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 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!

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.

The Star Tribune wrote a bio of Roy here.

We will miss you, Roy.

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?

Mark donated more than 100 hours to Mano a Mano last year, and has volunteered with Mano a Mano for our entire time in existence (he has won our Volunteer of the Year numerous times!). Ruben also donated more than 20 hours to Mano a Mano last year, and has been an active volunteer for a long time as well.

Mark loading wheelchairs on a shipment of donated medical supplies to Bolivia in Summer 2011

“3M employees and retirees generously give their time and skills to help others,” said Robin Torgerson, vice-president, 3M Community Affairs. “We are please to recognize their commitment to their communities.”

“Mano a Mano is very grateful for this generous support from 3M. We are always happy to recognize our volunteers who are such a critical piece to Mano a Mano’s success,” said Mano a Mano Executive Director Dan Narr.

As part of the 3M Volunteer Match, the 3M Foundation will donate $250 to eligible non-profit orgranizations for which a 3M employee volunteers 20 hours or a 3M retiree volunteers 25 hours or more per calendar year. For more information on this program, please contact 3M Community Affairs at 651-733-0144 or at their website.

Thanks 3M and our great volunteers!

Flight to Santiago, Chile

We are happy to report that our Piper Navajo twin-engine plane recently completed the first international flight for Mano a Mano, flying from Cochabamba, Bolivia to Santiago, Chile!

Mano a Mano's Piper Navajo plane

This flight was a test to see how everything functioned, including flight duration (it took 14 hours round-trip), fuel usage and cost, legal requirements, and other formalities that are part of flying across international borders. It also provided our staff a chance to gain practical experience for these types of flights that will be happening much more in the future.

Festival Bolivia 2012 Next Week to Support Aviation Program

We are very excited with the many opportunities that are becoming available with our expanded aviation program! Mano a Mano is hosting a Festival Bolivia 2012 event at the St. Paul Hotel in St. Paul, MN on April 20, 2012 in support of our aviation projects. You can learn more about the event and buy tickets here; tickets are only available for a few more days.

If you are unable to attend but would like to support the event with a donation you can do that here.

It took passengers to Uyuni and Tarija on private flights throughout the weekend, marking its first seven hours of flight in Bolivia. More pictures of its inaugural flights are here.

At the Uyuni airport

Flying above the clouds

Building Effective Infrastructure Projects for the Long-Term

Mano a Mano focuses on building infrastructure projects and providing complementary services that ensure our projects are effective.

We also focus on long-term sustainability - all of our projects have the goal of being self-sufficient in Bolivia after the initial construction.

Partnership Model

Every project we do is built around different groups working together towards a common goal, and everyone has their role; you can learn more about our model here.