As we get closer to completing our large road project in El Palmar, below is a video highlighting one of our other major road projects in Cotagaita that was completed a few years ago. The Cotagaita road project is 86.9 kilometers, and goes from 8,500 feet above sea level to 16,500 feet above sea level.
Travel Time Drastically Reduced for Cotagaita-Area Farmers
Prior to the completion of the Cayti-to-Sagrario connecting road, farmers traveled 200 kilometers on a circuitous road through the mountains to reach the miner’s market, a grueling 15-hour drive by truck; many farmers walked across the mountains with their donkeys for three days to complete this journey. Now this important market lies within 15-25 kilometers of Cotagaita-area farmers, reducing their travel time to an hour.
“We Had Spent a Fortune Before Mano a Mano Arrived”
The municipality had tried to complete this project for 12 years, with no success. At the dedication of the road, Ing. Waldo Martinez Pereira, Mayor of Cotagaita, said: “We had spent a fortune before Mano a Mano had arrived to be able to construct this stretch of road, without success. And when I say a fortune, I mean millions of Bolivianos (1 million Bolivianos is about $145,000), which means that we were unable to meet other pressing needs such as drinking water, basic sanitation, and health care. I think that with this road we will be much better positioned to meet the needs of the local communities.” (4:04 minute mark of the video.)