Working Hand-In-Hand to Improve Lives in Rural Bolivia
Our Mission
Is to create partnerships with impoverished Bolivian communities that improve health and increase economic well-being.
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About Us
What Does Mano a Mano Do?
Bolivians have access to health care for the first time
Bolivians have received emergency air rescues
Million pounds of medical, school, and construction supplies shipped
Miles of roads built or improved
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Let’s change lives, together! Your support makes it possible.
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Happening Now
Mano a Mano Ships Medical Supplies to Bolivia…and Much More
Every year, we ship 150,000-200,000 pounds of donated medical supplies and equipment from our St. Paul, Minnesota warehouse to Bolivia. The vast majority of this cargo (about 97%) is made up of medical supplies and equipment that make it possible for our clinics and...
New (Used) Truck To Pick Up Donated Supplies in the Twin Cities More Efficiently
In 2020, Mano a Mano’s Twin Cities’ volunteers picked up more than 150,000 pounds of medical supplies and equipment, office furniture, tools, spare parts, and almost anything else our counterparts in Bolivia need in order to accomplish their work. Our First Truck Was...
Hydroponic Lettuce, Fodder, and Livestock at the CEA: Agricultural Experiments in 2020
2020 was a very difficult year, but despite the challenges Mano a Mano continued with our mission of creating partnerships with impoverished Bolivian communities to improve health and increase economic well-being. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing reports on...
Building Roads and Runways, Training Heavy Equipment Operators, and Dredging Rivers: Community-Based Economic Development Projects Completed in 2020
2020 was a very difficult year, but despite the challenges Mano a Mano continued with our mission of creating partnerships with impoverished Bolivian communities to improve health and increase economic well-being. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing reports on...
Mano a Mano 2020 Water Projects: Working Around the Pandemic
“Water is life. We cannot live without water.” Dona Martina, a subsistence farmer in Ucuchi, Bolivia, approached Mano a Mano with this grim problem and a request: “A large reservoir would hold enough rain water to irrigate our fields once the dry season begins. You...
Flying in Bolivia During COVID: Mano a Mano’s Aviation Program in 2020
Many think of aviation as a luxury. But for many in Bolivia, small aircraft provide their only access to health care, literally the difference between life and death. Comparing Bolivia's roads and helicopter services with what’s available in Minnesota helps paint the...
Update: Helping Distribute Desks From Minnesota Tool Library to St. Paul Kids Learning Remotely
In mid-January, we wrote about "Helping Distribute Desks From Minnesota Tool Library to St. Paul Kids Learning Remotely." Unity Church recently shared an update about it in their February newsletter; the MN Tool Library desk project was also highlighted in a Star...
Virtual Speaker Series: Mano a Mano Co-Founder Segundo Velasquez on Thursday, January 28th
You are invited to join us for a virtual presentation with Mano a Mano Co-Founder Segundo Velasquez on Thursday, January 28th from 6pm-7:30pm CST. Segundo will be sharing a few stories from the field, and discussing in depth the challenges and hard work that go into...
Helping Distribute Desks From Minnesota Tool Library to St. Paul Kids Learning Remotely
From our Volunteer Warehouse Manager Ray Wiedmeyer: "A shout out to the Minnesota Tool Library and their effort to provide desks to kids in St. Paul schooling at home. On Saturday we picked up 60 of the last desks to be distributed, thanks to the use of the Mano a...
Dedicating a New School in Qhapajtala, Bolivia
Mano a Mano recently completed a new school in Qhapajtala, Bolivia in December 2020. Construction was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but is now complete, and will improve access to quality education for the community. Every project is a partnership: thank you...
2020 Summary of Medical Distributions in Bolivia
In 2020, Mano a Mano shipped 7 containers with 175,777 pounds of medical supplies, mobility equipment, and other items from Minnesota to Bolivia for distribution to people and organizations in need throughout the country. 291 organizations in Bolivia received supplies...
Hydroponic Lettuce and Fodder Production at the CEA This Week
Over the past year, Mano a Mano staff at our Center for Ecological Agriculture (CEA) in Cochabamba has been experimenting with new demonstration projects. Their goal: to grow more food, in less space and at lower cost, using technology and materials that can be made...