Month in Review: September 2025

A few updates from Mano a Mano for the month of September 2025 on what we have been working on, together:

17th Acute Care International Conference: November 7-9, 2025

Our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Bolivia is hosting its 17th Acute Care International Conference in partnership with Medical Educators for Latin America (MELA). This continuing health education workshop will be nursing-focused, and is scheduled for November 7th-9th, 2025. It is the 17th nursing-focused international conference, 35th international conference (others are doctor-focused), and 209th Mano a Mano Bolivia workshop overall.

8 Clinic & School Projects Currently Underway in Bolivia

Photos From the Mano a Mano CEA – September 2025

More photos on our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Internacional’s Facebook page.

Thank You To Our Minnesota Volunteers!

Every month, dozens of volunteers spend hundreds of hours supporting Mano a Mano in various ways: picking up donated surplus medical supplies & mobility equipment; sorting those items in preparation for shipment to Bolivia; helping out with office & administrative tasks; supporting fundraising activities; and more. We are grateful to everyone that is a part of Mano a Mano!

A pickup of wheelchairs arrive at Mano a Mano’s St. Paul warehouse, September 2025. These wheelchairs will be shipped to Bolivia for distribution throughout the country.

It’s nice to have volunteers that are handy!

What Does Mano a Mano Do On a Daily Basis?

There are 3 basic categories that Mano a Mano’s work falls into, across Mano a Mano’s 5 counterpart organizations (4 in Cochabamba, Bolivia, 1 in St. Paul, Minnesota); learn more here.

Hosting Minnesota Rotarians in Bolivia (September 2025)

We were happy to host Rotarians from Fergus Falls and Duluth that traveled to Bolivia in mid-September! They are pictured here at our site in El Abra, Cochabamba during a health fair hosted by Mano a Mano with nursing students from UNITEPC, as part of their rotation with Mano a Mano. Doctors and nurses from throughout Bolivia, high school students from Matarani, and volunteers from UMSS were at Mano a Mano that day, so it was a great opportunity for UNITEPC students to share what they have learned with a large and receptive audience.

Visiting Blanco Rancho (Video)

Mano a Mano travelers currently in Bolivia joined Mano a Mano staff visiting Blanco Rancho, where we have a variety of projects and programs:

3M Gives Volunteer Award Ceremony for Mark Petzoldt (2014)

We were reminded by social media that it’s been 11 years since Mano a Mano volunteer Mark Petzoldt was honored with a 3M Gives Volunteer Award for his work with Mano a Mano – one of 30 3M employees around the world to receive this recognition. We posted about the honor at the time on our website here. Thanks Mark – for your work that earned this award over Mano a Mano’s first 20 years, and for your continued work over the following decade!

Mark with his wife Lou (who is also a dedicated Mano a Mano volunteer!)

Training Bolivian Farmers To Help Maximize Their Farms

Making Progress on the Mano a Mano Airport Project in Laguna Sulty, Bolivia

Learn More

We typically post a few updates a week on our website and social media; we also share a monthly update, which you can check out below. You can stay connected to our work on your platform of choice – all links are on our Linktree page here.