Mission Accomplished!

Monday was the big day. This year Sister Olga, the headmistress of one of the schools where we have sponsored children, offered the use of their school hall. Being nuns, of course, everything was super well organised. Chairs were set out for the children on one side and for the parents on the other. Seeing them all ranged on rows I was impressed by just how many of them there were: this year we have 71 children. I was also impressed by how the overall hygiene of the children has improved. They were mostly bright and sparking like new pins rather than the bedraggled hodge-podge we had when we started 8 years ago. Apart from the 17 new children entering this year, most of the veterans" were wearing their uniforms.

Several officials were also present: the District Education Officer, the woman responsible for education at the Town Hall and two town councillors as well as two people's representatives and Sister Olga who started off the proceedings with a reading about gratitude.

As always in Bolivia, speech-making is a must at any meeting so all the officials had their say. Then Marco Antonio, one of the older boys who is now in his second year at university studying Engineering, made a short speech encouraging the younger children to take good advantage of this opportunity without which, he said, he would not be able to study at tertiary level. He is also a great example because he has always had very good marks at school and is continuing to do well at university.

This year Vito, the man who makes the clothes for us was also present as he had taken up the uniforms that very morning and I had got a run with him rather than having to take trufi taxis. This gave me the chance to thank him publicly for his cooperation over the years and for the efforts he makes to try and keep costs down for us.

First the school materials, then the uniforms, then the socks, then the shoes, then the toiletries. This is always an exciting time particularly for the younger children who surge forward to be the first in line. At one point there was a little cry of disappointment. "I didn't get any clothes." The newcomers had not realised that their uniforms were tucked inside their new school rucksacks. Once that had been clarified a smile returned to their faces and all were happy and contented.

Once everyone had received the allocation for this year pasties and a drink were provided before they all set off for home.

Mission accomplished!

La Cancha market shopping spree

This morning was spent at La Cancha market buying the toiletry things for the project. As prices have gone up so much, some hard bargaining was needed to keep purchases within budget. Being Sunday, not all the stalls were open but we found what we needed. Fortunately this year Fanny was able to come and help us because the things do weigh a lot and carting them for long distances through the huge market is very tiring. However, we managed. Then we got a porter with a wheelbarrow who accompanied Primo who went to collect the school materials. He then took everything up to San Benito where everything has to be prepared for distribution tomorrow morning.

Birthday Party

Today was a free day from the project point of view, so I took the opportunity to buy some quinoa and other local products.

In the afternoon I was invited to a fourth birthday party. Jacqueline was an accountant on the UNIDO project in the Chapare, so I have known her for many years. This was another side of life in Bolivia. There were 30 children accompanied by their parents at the party in "Fabulopolis" . A magician and his assistant animated the party and kept the children entertained with a puppet show, singing and dancing. Then they opened the "piñata" and finally the cake was cut. Before the cake was cut, however, the parents, grandparents and godparents all stood with the child and publicly expressed their wishes and hopes for his future. They all seemed to have a wonderful time jumping on the trampoline, in the inflatable castle and in the climbing frames. As they left all the children were given a little bag with a gift.

Up on the Puna

Today was a busy day. I started out from the hotel at 7.15 am and by 8.30 was up in San Benito. Then we met the driver and set out for Chaki Q'ocha. After an hour and a half, more or less, of driving over a rough stony track we left the car to continue the last leg on foot. Climbing uphill at 3.300m of altitude is quite a tiring experience as the air is thin with reduced oxygen content which means that breathing is more difficult and the heart beats much faster than normal. However, we made it.

The school was open but no teacher was to be seen. The children were doing their own thing: some doing a jigsaw puzzle, others reading or writing and still others running around outside. when the teacher finally came we had a chat with him. There are 17 children in the school at the moment and only one teacher to teach from Primary 1 to Primary 6. He confessed that he concentrated on basic language and mathematics and that there was little time for other social subjects. There are no facilities for science either as the school is a single room.

Before Evo Morales became president of Bolivia there were 2-3 teachers at that school. Last time I visited there were 2. Another unknown quantity is how such schools are going to be able to fulfil the requirements of the new Education Law which calls for every school to "educate for productivity". The only productive activities they will be able to do up on the puna are related to agriculture and, as the teacher said, "These children will have to teach me because they have been watching this since they were born and take part in agricultural activities of one kind or another as soon as they are physically able". The schools are to make money from their productive activities which should be ploughed back into the school.

The teacher was able to indicate the children he felt were the most needy in that community so we took their photos and hopefully some new sponsors will turn up.

Naturally there is no place to eat up there so we had taken some fruit and something to drink. However, as we were about to leave one of the mothers appeared with a plate of boiled potatoes, farfalle and some charque, a kind of dried meat similar to South African biltong. Potatoes here are delicious - much better than all the "improved" varieties we get in Europe. After all this is where they originated.

On the way up I saw mile upon mile of chain-link fencing. It turns out that Evo Morales expropriated 380 hectares of land for the UNASUR (The United Nations of South America) where Michelle Bachelet, when she was president of Chile, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Hugo Chaves of Venezuela and the president of Ecuador will all have HQs. To do what is another question. Some people protested against this scheme but they have ended up on prison for 3 months for their pains!

Another interesting development is a project to build 522 houses for Aymara miners. Evo Morales does not have so much support in that area so this is clearly a politically motivated scheme. If there are 4 adults per household this means 2,000 captive votes when the Quechua community is around 1,700. That is one way of getting what you want!

Shoes & other things

This morning we started our work programme. First on the list was to go to the Manaco shoe factory in Quillacollo to collect the shoes. This year there are no strikes or marches, so the journey went smoothly.

As always we had quite a wait but in the end we did get all our shoes in the right sizes. The order had been set aside in advance but, although a note was attached saying "Do Not Touch" someone had taken the odd pair of shoes to fill out his order so the missing shoes had to be replaced.

One interesting development is that whereas in the past people always preferred to be paid in US dollars, this year the dollar is out of favour and the local currency, the boliviano, is preferred.

Then we went to the moneychanger on the street to get enough local currency for the purchases we will make in the market on Sunday. We have decided to go to the Cancha market on Sunday because Saturday is market day and it is overflowing with people. Another consideration is that with fewer people around there is less chance of pickpockets.

At last!

Finally we left Buenos Aires half an hour after the scheduled arrival time in Santa Cruz. By the time I had got through the Bolivian immigration procedures standing in line behind the Uruguayan national under-21 women's football team I had only five minutes to get to the boarding gate for the Cochabamba flight. Mad rush up the stairs but no need to worry. The flight was delayed. First of all it was delayed till 9pm, then 10.50, then 11.30pm and finally we left Santa Cruz at just after 00.30.

Fortunately I managed to get a taxi at the airport without too much trouble and woke up the boy on duty at reception who opened the hotel doors to let me in. My reservation had not been registered correctly but he found me a room and I fell into bed more than 40 hours after leaving home.

First leg of journey

Here I am sitting in the transit lounge in Buenos Aires. It is 2.45 pm (local time) on March 7th. and 3 or 4 hours more depending on whether you are in the UK or mainland Europe. I left home 25 hours ago.

Air Europa who were operating the flight between Málaga and Paris for Air France insisted that it was not possible to check my case through to Cochabamba and that i would have to collect it in Buenos Aires. I knew that this was not so but they would not listen, so after the 13 hour flight from Paris to Buenos Aires there was a 2 hour queue to go through immigration and another half hour to go through customs.

As I was waiting to go through immigration they called from Bolivia. They had got things mixed up and thought I was arriving last night instead of tonight!

Buenos Aires airport is being extended so it was quite chaotic. Airport staff working for foreign companies were protesting because their employers do not allow them to join the Association of Airport Workers. The protest was peaceful but noisy: they had huge drums and cymbals and a trumpet and were making a great din and waving flags around.

Spending hours in an airport hauling all your luggage by yourself is not much fun as movement is severely restricted. However, at 1pm I was finally able to check in and am now waiting for the boarding gate to be announced.

One thing about Buenos Aires is that the food is good and you can get fresh fruit juice. Another 6 hours to go before I get to Cochabamba and probably 7 before I get to the hotel and a bed ...