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):
- PROJECTS. Projects are requested by communities in Bolivia, they actively participate in each project, and ownership is turned over to local leadership. Projects include health clinics, schools, deep water wells, greenhouses and community gardens, and larger infrastructure projects like reservoirs and roads. There is an active waiting list of communities asking to partner with Mano a Mano on clinics, schools, wells, and agricultural projects; with more funding, we could partner with more communities. (Larger infrastructure projects like reservoirs and roads are only considered with significant and full funding in place, as they are much more costly and much more likely to run into delays and cost overruns.) At any given time, there are multiple projects underway.
- PROGRAMS. Programs are run by Mano a Mano to complement community-based infrastructure projects (listed above) and/or to address identified needs that we have the potential capacity to respond to. Current programs include:
- Recovered Resources Program – Mano a Mano collects donated supplies, mobility equipment, and other in-demand items in Minnesota for shipment to Bolivia, where they are distributed to people & organizations in need throughout the country. Most of these items were destined for the landfill in Minnesota; instead they get put to good use in Bolivia, where they are often unavailable or cost-prohibitive.
- Health Education & Training – Continuing health education workshops are a critical component of Mano a Mano’s health programs in Bolivia, and serve as a complement to the construction of community clinics throughout rural Bolivia.
- Agricultural Education & Training – Mano a Mano’s Center for Ecological Agriculture (CEA) in Cochabamba, Bolivia provides training and tools for Bolivian farmers, students, and interns with the goal of increasing food security and nutrition using an ecological approach. Training also includes communities that have recently partnered with Mano a Mano on a water project, so they can learn ways to maximize use of their water.
- Aviation Program – Mano a Mano’s counterpart organization Mano a Mano Aviation has provided emergency rescue of ill and injured individuals, transporting them to urban hospitals for life-saving treatment; and weekend clinics for which we transport volunteer health care professionals into remote areas to provide primary medical & dental care, for nearly 2 decades. Having an aviation program also allows Mano a Mano to transport cargo and people in support of these goals and our other programs.
- Physical Therapy: Education, Training, and Direct Services – Since 1994, Mano a Mano’s Recovered Resources Program collects supplies and equipment destined for Minnesota landfills and ships them to Bolivia, where they are distributed to people and organizations in need. In recent years, we have established a comprehensive Physical Therapy Program in Bolivia; utilizing the specialized physical therapy, mobility, and orthopedic equipment sent from Minnesota and with a skilled technical staff, Mano a Mano provides physical therapy for primarily children onsite in Cochabamba and in-home visits for patient’s families. Students and interns from local universities are incorporated into the PT Program.
- MANO A MANO’S CAPACITY AS AN ORGANIZATION. To provide support for Mano a Mano projects and programs, we bring plenty of resources across our 5 counterpart organizations. Our capacity includes skilled staff in Bolivia and Minnesota; buildings that house our staff and programs; equipment that directly helps implement our projects and programs (aviation, heavy equipment, vehicles); and resources (funding, supplies). Our capacity as an organization is part of what we bring to the table in our partnership-based approach, so that together we can accomplish work that none of us can do on our own.
Working Hard Every Day, Together
Mano a Mano’s mission is: “Partnering together – Hand in Hand – to transform the health and well-being of Bolivian communities in need.” Established in Minnesota in 1994, Mano a Mano has been guided by the simple, yet powerful premise that groups of committed individuals can reach across national boundaries to make a dramatic difference in the lives of others. The power of this premise has been demonstrated by the extent to which the organization has grown from a small, all-volunteer organization that distributed 500 pounds of medical supplies to Bolivia in 1994 to one that involves hundreds of Minnesotans and impacts the lives of hundreds of thousands of rural Bolivians.
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.