Keeping the Community Involved

One of our major projects currently is a large-scale water reservoir being constructed in Sancayani, Bolivia, 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:

Community residents contributed more than 32,000 hours on our last water reservoir project

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.

We are very committed to ensuring the success of each of our projects, which starts with our collaborative model; there is a lot more that goes into these projects than the construction.

Community Maintenance Projects

To 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 their reservoir (built with Mano a Mano) ready in preparation for the upcoming rainy season.

Mano a Mano was there to work as well, arriving with our grader and a truck to help with the heavy lifting.

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.

Accomplishments

As we celebrate our 17th year this weekend, 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:

• 120,272 - volunteer hours in the US since 1994
• 2,180,061 - pounds of surplus medical supplies shipped to Bolivia
• $10.1 million - value of this surplus
• 123 - 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.)
• 14,065 deliveries with 0 maternal deaths and 0.5% infant mortality rate (average infant mortality rate in rural Bolivia is 8%)
• Schools, teacher housing, and community sanitation projects in 42 communities
• Built 3 large water reservoirs and 153 atajados (small water ponds)
• Constructed or improved over 1,400 kilometers of roads
• 962 emergency flights

Thanks to everyone that has been a part of Mano a Mano!

Interview with Alberto Salazar, Sancayani Resident

Last week Mano a Mano volunteer Libby Arnosti visited Sancayani, Bolivia with local Mano Mano staff, where we are currently constructing a major water reservoir project. Libby is a 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. While in Sancayani, a local community leader mentioned to Libby that a resident was interested in doing an interview with her.

Alberto Salazar

Below is the transcript of the interview with Alberto from Libby:

What is it like to live here? "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."

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.

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!

Agriculture Fair in Omereque, Bolivia Showcases New Crops

This past weekend the community of Omereque held an Agriculture Fair to showcase the new crops they have been able to grow this year. With water from the 148 atajados (farm ponds) Mano a Mano has built in the Omereque area, farmers planted vegetable and fruit crops that they have never planted before (tomatoes, celery, peppers, squash, carrots, beets, cabbage, lima beans, peas, lettuce, onions, radishes, achojcha, watermelon, and chirimoya). Usually these crops are only able to be grown at lower altitudes, but because there was sufficient water they were able to gorw these crops. This fall they will plant their usual staple crops of corn and more potatoes.

One of the 148 atajados built in Omereque; each pond provides water for 1-4 families