Check out a few Mano a Mano updates from August 2024:

More Than 100,000 Pounds of Supplies Now on Their Way From Minnesota to Bolivia

Four containers loaded with 102,772 pounds (137,522.8 pounds total with container weight included) of medical supplies, mobility equipment, and other in-demand items were picked up in early August and are now on their way to Bolivia! They will be distributed to people and organizations in need throughout the country.

Our previous shipment of 3 containers sent from Minnesota in April arrived in Bolivia the same week that this second shipment left our Minnesota warehouse; Mano a Mano staff and volunteers in Bolivia are currently busy unloading those supplies.

Laguna Sulti Reservoir Brings Tourism to the Community

One of Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo’s machine operators recently used his lunch break to give a family from the city a boat tour of the water reservoir originally built by Mano a Mano in 2008. They circled the many small islands he had helped build when the reservoir was deepened, and were given his unrehearsed lesson on birds that have found a new home there. Tourists from the city of Cochabamba are beginning to view the Laguna Sulti reservoir as the perfect spot for a Dia de Campo – a vacation day in the countryside.

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.

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.

Mano a Mano’s newest health clinic in El Carmen, Bolivia is nearing completion.

Fight until the End, Give All You’ve Got — Lessons and Stories from CEA Senior Agroecology Technician Rubén Jesús Cotrina

We are so grateful to have Rubén as a part of the CEA team; learn about his time with Mano a Mano.

Community of Laguna Sulti Holds Memorial Service for Pilot Ivo Daniel Martínez Velásquez

Laguna Sulti’s community leaders and residents held a memorial service in late July for Ivo Daniel Martínez Velásquez, 30 days following his tragic death; they invited Mano a Mano personnel to attend. Capitán Martinez had become a welcome, much-loved presence in Laguna Sulti, as he assisted with the design of the new airport and runway under construction by Mano a Mano and ensured that all safety requirements are met.

Mano a Mano broke ground on the airport terminal portion of the Mano a Mano airport project in Punata, Bolivia on August 28th, 2024. The runway (seen in the background) will be paved and completed in the coming months.

Buy a Custom Canoe or Kayak, Support Mano a Mano

Thanks Tony, who is selling 3 of his boats with proceeds supporting Mano a Mano (link goes to Craigslist)! (Tony and his one-man shop Frogtown Kayaks is located in Mano a Mano’s office/warehouse in St. Paul.) “Selling off three great boats to benefit a local, scrupulously-run non-profit that does development work in Bolivia. You get a wonderful boat; Mano a Mano gets funding to build clinics, teacher housing, schools, roads, airstrips, and much more.”

Mano a Mano’s Network of Health Clinics Had 678,916 Patient Visits in the First Half of 2024

Through the first half of 2024, Mano a Mano’s network of health clinics throughout rural Bolivia had 678,916 patient visits. With a focus on primary health, most of these visits are related to vaccinations, births, nutritional supplementation, basic lab work, dental care, and general medical attention.