Last month Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo (New World), our counterpart organization in Bolivia that focuses on economic development projects, initiated a training program for its staff. Because the machine operators and mechanics had been home with their families during the holidays, Nuevo Mundo took advantage of their presence in the Cochabamba area to initiate a management training program. Since these staff members are in the field for several weeks at a time, the training program was designed to draw them more into the overall organizational planning and to give them a better understanding of other projects to which they are not assigned. A Cochabambino who conducts management training led a half-day session (at no charge) for our personnel before they left the city to continue work on their projects.
The attached photos provide a partial view of the difficult circumstances under which our personnel work, even when they are in the city. All repair work is done outdoors. The small structures on the lot provide space only for storing parts and tools and the the caretaker who stays overnight. For the next step, we are currently searching for funds to build a shop to develop a machine operator and diesel mechanic training program that will upgrade the skills of our staff and create a pool of qualified persons for these types of jobs.