Check out what we have been doing together over the past month or so across our 5 counterpart organizations in Minnesota and Bolivia:
REUSE 23 Conference: October 3-4, 2023
We are looking forward to being a site host for the Reuse Minnesota REUSE23 Conference next week! Learn more about the conference on the Reuse Minnesota website here. Our site visit is from 3-4:45pm on October 3rd, and tickets are $15, which you can get at the link above.
Mano a Mano International Earns a Four-Star Rating From Charity Navigator
Mano a Mano International is proud to announce that its strong financial health and ongoing accountability and transparency has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator. This rating designates Mano a Mano as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating that our organization is using its donations effectively based on Charity Navigator’s criteria. Charity Navigator is America’s largest and most-utilized independent charity evaluator.
Dedicating a Deep Water Well in Villa Rosario, Bolivia
On September 13th, 2023 Mano a Mano dedicated a deep water well in Villa Rosario, Bolivia! We completed this deep well in 2021 (check out our 2021 Annual Report), but at the time gatherings were not allowed due to COVID. We were happy to celebrate the access to water now available with the local community, government leaders, and members of the Cochabamba Norte Rotary Club. Every Mano a Mano project is a partnership; thank you to everyone that works together to make these projects possible!
Mano a Mano’s Network of Health Clinics in Bolivia Had 605,760 Patient Visits in the First Half of 2023
Through the first half of 2023, Mano a Mano’s network of health clinics throughout rural Bolivia had 605,760 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.
Flying in the Bolivian Andes
Fixing the Engine for our Well-Drilling Equipment
Fixing/maintaining the motor for our well-drilling equipment at our workshop in Cochabamba, Bolivia earlier this month:
Having skilled staff and the needed equipment is essential for Mano a Mano to be able to partner with Bolivian communities on projects they request, like deep water wells. (You can also see quite a few of the containers we’ve sent from Minnesota to Bolivia filled with medical supplies and mobility equipment in the background! They are now used for storage, among many other things.)
Mano a Mano’s Current Wishlist for In-Kind Donations (Medical, Mobility, etc.)
Mano a Mano’s recovered resources program – the program that started Mano a Mano nearly 30 years ago – collects donated medical supplies, mobility equipment, and other items in Minnesota for shipment to Bolivia, where they are distributed to people and organizations in need throughout the country. We also make supplies available for individuals and nonprofit organizations in need in the Twin Cities area.
Below is a list of the items that are currently our highest priority:
Lunch with Blanca Velasquez Urey
Blanca Velasquez Urey (Mano a Mano’s primary resource for all things legal-related in Bolivia, heavily involved with receiving and distributing the supplies sent from Minnesota throughout Bolivia from our Cochabamba warehouse, often the host making sure our travelers to Bolivia are well-taken care of, among other hats she wears) has been in Minnesota this month, and we hosted a lunch with her and about 30 of our Board members, volunteers, and interns on September 13th.
Here is a quick interview with Blanca on our Youtube page: