Work In Action

The journey to Piusilla and Morochata was magical. We had an early start to a gorgeous day. It had snowed the night before, and the mountains were covered.

Alpacas jumped here and there, trying to escape the noise of our truck.

We arrived in Piusilla tired but excited to see the work that Mano a Mano had done in the town. We first toured the clinic and met the doctor, dentist, nurse, and assistant that work at the clinic full-time.

Then we stopped in at the school. I don't even know how to describe this. The kids welcomed us with a boisterous "Buenos dias, señores!" and gigantic smiles. We also had a chance to visit the older classrooms. What a difference!

Next stop, Morochata, to view the clinic and road constructed by Mano a Mano.

After, a quick stop at Piusilla for lunch, where I ate guinea pig! Then, a bumpy but scenic ride home.

They Made That?!

One interesting bit of information that most people don't know about Mano a Mano Bolivia is that they MAKE a lot of their own materials! Can you believe it?!

Apparently, there is a huge problem with getting materials to the site, not only because of transportation issues, but also because it takes a long time for construction materials to be made. Not because of the manufacturing process, but because time is needed for payment, time is needed to get the materials, time is needed for work breaks...etc.

So, in order to stay on schedule, Mano a Mano manufacturers many of their materials right at their office! The steel trusses for framing is handmade. The doors and windows are handmade. The interior casework is handmade. It's amazing!

Adobe Tour

A few weeks ago, Elizabeth and I were discussing construction methods used for the clinics and schools built by Mano a Mano. I was interested in finding out if they ever used adobe, since it is a readily-available material here in Bolivia. So, to answer my question, Elizabeth took me to the nearby towns of Tarata, Punata, Cliza, and Arani last weekend to see firsthand the use of adobe.

First, we visited the Cathedral of Tarata, where the remains of the Bolivian president, General Mariano Melgarejo, are kept. Tarata is well known for its use of wooden balconies.

After Tarata, we made our way to Punata. Punata is most well known for its grains. What I found most interesting was that the town was deserted! Elizabeth told me that the majority of the population lives and works in Spain during the winter, due to the availability of work. This cycle of immigration manifests itself in the architecture, where you can see modern buildings sitting adjacent to traditional adobe homes.

Next stop was Cliza, a larger town, known for its "pichones", which I think means baby pigeon. Eek. Elizabeth's friend ate one, but she and I just had soup...which is maybe where I got my amoeba?

Finally, we stopped in Arani, famous for its production of "Pan de Arani"(delicious bread baked in Arani), and sampled some empanadas with queso and pimiento. After, we visited the Cathedral of the Virgin Bella, where a wedding was just ending. In the garden outside of the church, there was the most amazing tree carved with religious figures!

Last Week

So much has happened over the last week! I hope I can remember everything.

Last weekend, Elizabeth took me on an amazing tour of the towns Tarata, Punata, Cliza, and Arani. You can read more about it in the next post.

Monday, I spent the day adding more content to the website. Dr. Velasquez was a little nervous because I was missing so much content, so I had a lot of help from the entire staff of Mano a Mano.

Tuesday, we went to Piusilla and Morochata to see the Mano a Mano clinics, schools, and teacher's dwellings. More about that in a seperate post as well.

I spent Wednesday and Thursday either at the hospital, at home in bed or at the doctor's office, sick with an amoeba from some kind of food. Fortunately, Francisco made a ton of progress and revised the logo in response to comments from the Board. I sent it to Dr. Velasquez, and we're waiting until tomorrow (Monday) for his approval.

Friday was Frances' last day, so we had a going-away party with the best cake ever and some of kind of amazing stuffed potato. I mean, from what I heard, it must have been amazing. My stomach issue prevented me from partaking, but I did have a bite of cake.

This week, I'm winding down my activities. We have a new logo, a new website design, and new content, if we can get it all approved tomorrow. Following my departure, Marcus, the web developer/volunteer, and I will make the final changes to the website, and hopefully, it will go live in two to three weeks.

El Bloqueo Tres

I found out on Tuesday that we need to get approval from the Board of Directors to make changes to the logo. Since the website design is based on the new logo, we're kind of on hold at the moment. Francisco and I are worried because this is unexpected step in the process.

In the meantime, Frances and I are trying to gather and write as much content as possible. It's tough. Things just don't seem to be moving as quickly as needed. Since I only have 13 days left here in Cochabamba, each hour that passes without content makes me furrow my eyebrows in distress!

Advanzamos

Francisco created an awesome new logo for Mano a Mano Bolivia. It is seriously amazing. He only changed a few minor details, but they really make all the difference. Tomorrow, I have a Skype call with Dr. Velasquez to review our work thus far. I'm hoping for a thumbs up.

The Important Stuff

So there are a plethora of reasons for why I chose to come to Bolivia. Among the top three is "to learn what it's like working in a developing country".

The most important lesson by far is understanding the necessity of being a good person. I know that sounds extremely motherhood-and-apple-pie-ish, but it's critical for actually accomplishing things in Bolivia. Spending time with your co-workers chatting around the tea kettle is just as important, if not more so, as having professional skills. It's in these seemingly unimportant moments that the real work occurs, not just at Mano a Mano, but everywhere.

In the clinics, women conduct business while waiting to see the doctor. At the office, I've been privy to individual lessons on construction methods used around the country. At yoga, I met an architect interested in volunteering for our organization.

I believe that it's because of these opportune moments of friendly exchange, and not because of my resume or list of past projects, that I've been able to advance my project.