Providing Access to Bridges in Collaboration with Bridges to Prosperity
We have been excited to follow the progress of a bridge project in Chari Chari, Bolivia that Bridges to Prosperity is building! Bridges to Prosperity is a nonprofit whose mission is to ‘provide isolated communities with access to essential healthcare, education, and economic opportunities by building footbridges over impassable rivers.’
Mano a Mano developed a collaborative partnership with B2P last year to assist them in shipping their bridge-building supplies from our US warehouse to Bolivia. These supplies are now being used to build this bridge in Chari Chari, as well as a number of other projects in Bolivia.
Mano a Mano volunteers loading cable for building bridges in summer 2011
Chari Chari is a small community in the municipality of Omereque (where Mano a Mano has constructed in a number of projects, you can see a few below at the bottom of this post). To get to the central municipal town, where many of the primary services and markets are, it is a long and dangerous walk during dry season and almost impossible when the river is flowing.
Bridge location in Chari Chari (photo taken by Bridges to Prosperity)
Because of these circumstances, Bridges to Prosperity is constructing a 137-meter suspended footbridge to connect Chari Chari; it is expected to have more than 300 people crossing each day. Mano a Mano heavy equipment will be helping to level the groundwork on both sides of the river.
Bridges to Prosperity has a page on their website with more details and photos of this project. We look forward to seeing the progress on this project!
Mano a Mano Projects in Omereque
Atajados (we have built 153 small water ponds):
Aerial view of 6 Omereque water ponds
Water pond in Omereque
Volunteers Needed at Warehouse to Prepare Supplies this Saturday
This Saturday, May 12 from 9a-11a, Mano a Mano will be preparing medical supplies and equipment for shipment to Bolivia at our warehouse (3045 Highway 13, Eagan, MN 55121, Door 30). We are planning a shipment to Bolivia soon and need to get things ready; we also need to clean up and organize our warehouse space.
Volunteers Terence and Bob preparing supplies for a shipment last summer
If you are interested in helping out let us know (email – nate@manoamano.org, phone – 651-457-3141).
We hope to see you Saturday!
Don Tomas Rojas Harvesting Potatoes in Sancayani
Last week Mano a Mano staff was visiting our newly-completed water reservoir project in Sancayani. While there we met with the family of don Tomas Rojas, a Sancayani resident and former president of the Irrigation System Group for the community.
Tomas was busy harvesting potatoes with his family. His first crop this year was only watered with rain water, but for the next harvest he will have access to water from the water reservoir that was completed in March 2012 and will be able to produce many more crops.
Tomas harvesting potatoes with his grandson
Potatoes ready for transport
Why Build a Water Project?
Over 3,000,000 of Bolivia’s 9,000,000 citizens live in rural areas. The vast majority of rural residents eke out a meager living as subsistence farmers, raising crops and a few domestic animals on one–two acre plots, earning an average income of $200 – $300 yearly – less than $1.00 per day. The Cochabamba Valley (where Sancayani is located) essentially has two climatic seasons: a warm, rainy season during which rain falls nearly every day for three to four months, and a cooler dry season during the remaining months when moisture rarely falls. Lack of water during most of the year results in widespread failure of crops to mature and substantially reduces yields. In contrast, during seasons of heavy rains the fields flood, washing away germinating seeds and spouting plants. Together, these problematic circumstances result in failure to meet the nutritional needs of the local farm families and make it nearly impossible for them to improve their standard of living.
Beginning in 1950, Sancayani farmers attempted to use their picks and shovels to dig a channel along the side of their mountain, hoping to direct spring water and snow melt to the land they cultivated, and thus increase their crop yields. Unfortunately, the area closest to them was filled with rock which they could not penetrate with hand tools. After numerous failures and a nearly disastrous landslide, they concluded that lack of engineering expertise and heavy machinery that could safely dig and stabilize the terrain would force them to abandon their dream of having sufficient water to raise crops to feed their families and sell produce in urban markets. Their Valle Alto neighbors told Mano a Mano staff that they had been they had been trying for 15 years to find a means to channel the abundant, high mountain spring water into the river so they could have water during the dry season. When these subsistence farmers heard that Mano a Mano had begun to build water reservoirs, they approached staff of Mano a Mano with a plea for help in constructing reservoirs and channels. “Water is life”, they said. “Without water we cannot live”.
Building the Reservoir
Building water projects is hard work; these reservoirs take years and thousands of hours of collaborative efforts by the community, local government, and Mano a Mano staff. The Sancayani project was particularly difficult due to its location (it is more than 14,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, with constant fog, mud, and sub-freezing temperatures).
The Sancayani water reservoir was dedicated in March 2012 and will begin to provide water to more than 20,000 Bolivians!
Impact of a Water Project
Once they are complete, farmers are able to improve crop harvests by having improved access to water, which can in turn improve incomes and diets for the families.
The difference water makes; corn on the left had water from a Mano a Mano reservoir, the corn on the right did not
We are excited that as part of the Sancayani water project, Mano a Mano has collaborated with the University of Minnesota and is working on research to better measure the impact of our water projects! As the initial phase, last summer three graduate students from the Humphrey School Masters in Development Practice program traveled to Bolivia and completed a baseline survey for Sancayani as part of their research. We are planning to work together with University faculty and students, along with the community of Sancayani and Mano a Mano staff, over the next academic year to get feedback from Sancayani residents that will allow us to better meet their needs.
Mano a Mano Remembers Roy Garza
Roy Garza, a member of the Mano a Mano board of directors from 1996 – 2001, died as the result of a motorcycle accident last week. Throughout his career as a social worker, Roy worked tirelessly on behalf of communities of color to diminish the impact of discrimination and to expand opportunities. He often volunteered time to Mano a Mano, helping to pick up medical supplies and pack cargo headed for Bolivia.
The Star Tribune wrote a bio of Roy here.
We will miss you, Roy.
Festival Bolivia 2012 Results
Last Friday night Mano a Mano hosted its 3rd annual fundraiser at the St. Paul Hotel, and it was a great success!
Mano a Mano pilot Ivo Martinez (center) traveled from Bolivia to attend our Festival
We raised more than $25,000 to support our aviation program!
This is enough to make 50 emergency flights (such as this emergency flight for 3 patients in San Borja last year) and transport up to 250 ill and injured Bolivians to receive care.
Why the Aviation Program is Important
Aviation is a critical component to our programs in Bolivia. In addition to its core mission of providing emergency flights to isolated Bolivians that lack access to emergency care, the aviation program allows Mano a Mano to provide weekend health clinics to remote communities, as well as provide support to our staff in Bolivia – which can turn multiple-day drives into hour-long flights (for example, we have been able to save a week of work when our heavy equipment breaks down and we need to go to La Paz or Santa Cruz for repairs).
Thank You
We are very excited about the opportunities for Mano a Mano Aviation this year, which would not have been possible without everyone’s support. Because of Festival Bolivia 2012′s success, we will be able to respond to critical situations as they arise throughout the year. This is literally making the difference between life and death for the hundreds of Bolivians that we transport annually!
A special thanks to Prepare-Enrich, Festival Bolivia 2012′s Platinum Sponsor; RBC Wealth Management and Dan Brooks, our Silver Sponsor; and to all the Table Sponsors, attendees, and volunteers who made this event a success!
How Many Flights Will We Be Able to Make This Year?