The Center for Ecological Agriculture Has Grown
The Center for Ecological Agriculture Has Grown Mano a Mano started building our Center for Ecological Agriculture (CEA) on the outskirts of Cochabamba, Bolivia in 2012. The goal of the CEA was to demonstrate good agricultural practices in action for rural Bolivian communities, and the site has been growing over the past 6 years to […]
The Maldonado Water Reservoir is Full
The Maldonado Water Reservoir is Full Mano a Mano’s water reservoir project in Maldonado, Bolivia is one meter from at full capacity of its maximum water level. Mano a Mano staff started work on this water project in February 2017. As with many of our projects, the working conditions have been difficult: it is about 14,000 feet […]
Improving Atajados (Water Ponds) in Pojo, Bolivia
Improving Atajados (Water Ponds) in Pojo, Bolivia We are currently dredging 83 water ponds built by others, which have since filled with silt. Mano a Mano’s heavy equipment left Cochabamba for Pojo a few weeks ago, and Ivo Velasquez from our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo sent us an update on the work: “Mano […]
Building Water Wells in Bolivia
Building Water Wells in Bolivia Rural community leaders approach us regularly with requests to help them access water. Extensive discussions lay the groundwork for developing formal agreements among the elected community leaders, municipal officials and Mano a Mano, and define, prior to initiating the project, the contributions and responsibilities of each participating entity. Mano a […]
Building Wells in Omereque, Bolivia
Building Wells in Omereque, Bolivia In small, isolated rural Bolivian communities, water is a challenge even in the best of times; the rainy season lasts 2-3 months, and the rest of the year is very dry. The past 2 years have seen severe droughts throughout the country (last year a state of emergency was declared […]
From 8,500 Feet Above Sea Level to 16,500 Feet Above Sea Level
From 8,500 Feet Above Sea Level to 16,500 Feet Above Sea Level Mano a Mano’s counterpart organization Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo completed a new 54-mile road in Cotagaita, Bolivia in 2008 – still our longest road project to date. The Cotagaita road goes from 8,500 feet above sea level to 16,500 feet above sea […]
Work on the Road to San Lorenzo
Work on the Road to San Lorenzo The 100 year flooding of 2014 in the tropical area of Beni devastated the minimal road and bridge infrastructure the communities of San Lorenzo and surrounding areas depended on. Even prior to this flooding, the community of San Lorenzo had been requesting assistance from Mano a Mano to […]
Maldonado Water Project – Early August 2017 Update
Maldonado Water Project – Early August 2017 Update From our staff at our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo: All work in the nucleus of the levee has been completed. All compacting in the area where top soil was removed has also been completed. We are pleased that the levee has reached a half-meter […]
Maldonado Water Project Update – Late July 2017
Maldonado Water Project Update – Late July 2017 These are photos of additional work taking place re-compacting the “nucleo” of the reservoir wall for Maldonado. This is the third and last section. Soon we will be at level ground for the entire levee. At that point we will start to see visual progress. Maldonado Water […]
Maldonado Water Project Update – Late June 2017
Maldonado Water Project Update – Late June 2017 Mano a Mano co-founder Segundo Velasquez just got back from a trip to Bolivia, which included a site visit to our water project underway in Maldonado, Bolivia: I just came back from Bolivia. I want to tell you that the Maldonado project is coming along quite well. […]