Sancayani Students Participating in Water Reservoir Project

Mano a Mano is currently working on a large water reservoir in Sancayani, Bolivia, 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 Caterpillar Foundation 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 here.

Shipping 75,000 pounds of supplies to Bolivia

Over the weekend Mano a Mano volunteers helped load 2 containers with nearly 75,000 pounds of medical supplies and construction equipment. The containers will be shipped to Bolivia, where the medical supplies will be distributed to our network of 120 health clinics throughout Bolivia. We also shipped bridge-making supplies and equipment in collaboration with Bridges to Prosperity, 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 opening an office in Bolivia, and we shipped a number of large spools of used wire rope that will be used in the construction of footbridges.

Loading 2 spools of wire rope

Emergency Flight in the Beni

After writing about  recent Mano a Mano flights in Bolivia, 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.

 

Mano a Mano pilot Ivo Martinez Velasquez helping the patient into our plane

Mano a Mano Flights in Bolivia in July

Mano a Mano Apoyo Aereo pilot Ivo Daniel Martinez sent our US office an update about his recent flights during the past week:

Friday, July 8

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.

Saturday, July 9

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 Cochabamba in order to receive specialized attention so the aircraft returned to Cochabamba.

Sunday, July 10

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.  

Monday, July 11

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 Tarija where they hoped for help from a specialist but none were available. They saw the need to transport her to Cochabamba (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.

Transporting her to Cochabamba in the Mano a Mano plane

Tuesday, July 12

We completed a private pay flight to the community of San Lorenzo, generating funds for Mano a Mano. In the afternoon, we completed another private flight to the city of La Paz with an overnight stay.

Wednesday, July 13

We returned from La Paz.

Thursday, July 14

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 Potosi, but the urgency was to transport the two who had died to the city of Calama in Chile. 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 Potosi to pick up all of the wounded and the dead.

Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17

We are providing air support to a weekend health clinic in the community of San Pablo in the Beni province  (organized with Mano a Mano Bolivia).

Thanks for all your support. Without your help this would be impossible.

Ivo Daniel Martinez Velasquez

We Are Shipping Two Containers of Donated Medical Supplies to Bolivia

Mano 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 learn more about the project here, and if you're interested you can make a donation below:

Donate online to Distribute Donated Medical Supplies to Bolivia and Save Lives at Razoo

Videos made by Supreme Master TV

Last year Supreme Master TV, a 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:

Part two focused on our road and water projects:

Thanks Supreme Master TV for making these videos!

Pictures of Dedication of our 119th Clinic in Santa Rosa, Bolivia

With 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.

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.

More pictures of this dedication are available here.