22.56.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Volunteers stuffing the empty space with walkers; we never waste space!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</span></span>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-16852846078294103002011-07-19T08:21:00.000-07:002011-07-19T08:21:43.961-07:00Emergency Flight in the Beni<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After writing about <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/07/mano-mano-flights-in-bolivia-in-july.html">recent Mano a Mano flights in Bolivia</a>, we received an update on another emergency flight yesterday in the Beni region of Bolivia. A 20 year old woman with congestive heart and kidney failure was unable to receive sufficient treatment at the nearby hospital in San Lorenzo, so they called Mano a Mano asking if we could fly her to Cochabamba to receive care. Our pilot Ivo Daniel Martinez Velasquez flew to the Beni yesterday morning and picked up the patient, along with her doctor Emilio Guzman to accompany her on the flight. Upon landing in Cochabamba, medical staff was waiting to take her to the hospital; they are hoping she will be able to return to the Beni by Wednesday.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqu8V3K8SuC5QGagRez2Y5U5fHvyflG6T1V5uqbelwFkbZYOFUZLCAH_qOkRvx_DSYErfk0jvxXr6g1FO03AoWvPA6Juam6j-2qY9avHbJ_qWR1ylIGJhpCWk7YdKRM1L8kZKLhVc8LLc/s1600/IMG_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqu8V3K8SuC5QGagRez2Y5U5fHvyflG6T1V5uqbelwFkbZYOFUZLCAH_qOkRvx_DSYErfk0jvxXr6g1FO03AoWvPA6Juam6j-2qY9avHbJ_qWR1ylIGJhpCWk7YdKRM1L8kZKLhVc8LLc/s200/IMG_0157.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPrdtegB1r_XAb86LoPtQyY7_rhdX6Nj_oaAgqAx6qnZpRCV40EznxjtSVkGMMTUd6bkAgJxN2-YSYVPo1fbbmC1JTIobGpsTppV_bd5swyj2G9Rz7g9XOPu9zyOWJl9hu45QW0DkBs0/s1600/IMG_0161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPrdtegB1r_XAb86LoPtQyY7_rhdX6Nj_oaAgqAx6qnZpRCV40EznxjtSVkGMMTUd6bkAgJxN2-YSYVPo1fbbmC1JTIobGpsTppV_bd5swyj2G9Rz7g9XOPu9zyOWJl9hu45QW0DkBs0/s200/IMG_0161.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Mano a Mano pilot Ivo Martinez Velasquez helping the patient into our plane</i></div>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-82657562056545704932011-07-18T08:56:00.000-07:002011-07-18T08:57:27.645-07:00Mano a Mano Flights in Bolivia in July<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://manoamano.org/programs/air-transport">Mano a Mano Apoyo Aereo</a> pilot Ivo Daniel Martinez sent our US office an update about his recent flights during the past week:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Friday, July 8</b></u><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We received a call asking for a flight to transport two patients from the community of San Lorenzo de Moxos. One had appendicitis and the other is waiting for test results to make a diagnosis.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Saturday, July 9</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We transported four physicians to the community of Monte Cruz. They completed a weekend health clinic. A quick exam of two patients showed that they had to be transported immediately to <st1:city w:st="on">Cochabamba</st1:city> in order to receive specialized attention so the aircraft returned to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cochabamba</st1:place></st1:city>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Sunday, July 10</b></u><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We went to pick up the physicians from Monte Cruz. We combined this flight with a private pay flight which helps us generate funds. This way we don’t have an unpaid leg on the flight. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Monday, July 11</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We received a call from the mayor of Culpina, asking for an emergency flight for the daughter of one of the council members who had worked very closely with Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo. This seven year old girl had been operated on during the previous month; it was a major operation which included changing heart valves. She had been recuperating normally but, inexplicably, the situation became seriously complicated. The child was unconscious and couldn’t move. Her parents took her to the city of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tarija</st1:place></st1:city> where they hoped for help from a specialist but none were available. They saw the need to transport her to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cochabamba</st1:place></st1:city> (where she received the operation). It was not possible to consider transporting her by land, given that the bus trip is 20 hours and the girl needed IV fluids and oxygen as soon as possible. The parents asked that the commercial airline transport her but it refused because of the girl’s complicated situation. Mano a Mano responded and flew her to Cochabamba; now the girl is doing well and is recovering normally.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATbQ9PGidQZmsApEEPIpHDqJvVyudIJCKBDR2OYkAPLfrtMeBgn_SiRIOaNItrg-bCzD0a6dRd90Tobhb5vaWTYGQwMQhjTmlDlXippwvJ5ubAu5zZ_87EKqaPCWC-LOXF-RsZ1cM2UQ/s1600/Heart+patient_07_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATbQ9PGidQZmsApEEPIpHDqJvVyudIJCKBDR2OYkAPLfrtMeBgn_SiRIOaNItrg-bCzD0a6dRd90Tobhb5vaWTYGQwMQhjTmlDlXippwvJ5ubAu5zZ_87EKqaPCWC-LOXF-RsZ1cM2UQ/s200/Heart+patient_07_11.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAc1U4otCushQOb3hB0CI49-9_18ov_brmkS-I-aUETNDNvkflKFG7ajOAphxkm5whaaZXMnJJFNE9u9CVDcPdmsmaCW6gUScntQX4FYO8bLQNkE6XafrNiFdvi4CcGe1vCxYAv4cqis/s1600/Heart+patient_in+aircraft+with+IV_07_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAc1U4otCushQOb3hB0CI49-9_18ov_brmkS-I-aUETNDNvkflKFG7ajOAphxkm5whaaZXMnJJFNE9u9CVDcPdmsmaCW6gUScntQX4FYO8bLQNkE6XafrNiFdvi4CcGe1vCxYAv4cqis/s200/Heart+patient_in+aircraft+with+IV_07_11.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Transporting her to Cochabamba in the Mano a Mano plane</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Tuesday, July 12</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We completed a private pay flight to the community of <st1:place w:st="on">San Lorenzo</st1:place>, generating funds for Mano a Mano. In the afternoon, we completed another private flight to the city of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">La Paz</st1:place></st1:city> with an overnight stay.</span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Wednesday, July 13</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We returned from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">La Paz.</st1:place></st1:city></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Thursday, July 14</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We received a call asking for an emergency flight. Some Chilean tourists suffered an accident, a collision of two vehicles on the Salt beds of Uyuni that left eight wounded and two dead. The wounded could have been moved to a hospital in <st1:city w:st="on">Potosi</st1:city>, but the urgency was to transport the two who had died to the city of <st1:city w:st="on">Calama</st1:city> in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chile</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Sadly, we had to turn down this flight because our small aircraft would only have been able to carry one of the coffins. Two coffins cannot enter the aircraft and the distance to Calama is great. Finally the Chilean Air Force sent a version of the C – 130 to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Potosi</st1:place></st1:city> to pick up all of the wounded and the dead.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We are providing air support to a weekend health clinic in the community of <st1:city w:st="on">San Pablo</st1:city> in the <st1:place w:st="on">Beni</st1:place> province <span lang="ES">(organized with Mano a Mano Bolivia).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for all your support. Without your help this would be impossible.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ivo Daniel Martinez Velasquez</span></div>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-7236255056138258242011-07-15T13:46:00.000-07:002011-07-15T13:47:34.595-07:00We Are Shipping Two Containers of Donated Medical Supplies to BoliviaMano a Mano is shipping 2 containers with more than 40,000 pounds of medical supplies from the US to Bolivia, where they will be distributed to our network of 120 clinics, as well as other organizations throughout Bolivia. You can <a href="http://www.razoo.com/story/Medicalsurplusdistribution">learn more about the project here</a>, and if you're interested you can make a donation below:<br />
<br />
<div id="razoo_donation_widget"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.razoo.com/">Donate online</a> to <a href="http://www.razoo.com/story/Medicalsurplusdistribution">Distribute Donated Medical Supplies to Bolivia and Save Lives</a> at Razoo</div></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</script>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-71946550313742629312011-07-15T08:46:00.000-07:002011-07-15T08:46:05.815-07:00Videos made by Supreme Master TV<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Last year <a href="http://suprememastertv.com/">Supreme Master TV</a>, a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; line-height: 19px;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">nonprofit channel airing constructive news and programs that foster peace and promote healthy, green living, aired two videos showcasing Mano a Mano's programs as part of its "Good People, Good Works" feature. Part one highlighted our health and education programs:</span></strong></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; line-height: 19px;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></strong></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/k64Wb-kOlxw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Part two focused on our road and water projects:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pi-m4zRyXN8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks Supreme Master TV for making these videos!</div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; line-height: 19px;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></strong></span></span>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-54094526731130322342011-07-13T08:43:00.000-07:002011-07-13T08:43:30.290-07:00Pictures of Dedication of our 119th Clinic in Santa Rosa, BoliviaWith every clinic that Mano a Mano builds, the community always celebrates its completion with a dedication ceremony. It is a huge event, and nearly everyone attends. Local leaders and politicians make speeches giving thanks, the children perform dances and play music, and often donors who contributed to the project in the US travel to Bolivia to attend as well.<br />
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Before the dedication takes place, volunteers make the final preparations to get the clinic ready for use - cleaning floors, making beds, and moving in the furniture, supplies, and equipment needed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29YAs3aHrjU8u2o-Gwp1QYZQKowgXvbIldcNw6fOOCOQfop0DKTi3wztolyy0-xZqm6R_Z5OT7_FFyCeJZkCTi-nb0X3BvNx9xeybTrdd8i8bY2qe1d8x2po2478r_6KJwQSVKinGOfQ/s1600/DSC_0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29YAs3aHrjU8u2o-Gwp1QYZQKowgXvbIldcNw6fOOCOQfop0DKTi3wztolyy0-xZqm6R_Z5OT7_FFyCeJZkCTi-nb0X3BvNx9xeybTrdd8i8bY2qe1d8x2po2478r_6KJwQSVKinGOfQ/s200/DSC_0400.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhjV3LEMx4pKpin3bHaJQpYuO2FQKZC6nXg-culNhONobqN-q_vFtr4oaPRO59CLQd0h1z4uOrB3-GnmH1wmO4sK1T6H1p3-wxE10wDoSoYayfdIw8Vy9IadB6Zr5265fd7HVTtbZiG4/s1600/DSC_0350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhjV3LEMx4pKpin3bHaJQpYuO2FQKZC6nXg-culNhONobqN-q_vFtr4oaPRO59CLQd0h1z4uOrB3-GnmH1wmO4sK1T6H1p3-wxE10wDoSoYayfdIw8Vy9IadB6Zr5265fd7HVTtbZiG4/s200/DSC_0350.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">More pictures of this dedication are <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150368996643294.424991.118914898293">available here</a>.</div>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-38216715664981448612011-06-28T09:40:00.000-07:002011-06-28T09:43:30.033-07:00Happy Birthday to a Very Special Volunteer!<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">On July 4, 2011, we celebrate Gloria MacRae's 85<sup>th</sup> birthday. Gloria is one of Mano a Mano's most dedicated volunteers and has been with us since the beginning; she </span><span class="Apple-style-span">made a $25 donation to Mano a Mano during our first year in 1994 and then, she says, it took over her life.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> Over the years Gloria </span><span class="Apple-style-span">has recruited many volunteers and donors, always carries a Mano a Mano brochure in her purse, talks with everyone she knows about our work, requests donations of medical surplus, and the list goes on. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">We even have her to thank for helping get our clinic program off the ground. </span><span class="Apple-style-span">When we celebrated Gloria’s 70</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><sup>th</sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span"> birthday in 1996, we kept secret that more than 100 of her friends were raising funds to build the first Mano a Mano clinic in her name, “Clinica Gloria”.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span">Imagine her surprise when we presented the gift: enough seed funding to build two clinics, Clinica Gloria I and Clinica Gloria II.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span">And the rest, as they say, is history.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLS0FPwsw683Ks2xxj_7cEZ2o-DdatvYtTKR7DTCLBOzMk_Ve06h-sWXFhBkaoOK5Z_tpxvk5j-khjQkpIYPY2HMw922oHt-UamerGkvsWleOpb6y47DrXHbEeZL6xyKftSzGlKNRC9k/s1600/Gloria_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLS0FPwsw683Ks2xxj_7cEZ2o-DdatvYtTKR7DTCLBOzMk_Ve06h-sWXFhBkaoOK5Z_tpxvk5j-khjQkpIYPY2HMw922oHt-UamerGkvsWleOpb6y47DrXHbEeZL6xyKftSzGlKNRC9k/s200/Gloria_18.jpg" width="135" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For her 75th birthday we had a new challenge. Northwest Airlines had donated 8,000 crystal glasses to Mano a Mano, which we planned to sell as a fundraiser. Gloria was our best salesperson; she even began carrying glasses in her purse to sell for $2 each to everyone she knew, and we raised over $16,000!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gloria was born in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Empress</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Alberta</st1:state>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place> on July 4, 1926. She emigrated to the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> to attend the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Texas</st1:placename></st1:place>, became a medical technologist, and worked for a pharmaceutical company until age 35. Beginning to feel restless in her lab-focused job, she decided to seek another career and chose social work through the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:placename></st1:place>’s masters program. She worked as social worker at <st1:placename w:st="on">Gillette</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Hospital</st1:placetype>, <st1:placename w:st="on">Ramsey</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype>, and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Anoka</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Hospital</st1:placetype></st1:place> until she retired. Not one to stop at that point, she went on to teach English to spouses of foreign students, became the volunteer social worker for Macalester Plymouth United Church, served on the review board for the St. Peter Security Hospital, and adopted Mano a Mano. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">For every birthday since 1996, it's become a tradition for Gloria to encourage friends to make a donation to Mano a Mano in her honor. </span>Gloria exemplifies the spirit of our organization, and we thank her for her tremendous support; Happy 85th Birthday Gloria!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVzHZ17CD-vSx3lpecMkpek43Fyh130sR65wjUj5LQdwAHt8q-jfmlF_JpQRC34CL2n7QMC-L8G5OuKKxS1-pMV2hMEOoRWXKVPFG6K7zaxcxNNN6GrXIc_OwDzcG3GsXbiV0kua3pA0/s1600/Gloria+with+wine+glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVzHZ17CD-vSx3lpecMkpek43Fyh130sR65wjUj5LQdwAHt8q-jfmlF_JpQRC34CL2n7QMC-L8G5OuKKxS1-pMV2hMEOoRWXKVPFG6K7zaxcxNNN6GrXIc_OwDzcG3GsXbiV0kua3pA0/s320/Gloria+with+wine+glass.jpg" width="281" /></span></a></div>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-60747489119010373742011-06-23T09:49:00.000-07:002011-06-23T09:49:48.188-07:00New Video Highlighting Partnership with Caterpillar Inc.<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Mano a Mano International works on a <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/03/mano-mano-model.html">model based on partnership</a>; part of that process is seeking alliances with key corporate partners in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <a href="http://www.caterpillar.com/sustainability/caterpillar-foundation">Caterpillar Foundation</a> has become one of those key alliances, and we have been working together for 3 years </span>to help bring solutions to impoverished rural Bolivian communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2007, Mano a Mano approached the Caterpillar Foundation to seek funding for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NPV-fT-h3s">two new roads</a>. Caterpillar considers roads to be a priority in helping to open new markets that could spur an increase in economic development. Caterpillar indicated; “we were impressed by Mano a Mano’s commitment to assist rural communities [giving them] access to markets through the construction of roads and runways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Passable roads hold the key to economic well-being.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since 2007, Caterpillar has trusted their investment to Mano a Mano to continue to offer solutions in Bolivia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CAT has provided us with a matching grant<b> </b>- providing a <b>dollar for dollar match up to $225,000 for any contributions from other businesses</b> to support our proven efforts in improving health and economic opportunity for impoverished Bolivians. In addition, the Caterpillar Foundation wanted to capture the impact themselves and hired a team of professional photographers to travel to Bolivia and share the Mano a Mano story:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pgAfA3jS3CA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a></div>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-26814259924380942042011-06-17T12:06:00.000-07:002011-06-17T12:09:20.137-07:00Clinic Program Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As part of our clinic program, Mano a Mano Bolivia keeps extremely detailed statistics for everything they do, from number of patient visits to vaccinations to outcomes in each of our 120 clinics in operation. To give you an idea of what our clinics do, here are some of the numbers for the first 3 months of 2011 (119 clinics reporting):</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li><b>179,342 patient visits overall.</b> The focus of our clinics is primary care, and particularly maternal & child health, and that is reflected in our visits.</li>
<li><b>49,051 general medicine visits</b>, including 24,504 exams for children under 5</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwvmYJsKqo7ez6vRv_66lqT6aKV1rSoFU4W7zn_xRzCNbTaJ509zwoK8-yHPfWsHs-Ma8hSzzSd2HMMATaw_AC8E5cPCbca9uqBKbiPXlAzxIVG7jAApWmGRohbz0QU8UcSQdx3u3T4M/s1600/Ingresando+a+la+consulta+medica++Centro+de+Salud+La+Joya+-+Chuquisaca.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwvmYJsKqo7ez6vRv_66lqT6aKV1rSoFU4W7zn_xRzCNbTaJ509zwoK8-yHPfWsHs-Ma8hSzzSd2HMMATaw_AC8E5cPCbca9uqBKbiPXlAzxIVG7jAApWmGRohbz0QU8UcSQdx3u3T4M/s200/Ingresando+a+la+consulta+medica++Centro+de+Salud+La+Joya+-+Chuquisaca.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Child and mother waiting to be seen in the La Joya clinic in the department of Chuquisaca<br />
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</tbody></table><ul><li><b>36,430 dental visits</b>, including 2,124 extractions and 8,186 fluoride applications. Dental work is in high demand, and we have dentists in 48 of our clinics.</li>
</ul><br />
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDgUq5nnKU8-gnAIyjrhM2T2Le_j432khVPQFfDHSCnqz6veLsBnRO96sIOtopy8EUINRObVmuMizUsGXgXK7eechGOjfaV6aYKrBy1xCmN-9rm55HsNpHa5fWRMM8a_jVk37eZZaLEQ/s1600/Dentist+with+Child+and+Mother.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDgUq5nnKU8-gnAIyjrhM2T2Le_j432khVPQFfDHSCnqz6veLsBnRO96sIOtopy8EUINRObVmuMizUsGXgXK7eechGOjfaV6aYKrBy1xCmN-9rm55HsNpHa5fWRMM8a_jVk37eZZaLEQ/s200/Dentist+with+Child+and+Mother.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><ul><li><b>21,515 OB/Gyn exams</b></li>
<li><b>9,164 prenatal exams and consults</b></li>
</ul></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgs8K_5oWySVAJFjfZSMAmanEueM-936b6lU9qMWgOyZBw0wTN43e9s4AliN8OyqH7B2ZhRx9kW0JWgB0olfu8xzaI9YCkgDLwf-YQx0bgchVGYZGDc6t30ZuhdzEBhywV9mEbmPNAPbw/s1600/Doctor+Examining+Pregnant+Woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgs8K_5oWySVAJFjfZSMAmanEueM-936b6lU9qMWgOyZBw0wTN43e9s4AliN8OyqH7B2ZhRx9kW0JWgB0olfu8xzaI9YCkgDLwf-YQx0bgchVGYZGDc6t30ZuhdzEBhywV9mEbmPNAPbw/s200/Doctor+Examining+Pregnant+Woman.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><b>9,585 vaccinations</b>. This includes vaccinations for yellow fever, tetanus, and a series for children under the age of one.</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>392 deliveries, with 384 live births</b>. Providing trained personnel to assist during deliveries is one of our primary services; having access to trained assistance significantly improves mortality rates, but is particularly lacking in rural areas. In rural Bolivia, only half of all deliveries are assisted by trained personnel, in contrast to 88% of births in urban Bolivia (<span style="line-height: 115%;">Caruso, Stephenson & Leon, 2010; World Health Organization, 2009). Due to this gap in services and extreme poverty, in rural Bolivia up to 8% of infants die within a month of birth, and the maternal mortality rate is 524 per 100,000. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">In our clinics, we have attended 14,065 deliveries since 1999, with 13,984 live births;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b> the infant mortality rate in our clinics is 0.58%, and no mothers have died during childbirth. </b>This is a huge reduction; statistically one could expect 1,125 babies and 74 mothers to die.</span></span></li>
</ul><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKNtZnlQf_VS-ebndvdWxqS_Xxxfq8gHgpNi7Sco3_9Mm7X-6I-YxoJEWA831tfrlkze9RGm4GYkYmw-1ucTMwcmozicvEoORQi-Y6Ognx3328O9YtfI1Mh-R5Sjhz8UGfowXa8X4XNs/s1600/voluntarios+marzo+2009+135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKNtZnlQf_VS-ebndvdWxqS_Xxxfq8gHgpNi7Sco3_9Mm7X-6I-YxoJEWA831tfrlkze9RGm4GYkYmw-1ucTMwcmozicvEoORQi-Y6Ognx3328O9YtfI1Mh-R5Sjhz8UGfowXa8X4XNs/s200/voluntarios+marzo+2009+135.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><ul><li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 new </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150210911353294.373877.118914898293" style="font-weight: bold;">clinic built in Aramisi, Bolivia</a><b>. </b>The first quarter of the year is the rainy season in Bolivia, so most of our construction is done later. We are on track to build 8-12 clinics in 2011.</span></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>28,141 education hours for Mano a Mano staff and communities.</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Health education is a huge component of our </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/03/mano-mano-model.html">clinic model</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">; we train on average 10 health promoters in each community, and our medical staff attend at least one continuing education conference every two years. Mano a Mano Bolivia schedules ten continuing education conferences each year, including an annual </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/05/international-conference-on-acute-care.html">collaboration with Regions Hospital</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></b></li>
</ul><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86Cy4J3q6coXWsbqGCnjAaFrlJxZo8hDJFOGgttkweyl1r7pYPSV6XcAtCF-5uNy_DLHYiacVVQC2CpMARShS_8vLko_kGxCzN9uO2kOrlM4aJVENBwuZLESR-5h4EZ79sqF7iM1rqMQ/s1600/Residents+Learning+CPR+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86Cy4J3q6coXWsbqGCnjAaFrlJxZo8hDJFOGgttkweyl1r7pYPSV6XcAtCF-5uNy_DLHYiacVVQC2CpMARShS_8vLko_kGxCzN9uO2kOrlM4aJVENBwuZLESR-5h4EZ79sqF7iM1rqMQ/s200/Residents+Learning+CPR+6.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Community Health Promoters Learning CPR</td></tr>
</tbody></table><ul></ul><div>These are just a few of the many facets of our clinic program. We are proud of the results, and are very grateful to our staff and volunteers at Mano a Mano Bolivia, and the local communities and municipal governments who all work extremely hard to make these projects successful.</div></div><div></div>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-689153890201021718.post-56058928518950298632011-06-03T10:31:00.000-07:002011-06-03T10:31:52.772-07:00Mano a Mano Dedicates its 120th Clinic in Chunavi, Bolivia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Paul Cormier, a mountain guide from New Hampshire, and his team just returned back to the US from their annual climbing expedition in Bolivia. Paul's trip was more than mountain climbing; two years ago, during one of his climbing trips in Bolivia, Paul heard about Mano a Mano's work and asked how he could help. Paul and his fellow travelers wanted to give something back to the community of Chunavi, where they had set up base camp during their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKEhwn_q-9s">climbing expeditions</a>. Chunavi is a small village more than 13,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, located a few hours' drive from La Paz. Last year they began the Chunavi Fund, which was dedicated to raising enough money in the US to build a community health clinic in Chunavi. The clinic project would be built using our <a href="http://manoamanointl.blogspot.com/2011/03/mano-mano-model.html">collaborative approach</a> involving Mano a Mano, the community of Chunavi, the Municipal Government, and the Bolivian Health Ministry.</div><br />
The Chunavi Fund was very successful, and now, one year later the project is done! The clinic is fully equipped with medical supplies and equipment, and has a full-time RN; soon a physician will also be hired by the local municipality. The entire community came out for the dedication ceremony last week to celebrate its completion, and Paul Cormier and his group traveled to Bolivia to attend the dedication. This is Mano a Mano's 120th clinic in Bolivia. The local community and municipality were heavily involved throughout the process, volunteering nearly 4,000 hours during construction. Thanks to everyone who made this project happen!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chunavi volunteers mixing cement at the clinic construction site</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mano a Mano Bolivia Executive Director Jose Velasquez meeting with the community during the planning process</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under construction</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dedication Ceremony in May 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Cormier and his group as the guests of honor for the dedication</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Mano a Mano International Partnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371627164167881830noreply@blogger.com1