2 of the 3 containers have arrived at our warehouse in St. Paul, Minnesota today (we’re hoping that the 3rd container will still arrive today or tomorrow)! Mano a Mano staff and volunteers will be busy over the next few days loading them with supplies and equipment for shipment to Bolivia, where they are distributed to people and organizations in need throughout the country. Most of these items were destined for the landfill in Minnesota; instead they get put to good use in Bolivia, where they are often unavailable or cost-prohibitive.

Container 2 of 3 arriving at our St. Paul warehouse on February 11th, 2025

All 3 containers at the Mano a Mano warehouse on February 12th, 2025

As we start working on this, our first shipment of supplies and equipment in 2025, in 2024 our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Internacional in Cochabamba provided items to 408 institutions throughout Bolivia; these items included 4,462 pieces of mobility equipment and 394 wheelchairs, in addition to tens of thousands of pounds of medical supplies and other in-demand items. Mano a Mano shipped 7 containers with 182,317 pounds of supplies from Minnesota to Bolivia in 2024.

In addition to large-scale distributions where dozens of organizations come to our Cochabamba warehouse to receive thousands of pounds of supplies and equipment, many other items require a more individualized approach.

Below are 2 recent examples from January 2025.

Biomedical Interns Work With Mano a Mano on Equipment Sent From Minnesota

Three of our biomedical lab volunteers shared their knowledge in presentations on biomedicine at Mano a Mano’s El Abra warehouse. Deyna A., Cristal B., and Diego T., biomedical students from Universidad del Valle, explained the importance of this field and showcased various medical devices they worked with during their volunteer experience at Mano a Mano during a presentation in January 2025.

This hands-on opportunity allowed them to learn and practice with more advanced technology—often unavailable in hospitals— enhancing their professional training.

Equipment sent from Minnesota is inspected and repaired by Mano a Mano staff and interns (like these Universidad del Valle students) so it can be distributed to organizations throughout Bolivia (this picture is from a December 4th, 2024 distribution).

Customized Wheelchair for Joaquín

After many adjustments and improvements, Joaquín C. received a wheelchair from Mano a Mano in mid-January 2025.

Mano a Mano staff and interns adjust Joaquín’s wheelchair. This wheelchair, and all of the equipment seen in the background, has been shipped from Minnesota over the past few years; in Bolivia, these items support Mano a Mano’s PT program.

We provided personalized technical support, taking into account his requirements. He is 30 years old and has been participating in our physical rehabilitation program since 2023.