Check out what we have been doing together over the past month or so across our 5 counterpart organizations in Minnesota and Bolivia:
Dedicated 2 New Clinics in Santa Ana and 20 de Septiembre
On Friday, July 28th, 2023 Mano a Mano dedicated a new health clinic in 20 de septiembre, Bolivia! On the same day, we also dedicated another clinic in nearby Santa Ana.
Every Mano a Mano project is a partnership: thank you to our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Bolivia, who oversees the process of building clinics from start to finish; the local communities and municipal governments that are involved throughout the process; and US funders that provide the seed money that made these projects possible!
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. 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.
Shipped 79,768 Pounds of Supplies & Equipment from Minnesota to Bolivia
In early August, we loaded 3 containers with 79,768 pounds of donated medical supplies, mobility equipment, and other in-demand items at our St. Paul warehouse, which are now on their way to Bolivia! A huge thank-you to our staff and volunteers that do the hard (and hot!) work of loading these containers as full as possible, so that we can send as much as possible to Bolivia, where Mano a Mano distributes them throughout the country. This was our second shipment of 2023; we have sent 155,040 pounds to Bolivia so far this year (our first shipment of the year sent in May arrived at our Cochabamba warehouse in late July).
Mano a Mano Volunteer Grace Shares Her Experience in Bolivia from June-August 2023
“I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to work with Mano a Mano and for the incredible team who went so above and beyond for me. Having recently returned to the US, I long to get back to the community and mission-driven work of Mano a Mano across Bolivia. I look forward to continuing to see the transformative work and hope to soon have the opportunity to return to Cochabamba, a place that now feels like home. I could not have asked for nor imagined a more life-changing nine weeks.”
Grace Jones wrote the linked report detailing her experience with our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Internacional in Cochabamba, Bolivia from June 6-August 6 2023 (through the Vanderbilt University Ingram Scholars Program). Thank you Grace!
- Mano a Mano Volunteer Grace Shares Her Experience in Bolivia from June-August 2023
- Health & Agriculture Workshops at Mano a Mano Internacional – August 2023
- Containers From Minnesota Arrive in Bolivia
- Students, Sheep, & Supplies – How Mano a Mano is Developing the Next Generation
- Donating Medical Supplies and Equipment to Municipality of Vacas in Cochabamba
- Local Students Tour the Center for Ecological Agriculture in Cochabamba
- Hosting our 6th Physical Therapy Workshop for 25 Bolivian Medical Professionals – June 30,2023
- New Baby Llama Born at the Mano a Mano CEA in Cochabamba
- Recent Weekend Health Clinic in San Lorenzo, Bolivia
Local (Minnesota) Partnerships
Celebrating 123 Years in Islas Malvinas, Bolivia – August 12, 2023
Mano a Mano was honored to participate with the community of Islas Malvinas in their anniversary celebration of 123 years! In recent years, we have partnered with Islas Malvinas on a variety of projects, including infrastructure, roads, defensive walls/levees (for water), a large water reservoir, deep water well, and other projects.
Daily Work Across all 5 Counterparts
Every day, Mano a Mano staff and volunteers throughout all 5 of our counterpart organizations in Minnesota and Bolivia are working to support our mission of “Partnering together – Hand in Hand – to transform the health and well-being of Bolivian communities in need:”
- making pickups of donated supplies in the Twin Cities, and making distributions of donated supplies throughout Bolivia
- sorting donated supplies in the Twin Cities, and sorting supplies in Cochabamba in preparation to distribute them throughout Bolivia
- supporting our efforts to fundraise so that we can commit to projects in partnership with Bolivian communities requesting projects they identify needs in their own communities
- meeting with our counterpart organizations, staff, Board members, donors, volunteers, Bolivian communities with current projects underway and looking to partner on future projects, Municipal governments, etc…Meetings/conversations are key, and never-ending!
- doing the daily administrative work needed to keep each organization operational
- doing the daily maintenance work to keep our equipment, planes, vehicles, buildings operational
- doing the daily work for projects and programs underway: community projects and the Mano a Mano airport, among others
