Providing Wheelchairs, Walkers, and Medical Supplies to San Ignacio de Moxos, Beni, Bolivia

Yesterday, Mano a Mano staff gave about 880 pounds of medical supplies to the Municipality of San Ignacio de Moxos, Beni Department, Bolivia. These supplies included 50 boxes of medical supplies, as well as wheelchairs, crutches, and special small walkers that were given to a school for children with mental and/or physical challenges. The Temunakamu school (which means “God Loves Me” in the local Mojeño language) has 70 students, and we were happy to be able to support their work with needed supplies.

Using Mano a Mano’s Aviation Program to Distribute Supplies

Getting supplies to communities like San Ignacio de Moxos is not easy. The supplies themselves make a long journey to get there, starting with being donated, sorted, and packed at our warehouse in St. Paul, Minnesota. From there, they are shipped on ocean freight containers, going from St. Paul and eventually – many months later – arriving at our warehouse in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Once they are in Cochabamba, they are sorted by Mano a Mano staff and volunteers into more specific categories, and arranged for specific donations to specific people and organizations. Typically, people come to Mano a Mano’s warehouse to pick up their supplies, but in some cases we bring the supplies to them.

For the donation in San Ignacio de Moxos yesterday, Mano a Mano loaded the supplies into 2 of Mano a Mano’s planes to fly the supplies to them. Many of the communities that Mano a Mano works with are very isolated, and due to Bolivia’s unique geography, it would take 2 or 3 DAYS each way to get there, whereas the plane takes a few HOURS each way.

Learn more about our aviation program below:

Thanks to Everyone that is a Part of this Process!

Mano a Mano depends on many, many amazing people working together to make it possible to achieve things that none of us could do on our own. Thank you to everyone that is a part of Mano a Mano!