As 2024 comes to a close, check out what we did together, in video.

To learn more:

Take a Tour With Mano a Mano in El Abra, Cochabamba, Bolivia

Take a tour with Mano a Mano to get a firsthand view of the organizations, programs, and projects located at our shared site in El Abra, Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Mano a Mano’s mission is: “Partnering together – Hand in Hand – to transform the health and well-being of Bolivian communities in need.” We accomplish that mission through 5 counterpart organizations: 4 counterpart organizations in Bolivia (3 of which have programs at El Abra) and 1 counterpart organization in Minnesota in the US. All of our projects are “mano a mano” and everyone has to do their part: Bolivian communities, individuals, and organizations request to partner with Mano a Mano; they and their local governments must play active roles; Mano a Mano in Bolivia provides support (much of which can be seen on this tour); and Mano a Mano in the US provides support through in-kind and financial resources. The work of each Mano a Mano counterpart organization is accomplished through formal partnerships and informal relationships among the requesting communities, appropriate levels of Bolivian government, the relevant Mano a Mano counterpart organization in Bolivia, and may also include Mano a Mano staff, volunteers, and members of various communities in the US and elsewhere.

In addition to the interrelated projects and programs seen here of our counterpart organizations Mano a Mano Bolivia, Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo, and Mano a Mano Internacional, Mano a Mano has other sites in Bolivia (Mano a Mano Bolivia’s office/warehouse in nearby Sacaba; Mano a Mano Aviation’s current hangar at Jorge Wilstermann airport in Cochabamba and future airport under construction in Punata) and Minnesota (Mano a Mano International’s office/warehouse space in St. Paul).

These are some of the resources that Mano a Mano brings to the table, so that we can partner with Bolivian communities in need and accomplish together what none of us could do on our own. Everything is a partnership, and we are grateful to the many people that are a part of Mano a Mano!

Providing Physical Therapy in Bolivia for Children Like Axel

Since 1994, Mano a Mano’s Recovered Resources Program collects supplies and equipment destined for Minnesota landfills and ships them to Bolivia, where they are distributed to people and organizations in need. In recent years, we have established a comprehensive Physical Therapy Program in Bolivia; utilizing the specialized physical therapy, mobility, and orthopedic equipment sent from Minnesota and with a skilled technical staff, Mano a Mano provides physical therapy for children like Axel in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Visiting a Mano a Mano Clinic in Lope Mendoza, Bolivia

Mano a Mano’s clinic in Lope Mendoza was completed in 2000 – one of the first clinics we ever built in Bolivia, and it is still providing healthcare in the community 24 years later.

We visited in April 2024 to talk with their doctor and hear from one recent mom that had taken advantage of the services provided in the Lope Mendoza clinic. With Mano a Mano clinics, they become part of the Bolivian healthcare system and are the official provider for their catchment area, making them eligible for services and reimbursement through Health Ministry-funded programs. All staff salaries in Mano a Mano’s clinics are paid for by sources within Bolivia (as of mid-2024 we currently have 546 medical professionals – 200 doctors, 266 nurses, and 80 dentists – working in Mano a Mano clinics). Our clinic program’s approach is that health outcomes can be dramatically improved with simple yet effective interventions, beginning with the basic ability to consistently access quality services in their own communities. Every project is a partnership; our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Bolivia oversees the process of building clinics from start to finish; the local community and municipal government are involved throughout the process and take over management of each project once they are complete; and US funders provide the seed money that make each project possible. We have completed 186+ clinics to date, with multiple communities having signed agreements for a clinic, and dozens of communities on our clinic project waiting list actively seeking to partner with Mano a Mano.

Providing Access to Water in Chirusi Rosario, Bolivia

Mano a Mano’s mission is: “Partnering together – Hand in Hand – to transform the health and well-being of Bolivian communities in need.” We have worked with the community of Chirusi Rosario on a number of projects recently, including a water distribution system and new 2-story school.

Aracely Talks About Her Veterinary Internship at Mano a Mano’s Center for Ecological Agriculture

Learn more about the CEA.

May 2024 Trip to Bolivia with Mano a Mano

In mid-May, a group of travelers from the US spent a week with Mano a Mano in Bolivia visiting a variety of projects.

Visiting a Mano a Mano Clinic in Palca, Bolivia

On August 20, 2019 Mano a Mano dedicated a new health clinic in Palca, Bolivia.

In April 2024 we stopped by to visit and hear from one local family.

Distributing 10,000+ Pounds of Medical Supplies for 11 Municipalities in Bolivia – December 4th, 2024

On December 4th, 2024 Mano a Mano hosted our final large distribution event of the year to provide medical supplies, mobility equipment, and other items to 25 health centers from 11 Municipalities throughout Bolivia: Pampagrande, Postrervalle, San Pedro, Montero, Monteagudo, El Torno (Santa Cruz), Villa Abecia (Chuquisaca), San Pedro (Pando), Baures (Beni), Cercado, and Tapacarí (Cochabamba). Representatives from each Municipality, including doctors, nurses, mayors, and Municipal officials, came to Mano a Mano’s warehouse in El Abra, Cochabamba to receive supplies; more than 10,300 pounds (4,710 kilograms) were distributed.

All of these supplies were shipped from Minnesota, where they were destined for the landfill; instead, they get put to good use for people and organizations in Bolivia. So far in 2024, Mano a Mano has shipped 7 containers with 182,317 pounds of donated medical supplies, mobility equipment, and other in-demand items from Minnesota to Bolivia (with another shipment planned in the near future).

Emergency Flight From Beni to Cochabamba – Early October 2024

In early October, our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Aviation received a call about a young man that had been gored by a bull in Puerto San Lorenzo in the department of Beni, resulting in a chest puncture. We flew to San Andres (we were planning to fly to San Andres, which is nearby Puerto San Lorenzo, the following day to deliver supplies, and had already received approval for that flight), picked him up, and coordinated his ambulance transfer from the Mano a Mano hangar at Jorge Wilstermann airport to Hospital México in Sacaba, where he received immediate medical attention.

Dedicating a Deep Water Well With the Community of Flores Rancho (October 2024)

On October 7th, 2024, our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo participated in a dedication ceremony with the community of Flores Rancho to formally celebrate their new water well project!

Mano a Mano travelers visited Flores Rancho in May, where they were also greeted with a celebration event with the community. Water from this Flores Rancho water well started flowing in December 2023 after Mano a Mano completed drilling. Now, the water well is fully integrated: it is connected to electricity, there is a water holding tank with a capacity of 72,000 liters, and a water piping network that connects water to more than 200 households.

This event was part of the community’s celebration of their 41st anniversary. The community let us know that they are happy with the water they have consistent access to and thanked Mano a Mano (they also made requests for other water well projects nearby; there is always work to be done!).

In Memory of Mano a Mano Co-Founder Joan Velásquez

Mano a Mano Co-Founder Joan Velásquez passed away on December 4th, 2024, after suffering a stroke earlier in the week. This is a huge loss for the many, many people that Joan has impacted over a lifetime – a truly remarkable person. The video above is from a video made celebrating our 25th Anniversary in 2019, including an interview with Joan.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date (Spring 2025) in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a second event in Bolivia around that time.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Mano a Mano International Partners “in memory of Joan Velasquez” online (https://manoamano.org/donate/) or mailed to the Mano a Mano address (925 Pierce Butler Route, St. Paul, MN 55104).

(Shared on behalf of Joan’s husband and Mano a Mano Co-Founder Segundo Velásquez.)

In Memory of Ivo Daniel Martínez Velásquez

This has been a tough year: Mano a Mano’s lead pilot Ivo Daniel Martínez Velásquez also passed away earlier this year, in a plane crash near Toro Toro, Bolivia while flying his personal small acrobatic plane.

Ivo worked with our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Aviation for nearly 2 decades and was the lead pilot for more than a decade, personally flying hundreds of flights annually (and more than half of Mano a Mano Aviation’s flight hours) to provide emergency flights, weekend health clinics, and cargo transport for isolated rural communities throughout Bolivia.

The video above is Ivo talking about Mano a Mano’s Aviation Program, where his impact will continue to make a difference for many years to come.

2024 in Video