Hope for Bolivia

Honesty & Generosity

2011-11-27T13:08:00.003+01:00

This week I received an e-mail saying that one of our children would be leaving the project. AT first this was a disappointment as usually when a child drops out it is due to worsening family circumstances. However, in this case, when I asked the reason for the decision, I received a pleasant surprise. The child's father has found a steady job at the agricultural experimentation centre in San Benito. As the family will now have a steady income, the family has decided that their son should give up his position in the project so that another less fortunate child can benefit from it. Refreshing honesty indeed!

Sotogrande Ladies' Golf Tournament

2011-11-19T14:13:00.001+01:00

On Tuesday November 15th. the ladies of Sotogrande Golf Club held a charity tournament in aid of La Esperanza. 18 ladies in 6 teams braved the rain and raised a tidy sum for our work in Bolivia. Another new sponsor came on board so that was a lovely afternoon. Once again sincere thanks to the ladies and to their captain Yolanda who organised this event and made it such a success.

2012 Calendar

2011-11-19T14:08:00.001+01:00

This year our calendar is based around reproductions of watercolours by Andrea Blikstad who was our very first sponsor and has continued to be a most valuable support over the years. Andrea's passion is flowers and all the paintings displayed in the calendar are of plants and flowers symbolising the different seasons of the year. The response to the calendar has been most encouraging so far and we hope you will enjoy these delicate paintings throughout the year to come.

The sales success is due in no small measure to the astounding sales prowess of another of our sponsors, Véronique Dutfield. I am truly grateful to you all for your support.

The Home Straight

2011-02-22T13:46:00.002+01:00

Home at last!

I left the hotel in Cochabamba at 5.30 on Sunday morning and after that it was one queue after another: queue to check in luggage, queue to pay airport taxes, queue to check boarding pass, then security and then to have all hand luggage searched.

In Santa Cruz there is not much time between flights and there we have more queues: queue to check boarding passes, passport control, Interpol, anti-narcotics and then hand luggage is searched again. The anti-narcotics control seems like a bad joke in a country where today the only crop that is being encouraged and is spreading is coca leaf cultivation!!!

In Buenos Aires I had an 8 hour wait which turned into 9 hours. At 10:30pm when we should have been taking off the first of the flight attendants began to trickle in and at 10:50p.m. some crew members were still shopping in the Duty Free shop.

The flight arrived in Madrid on Monday afternoon at 3.30pm when I should have been boarding the flight to Málaga. A mad dash brought me to gate M35 just before the flight was closed. Fortunately for once the Málaga flight left from an area of the terminal which meant that I did not have to make the train journey. Otherwise I would certainly have missed the flight.

However, my suitcase did not manage to get to Málaga and at this point in time its whereabouts are unknown. Let's see when it turns up ...

Mission accomplished!

2011-02-19T21:43:00.002+01:00

Mission accomplished - more or less! This morning Vito, the man who makes our uniforms, came to collect me in his pick-up truck at 8:30 - slightly later than planned. We went to pick up the towels and toiletries and then started to make our way up to San Senito. As today is Saturday, it is market day at La Cancha so there was no point in even trying to take that route so we took the alternative which skirts the Alalay Lake.

Vito's truck is not so new so the journey took a while and we reached San Benito just before 10. Most of the families who live in San Benito and the surrounding area were already there but those who had to come down from Chaki Kh'ocha, Lobo Rancho and other more distant places had not arrived so we waited a little to give them a chance.

The Town Hall sent along a representative who is the councillor for Human Development. Sister María Olga, the headmistress of the school run by Dominican nuns also came along. Each one was able to say a few words as did Primo and then it was my turn. I stressed the effort that the children of St. Peter the Apostle school in Glasgow were making to sponsor five children because it is important that people realise that the people who support them are not rich but just ordinary people.

With the help of the town councillor and Sister Mª Olga, we were able to hand out all the things in quite a short time: first the school materials, then uniforms and schoolbags, then socks and finally toiletries. The children whose drawings were included in the calendar all received a copy for themselves and they were delighted with it. The vitamins donated by LABCATAL were distributed to the children we regarded as most in need of them which means the children from Chaki Kh'ocha in particular.

The three boys who are now in higher education received the money for certain items such as transport, lab fees etc. Alissandro Torrico is now in his final year of teacher training and it was heartening to hear him say to everyone gathered there that if it had not been for the help he had received from the project he would never have been able to get as far as he has and he will never forget this. Marco was not able to attend as he had classes this morning but his father signed for him.

The majority of the new beneficiaries are children starting school this year and they were all delighted to receive their uniforms and school books.

Before breaking up boxes of "empanadillas", a kind of turnover with various fillings were distributed to everyone and they all drank their favourite treat - the dreaded Coca Cola. The poor village dogs smelled the food and came in in the hope of being able to scavenge some leftovers. I think they did get some and some of the children gave them a piece of their turnovers.

Playing the tourist for a day

2011-02-18T17:45:00.002+01:00

As there was absolutely no chance of getting any work done today, I went into town to see what was happening there.
At the junctions on the main streets, Heroínas, Ayacucho etc. there were groups of people blocking the traffic. As they had loudspeakers I found out that these were the schoolteachers protesting about their salaries and the government's arbitrary measure regarding education in general and, in particular, the fact that yesterday the government had appointed people to occupy positions in the education structure who had no qualifications whatsoever to do so and had overridden the promotional structure, whereas the protesters had had to take examinations and prove their worth in order to get a position at all.

Later I went up Heroínas and met another group of ELFEC workers. ELFEC is the Cochabamba electricity supply company. Later still in El Prado (Avenida Ballivián) the Federation of University Students from the Universidad Mayor de San Simón were marching too. This group was made up of both students and teachers.

In view of all this there is very little activity in the city. As no public transport is running and very few taxis, the streets are unusually quiet (apart from the demonstrators' deafening explosions of course) and most shops are closed because the workers have been unable to get into town. Those that are open have the grilles at half mast so they can be drawn down in the event of trouble.

As I had time to wander around, I came across a lovely little shopping centre which is quite new. It is an old colonial building on three levels with a central patio. The little shops and businesses are ranged around the galleries and there are some quite interesting little places there: a physiotherapist, a spa offering aromatherapy and essential oils, an Indian clothes shop, a shop specialising in all things related to Angels and another business dealing with hand looms. They offer classes in weaving and sell looms of every kind from little hand looms (rectangular, square, triangular etc.) to pedal-driven looms. They also sell the yarn for doing this work. Unfortunately almost all the shops were closed because the people could not get in to work!

The little health shop in the main square which has been there for ever and a day was open so I took the chance to buy some amaranth, stevia and other things which are quite inexpensive here.

The best laid plans ...

2011-02-18T12:24:00.003+01:00

No luck! This morning's plan to pick up the shoes at the factory have turned to dust. Yesterday the disturbances in Quillacollo were quite bad and the MANACO workers were at the centre of it. The manager has told us that it is totally impossible to open the factory for any reason because yesterday the demonstrators broke windows and caused a great deal of damage so the factory is completely closed. This is a major setback because it means that the children will not get their shoes tomorrow. All I can do is leave the money and when things return more or less to normal Primo will have to come down and pay the bill and collect the goods. Another wasted day!

Books and Uniforms

2011-02-18T11:51:00.002+01:00

At least we managed to sort out the school materials and uniforms. They have now all been paid for and only some social science books remain to be collected because the publishers have not delivered them yet. The uniforms should ave been ready yesterday but, due to the strike, some work days were lost and they are trying to catch up. Hopefully the girls' blouses will be ready by this evening and that is the last item.

Today (Friday) we hope to be able to collect the shoes but it seems that the transport blockade is set to continue, particularly in Quillacollo where the factory is, and it is uncertain whether the factory will open at all today. We are trying to negotiate with the head of sales to meet him there and somehow get the material out as we need it for tomorrow.

Hope springs eternal!

This morning the sky is cloudy so let's see what the weather is like today. The weather forecast on internet was rain and thunderstorms all week so I came prepared for that only to find that the sun has been splitting the trees since I arrived and after yesterday's hikes in the open in the high valley where the oxygen content of the air is thin, the nape of my neck is like a boiled crab! .

Doña Sandra's cigarretes and clay pots

2011-02-17T21:57:00.003+01:00

Doña Sandra lives in the countryside in the foothills below Chaki Kh'ocha. She is a young woman, around 33 years old, but she already has 6 children, the oldest of whom is 16 and the youngest about 3.

She is an amazingly industrious woman. She plants all her maize plants herself and works the land. She also makes handrolled cigarettes which she sells at the market in Tiraque. There her customers are mostly people who work the land and they all smoke quite heavily. She buys the tobacco leaves from the tropical region of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. She pays 150 bolivianos for one arroba of tobacco which she then flakes and rolls in paper which she cuts to size. The cigarettes are sealed using a glue made from four. On market days she has to be down by the main road for 5am to get the transport to the Tiraque and set up her little stall. She makes packs of 10 cigarettes.

When we had seen the cigarette-making process we then went inside to see how she makes her clay pots. Most of her production of handmade pots is bought by the chicha producers. Chicha is a kind of beer made from fermented maize and the largest of Doña Sandra's pots hold about 20 tins of chicha or 200 litres.

She starts the process by making a ball of clay which she then places on a round base. She does not have a potter's wheel but turns the base with her hands. As the clay becomes thinner as the pot gets taller she wets the top and adds a new ring of clay to keep on building the pot up. The vessel she made for us as a demonstration was in fact a clay cooker. It is a cylinder about 1 foot tall and at the top she adds three little "wings" that the pot sits on. In the side she cuts a rectangular hole where they can put in the twigs for the fire.

As we watched the chickens and ducks and kittens and other animals all wandered around at will.

Two children were at home. The youngest child is still too young to go to school but the daughter, Noelia, was at home because she did not have any school books or pencils, notebooks etc. She will join the project too. Luis, the boy who has just joined, walks about 3 kms. through the countryside to school. Today it was dry but when it rains the tracks must be very muddy.

The water tap is about 1km from the house so every day water has to be carried up for cooking, drinking and washing as well as making the ceramic pots.

The clay for the pots comes from close by as the erth i that area is rich in silicates. Further up the mountain COBOCE, the cement company, exgtracts white clay which it exports for making porcelain.

Doña Sandra accompanied us part of the way and as we went she pointed out some families with children who cold also benenfit from some help. She also told us that her husband had been "bewitched". This probably means that he suffers from some kind of mental illness. He used to beat her a lot but now that her oldest son is 16 years old he does not allow this to happen any more.

I was most impressed with this woman - full of character, industrious, resouceful and always smiling ...

Brickworks

2011-02-17T21:24:00.002+01:00

The brickworks lies on the outskirts of San Benito in the high valley of Cochabamba. Most of the families who live and work there are migrants from the area around Potosí, traditionally a mining area. In centuries past silver and tin were mined there (these two metals tend to occur together) and it was such a wealthy area that in Spanish there is an expression to the effect that something valuable is worth "a Potosí". Nowadays, however, it is a poor region and many people migrate to other areas of the country.

A number of the children from the family we went to see have been in the project for some years. The oldest girl is due to finish her secondary education this year. She is 21 years old but due to economic difficulties missed years and got left behind. Since she has been receiving the project's help she has managed to stay in school and she thinks she would like to study business management. If she does go on to higher education she will be the first girl from the brickworks to do so, so we are encouraging her as much as possible.

This family is quite typical of the social fragility of families from the Potosí area. Families are very unstable. The mother of this family has had three different husbands and there are children from each marriage. The son of the oldest son has now just joined the project. I was able to speak to both father and son. Children from both later marriages are also beneficiaries.

One of the children was at home when we called as she goes to school in the afternoon (Schools run morning and afternoon sessions as the premises are not big enough ad there are not enough teachers to accommodate all the children at once). Her grandmother was complaining that she did not help out enough at home and was not always respectful, so we had a little chat with her about that.

Among the young men working making bricks was a relative of this family. He had come from Potosí recently and as the eldest son in a family of 8 he had brought along his youngest brother and was acting as his guardian. We went to see where they lived and seeing the conditions we decided to take on the young brother as soon as another sponsor becomes available.

One of the main problems which contributes to the fragile family structure is drinking. At the weekends people drink chicha (fermented maize beer) and when they drink they lose control. This leads to fights and is one of the main causes of separations and divorces.

Our hope is that by giving some of these children a better education they will have a better start in life and thus break the chain. The girl I mentioned earlier has herself recognised that if it were not for the help given by the project she would probably have 2 or 3 children by now.

Improvisation

2011-02-17T20:54:00.004+01:00

Today was an interesting day. I left the hotel at 7am. to go up to Chaki Kh'ocha, but when I got out on to the street I found that the trufis (microbuses) were not running today either. The transport strike was supposed to have stopped last night but ... I took a taxi to the place where you can get trufis and trufi-taxis (taxis you share with other people) to Punata, one of the main centres in the High Valley. One was about to leave and there was a free seat so I took it.

I got up to San Benito at 8:10. As Primo had not yet arrived, I stood around on the road at the market. At that time the traffic was fluid. Ten minutes later a trufi arrived from Punata and another from somewhere else. The occupants, who turned out to be union pickets, stopped the traffic and made all the taxis and trufi-taxis pull over and the passengers had to get out. They could go no further. One of the pickets produced a large pair of scissors from his pocket and stuck them in the tyre of the nearest taxi. This did not look promising for my trip up to the puna!

When Primo arrived we went across to the house of the man who was supposed to take us up. He said it was impossible. There was a fine of 300 bolivianos for anyone found infringing the blockade. Primo went to talk to the leader of the civic committee who advised that we should wait an hour or two and see if things calmed down.

So as not to waste our time, we took the opportunity to walk down to the brickworks (ladrillería) to talk to some of the families there whose children are on the project, and also to see some possible new beneficiaries for next year. The visit was quite productive and we got a lot of information.

After that, we went back to the civic committee but the situation was still the sam,e so there was nothing for it but to abandon the idea of going up to the puna. We decided to start walking and see whether we could reach the home of Doña Sandra, a lady whose son has just joined the project, as I wanted to take photographs of her activities for the first year classes at Saint Peter the Apostle school in Glasgow who are going to sponsor some children.

After about 2-3 kms. a car came by. The driver had managed to get around the blockade by taking some dirt tracks. We stopped him and asked whether we could ride with him and Primo would show him the way along some other tracks so he could make the next leg of his journey. He agreed, so we managed to do a few miles more.

When he dropped us off, we continued cross country down some rough tracks and by asking the people working along the way we finally managed to reach Doña Sandra's house. We sat on upturned boxes under an acacia tree and watched while she showed us how she made her cigarettes. Then she took us inside and showed us how she makes her clay pots. In fact she made a clay cooking stove, which is smaller and quicker to make, but the rpocess is the same.

Dona Sandra's sister, Eli, then came along with two of her five children and we were able to take down some data so that one of her children can join the project as soon as a new sponsor appears.

It was time to head back. We walked back down towards the main road but, as no trufis or taxis were running, we decided to sit down under a tree and wait in the shade. Miraculously a trufi appeared trundling along the dirt track. He had also managed to circumvent the road block by coming cross-country but he was not quite sure how he should continue. Again Primo offered to direct him if he would take us too. He agreed.

We got out of his vehicle at the Qliza crossroads and waited. Meanwhile we bought some peaches from a cholita (indigenous woman) who had set up her stall in the shade. A taxi appeared but stopped at the crossroads. He said he was going no further, so we settled down to wait again. After a while the passengers in the taxi managed to convince the driver to continue a little further so we were able to squeeze into the taxi. There were four of us in the back (two teachers returning home plus Primo and me) and a rather fat man, his wife and two children in front beside the driver!!!

Most of the trip was spent convincing the driver to carry on just a little further. Eventually he agreed to take us to Km. 9 but no further. We got out there and stood around for a while longer. Eventually another taxi came by and he took us the rest of the way to Cochabamba. By then it was about 2pm so we had something to eat. When I got back to the hotel I was certainly covered with the dust of the highways and byways of the High Valleys!

This afternoon I hope to be able to see the people who make the uniforms for us and the man who supplies our school materials.

Contradictions

2011-02-16T19:39:00.002+01:00

Bolivia is full of contradictions. Maybe that is what I like about it. This morning the whole city was in chaos, people marching with sticks and shouting slogans. Then this afternoon the sound of young people practising as "caporales" dancers for the Carnival celebrations next month...

Developments

2011-02-16T16:23:00.003+01:00

As nothing was happening on the work side, I decided to go into the centre of town to confirm my return ticket and see what was going on there.

The main square is full of people and thousands more are milling around in the adjacent streets. Most of the shops are closed or only have their security grilles partially opened so they can pull them down quickly if things get out of hand. I did manage to sort my ticket, so that was good.

On the way back through the square the anti-riot squad came by on their motorbikes but the crowd surrounded them and would not let them pass. They were showered with anything that came to hand. However, it was all fairly good-natured on the whole.

Primo still can't get down as there is no public transport running from the high valleys. Maybe he will be able to come down in the afternoon ...

Demonstrations

2011-02-16T14:21:00.001+01:00

As I have to hand around the hotel in case Primo manages to get into town, I decided to see what was going on with all the explosions and shouting. The demonstration is passing along El Prado (Avenida Ballivián), one of the main arteries of the city. All the transport unions and cooperatives are taking part in protest against the rise in fares etc. There are thousands of people marching. They are marching up towards the Cala Cala bridge and there they met up with another march coming from the opposite direction. After that they joined up and are now coming back down the other side of the avenue towards the main square in the centre of town. All the shops are closed and the street door of Jacquelines office building (She works for the electricity company) is closed with a bar across it. Apart from the noise of the explosions and the shouting, everything seems to be peaceful here at the moment. The usual slogans "El pueblo unido jamás será vencido" (The people if united will never be beaten) and banners "Bus Line 114 is with the people"; "Transport Union/Cooperative X, Y or Z are also part of the people and suffer with them" etc. etc.

Unrest & Blockades

2011-02-16T12:58:00.004+01:00

The day dawned bright and sunny but the clouds of social unrest seem to be growing. Today's plan was to go to the MANACO shoe factory to collect our order and take it up to San Benito. However, as I was waiting for Primo to come, the phone rang and he said that he could not get down from San Benito to Cochabamba because there is a transport blockade and no forms of transport are running - or being allowed to run.

He called the Manager of the Manaco factory to say that we would not be able to get down as arranged, and he told him not to come before Friday because Quillacollo where the factory is located, is one of the main hot spots and they were not even opening the doors. Yesterday the march got out of hand there and any vehicle that had the misfortune to pass by had its windows broken by people wielding sticks. We have been told not to go before Friday, but that knocks out the whole programme as on Friday I am supposed to be going up to Chaki Kh'ocha on the puna to speak to the children and their families and teachers.

I must now wait at the hotel to see whether later in the morning things calm down and Primo can get down to town. If he could manage to do that, we could do what we had planned for tomorrow inside the city and juggle things around. From the hotel I can hear lots of fireworks, which here always means there is unrest.

Journey to Bolivia

2011-02-15T22:58:00.002+01:00

Monday February 14th.

I finally arrived in Cochabamba at 9.30 pm. The flight left Madrid one hour late because one of the seats in Business Class did not recline properly and they brought someone in to repair it! That didn't really matter much to me because I had an 8 hour wait in Buenos Aires, which wasn't much fun because Iberia had not checked my luggage through to Cochabamba and I had to pick it up in Buenos Aires and hold on to it. The annoying thing was that when I asked to check it in there, the Aerosur employee told me that they did have an agreement with Iberia and they should have checked it right through.

Straight to bed!

Tuesday February 15th.

The first thing I had to do was change some money into bolivianos with the street money exchangers. Then we went to La Cancha market to buy the socks, towels, toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap. I did my best to buy cotton products made in Bolivia and not the Chinese products that have inundated the market. That took the whole morning and there was a lot of carting stuff around.

The city was pretty troubled today. Fortunately we had decided not to go to the MANACO shoe factory today because Quillacollo, where the factory is, was in uproar. All the businesses were closed and the workers committees were marching through the streets protesting against the rises in bus fares and transport in general. The MANACO workers were heading the march. Things got a bit out of hand in some places, and people armed with sticks were breaking the windows of any vehicle that happened to pass by or were parked in the vicinity.

The roads into and out of the city were blocked on the north, south, east and west. There were other marches related to the cost of milk, and later in the day some other areas of the city were cut off.

The general mood is one of unrest. Prices have risen around 80% over the last year. The government backed down over the rise in fuel prices but all the other rises have been maintained. There is no sugar to be had when Bolivia was once a sugar exporter; rice is in short supply and the price of chicken rises 50 centavos every day as a result of which many families are now no longer able to buy chicken and can only buy chicken offal instead.

Bolivia has always had a flourishing informal economy and usually it was the women who sold things in the streets. Now the government has set up a trading company which is selling the same items and undercutting the prices.

The president, Evo Morales, was kicked out of Oruro a few weeks ago when the miners, supplied with dynamite, turned up at the event he was attending. He had no option but to leave. This is significant because Oruro, along with La Paz and Potosí, have been his main power points as they are mainly Aymaras. Many people are now openly calling him a dictator! And these are indigenous people who originally voted him in.

It will be interesting to see what happens next, as corruption is another major complaint.

New Year Update

2011-01-02T10:50:00.002+01:00

Happy New Year to all our sponsors and supporters!

I am pleased to say that the run of 100 calendars has sold out and, after paying printing and postage costs we should make a small profit. The main lesson learned from this exercise is that next time we must use a lighter weight paper to reduce postage costs which were exorbitant. As about half of the calendars were sold outside Spain, this is an important consideration.

According to the latest information I have, this year the school year will start on February 1st. in Bolivia which is slightly earlier than usual. It also seems that prices have been skyrocketing over the past year with some items increasing by 83%, so we shall see just how much we can do this year without raising sponsorship fees.

2011 Calendar

2010-12-11T13:51:00.002+01:00

This year we decided that it might be a good idea to make a calendar so we asked all our children to prepare a drawing. When they arrived after the summer Annabel Overbury, an artist and art teacher, agreed to be our jury and she had the difficult task of choosing 13 drawings, one for each month and another for the cover. The aim was to choose a drawing from each age group so that they would all be represented. We are quite pleased with the result and sales have been quite brisk, so we would like to thank all those who have supported the children's artistic efforts. The only negative aspect was the cost of posting the calendars as almost half were sent abroad, so next year we shall have to choose a more lightweight format. In any case the children are delighted that their work has been "published in Europe". Thank you for supporting us!

Golf Fundraising Event

2010-09-23T16:58:00.002+02:00

On Tuesday, September 21st., Mrs. Yolanda Kiener, the ladies' captain at Sotogrande Golf Club organised a golf tournament to raise funds for La Esperanza. The event was very well attended and the ladies raised a sizable sum for our work in Bolivia. Not only that, but several ladies also decided to become sponsors, so we now have sponsors for four more children!

Thank you, Ladies!

Event

2010-09-10T18:49:00.002+02:00

Next Tuesday, September 21st., the Ladies Golf Group at Sotogrande are going to play a tournament with a view to helping La Esperanza. Let's see whether we get any new sponsors!

Not such a smooth journey

2010-02-27T19:00:00.000+01:00

I got up at 4.30 and the taxi arrived before the agreed time so I left the hotel at 5.30. Just as well. There was already a long queue of people with mountains of baggage. As I was sitting minding my own business in the departure lounge, my name was called over the PA system and I was invited to accompany an official as my case had been chosen for anti-narcotics inspection.

Are you Mrs. Mary Rodriguez?
Yes.
Is this your case?
Yes.
Are you travelling alone?
Yes.
Where are you travelling to?
Buenos Aires.
You aren't travelling to Madrid?
Not today.
So you are travelling alone?
Yes.
To Buenos Aires?
Yes.
Not to Madrid?
Not today.
OK. Then you may go.

After that all went well. We left Cochabamba only 15 minutes late.

At Santa Cruz the 1 hour and 30 minutes between flights was just enough to clear the stream of bureaucratic requirements. First of all passport control. Then hand in a declaration that you are not taking out more than US$10,000. If you are then you have to justify how you came to obtain this money and what you want it for. Next Interpol anti-narcotics control governed by Bolivia's infamous Law 1008 where they go through all you hand luggage.

After that, to the departure lounge. The Buenos Aires flight was posted for Gate 4 but some officla said it would be Gate 9. Then they announced Gate 3, so there was general chaos while they made up their mind which one it was going to be. Gate 3. So we then had to retrace our steps. However, we boarded and left on time. So far so good.

Just after we took off there was a loud bang on the left hand side of the plane. Nobody saida anything then, but after about 15 minutes it was announced that due to a technical problem we would be re turning to Santa Cruz. Then they told us that the technical problem was due to the cabin pressurization system. We turned around and went back to Santa Cruz.

At first they kept us on board and served drinks but after half an hour we had to disembark and we are currently (1.15p.m.) sitting in the departure lounge with no indication of when we are likely to continue our journey.

Then they served us lunch – usually a fair indication that the wait is going to be long. By then the Argentinian passengers had lost patience and were threatening to lynch the director of the company if he did not make an appearance. Apparently several of them had been on the same flight the previous week and the plane had to turn back, make an emergency landing with the fire brigade on standby and then they had to wait two days before being taken to Buenos Aires. Understandably they were not prepared to go through the same thing again.

Finally a flight came in from Salta in northern Argentina and once the passengers had disembarked and fuel had been loaded up, they put us on that plane and we finally reached Buenos Aires at 19.40 local time I.e. more than five hours late.

I lost no time in getting through immigration. Fortunately they did not hold my British passport against me and I was able to get a taxi into Buenos Aires!

Meeting the children & parents

2010-02-25T16:16:00.000+01:00

Today was a busy day. The journey up to San Benito took an hour and a half, the first part inside Cochabamba in a trufi or minibus and the remainder through the countryside up to the high valleys in a trufi taxi which is a taxi that several people share. As it was raining, most of the people had problems getting to the church patio which is where we meet, but the ones who had the greatest difficulty were the families coming down from Chaki Q'ocha up on the puna. However, they all managed to get there eventually.

The procedure is always more or less the same. First of all Primo talks to the parents and children, clarifying things that he is displeased about and those that he is happy with. Then it is my turn to give a pep talk explaining that all the ponsors ask in return is that the children attend school every day and that they wear their uniform and shoes, which are not to be hoarded for fiestas and holidays.

This year I wanted to take a photograph of each child so that their sponsors could see how they are growing up.

Then the serious business of handing out the material began.
First of all
schoolbags,
uniforms
shoes,
towels,
socks
toothpaste
toothbrushes
soap.

It was like an assembly line and all the children were anxious to receive their things. The new beneficiaries were particularly excited and the younger ones were jostling for position until they were asked to form an orderly queue as nobody was going to run off with their things.

After that the community elected a member to give their vote of thanks to all the sponsors expressing the hope that the work of the project will continue for many years to come.

The mothers then loaded everything into their awayus, the colourful cloths that Bolivian women use for everything, from carrying babies to loading potatoes and other crops to market. Someone had arranged for us all to go to the newest and “best” restaurant in San Benito which has been opened by a man who emigrated to Spain for a while and saved his income to be able to set up this business on his return. Work is still in progress but nobody seemed to mind the unfinished building. The families settled down wherever they could find a space, on the floor, on a step or a chair, and produced the food that they had brought from home which they all tucked into while we, as the “honoured guests” were served the usual heaped plateful typical of Cochabamba where food is a primary concern. We had trout from a little local fish farm, potatoes, rice, onion, tomato and slices of green pepper.

Then it was back down to Cochabamba where the chaos of market day was just dying down. Transport was still at a premium as people hauled their big sacks of produce on to the buses.

Mammoth shopping

2010-02-25T16:13:00.001+01:00

The Aparthotel Regina where I usually stay in Cochabamba is gradually modernising and they now offer a wi-fi connection. I have managed to connect to the network, but for some reason which I have not fathomed yet I am unable to connect to Skype or the internet or collect e-mails. What happened to all this automatic configuration we are supposed to have? It never seems to work when you need it.

Today was a busy day. First thing in the morning, before going to the MANACO shoe factory which is a subsidiary of Bata, we had to change some money on the black market as the exchange rate is better. Since it was Carnaval last week the factory was closed and they had not prepared our order. Then certain sizes were not available so we had to choose another model which turned out to be more expensive. They said they would deliver the order tomorrow morning.

After lunch we met Vito, the man who makes our uniforms for us. I paid him because he has already delivered the clothes.

As Vito has a car, he took us to La Cancha market where we bought the towels, socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap. So, loaded down with 4 doz. Towels, 4 doz. Toothbrushes, 4 doz. Packets of toothpaste, 8 doz. Pairs of socks and 4 doz. Bars of soap we trudged through the crowded market where at least there was some shade. The stuff is now all stacked at the house (still under construction) of a friend in Cochabamba. We will take it all up to San Benito tomorrow.

In the evening I met Mr. Willy, who organises all our books and school materials. He has also delivered ahead of time so he was delighted to receive payment. Now that the suppliers know that we are a reliable organisation, they are quite happy to deliver before being paid and this certainly makes life much easier for us as we don't have to cram everything into a short space of time.

Journey to Cochabamba

2010-02-25T16:09:00.000+01:00

20-21/02/2010

After a long flight (12 hours and 10,300 Kms. From Madrid) I arrived in Buenos Aires at 9.30 a.m. (1.30p.m. in Spain) today February 21st. The sky is overcast and apparently yesterday 70L. of rain fell in one hour plunging the city into chaos. Not unexpectedly, the Aerosur flight arrived in Buenos Aires late so we left one hour late and arrived in Santa Cruz ten minutes before the Cochabamba flight was due to leave. Fortunately they delayed that flight because half the passengers were coming from Buenos Aires. One advantage of “human” systems where you can actually speak to a person who can DO something, the girl in Buenos Aires was able to check my case through to Cochabamba by calling to the luggage handling department and - miracle of miracles – it arrived safe and sound. So, having arrived in Cochabamba at the ordained time of 8p.m. (1a.m. Spanish time) I fell into bed after a most welcome shower!

New School Year

2010-01-18T21:29:00.002+01:00

I hope to travel to Bolivia to visit the project around February 20th. The new school year begins on February 1st., so there will be enough time for the teachers to give out the book lists and for Willy, our stall-holder at the Cochabamba market, La Cancha, to prepare the individual packages. The uniforms are already being made and the shoes have been ordered, so things are on track.

When I get back, I hope to have a positive report and to be able to post some photos on the blog.

Happy Christmas!

2009-12-22T12:20:00.004+01:00

Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all our sponsors, and thank you once again for your continued support.

I hope to travel to visit the project in February. The new school year begins on February 1st. but the teachers need some time to prepare the book lists and Willy, our supplier in La Cancha market in Cochabamba also needs some time to prepare the individual packets. I will keep you posted on plans.

Fundraising Lunch

2009-12-10T20:18:00.002+01:00

On Saturday December 5th 2009 Hala arranged a Lebanese mezzeh lunch. As usual the food was delicious. 18 people turned up so the house was full. Some of them were already sponsors and others were not, but, in any case, the event raised some very welcome funds for the 2010 campaign. Thanks again to Hala!

Fresh Start

2009-12-10T19:56:00.003+01:00

It is some time since I updated this blog. This was partly because the blogger site changed and I did not alter the settings. However, I have done that now so hopefully I can keep you all posted on events from now on.

Unexpected Initiative

2006-07-17T10:01:00.000+02:00

An unexpected initiative brought in a surprise donation this month. Peter Sheridan had the innovative idea of asking his friends and colleagues to participate by suggesting that each should suggest a favourite song. A CD was made containing a pot pourri which reflects the musical tastes of the whole group. Then each participant made a contribution to La Esperanza. Some people increased their contribution by making a donation in lieu of birthday gifts and one person made a donation in memoriam of a recently deceased relation. The scope of the initiative was extended when Peter attended a conference in Northern Ireland and a number of colleagues also decided to support the project. So, thanks to Peter for this excellent effort and to all those who have supported him.

Children receiving their uniforms & materials for 2006

2006-03-31T16:19:00.000+02:00

REPORT OF VISIT TO L

2006-03-27T11:50:00.000+02:00

REPORT OF VISIT TO “LA ESPERANZA” PROJECT

March 2006

As my arrival was delayed by 24 hours, I missed Saturday’s programme.  Fortunately Primo Castro had gone ahead and picked up the school materials and the uniforms from the suppliers who aready know me and who were confident that payment would eventually be forthcoming.  On Sunday morning (March 12th) we made a trip to the Cancha market in Cochabamba where, despite the fact that most of the stalls were closed, we managed to purchase the socks for all the children.

On Monday March 13th we set off at 7 am for the MANACO shoe factory (a subsidiary of Bata) where the shoes had been ordered in advance and were awaiting collection and payment.  The order was checked and paid for and we were able to take the three large boxes away with us.  Last year the factory transported the merchandise into the centre of Cochabamba, but this time we had to organise the transport ourselves.  Fortunately we did manage to get that sorted out in good time and reached San Benito for our 10 am appointment with the children and their parents.

In previous years I went around the various schools to hand over the uniforms and materials but this year we decided that a better strategy would be to invite all the beneficiaries and their families to San Benito.  One of the main aims of this exercise was to foster a sense of belonging to a single community  of “La Esperanza” rather than simply individual beneficiaries in various communities dispersed around the countryside.  I think this was a positive decision.

The children and their parents gathered in the church patio where there is sufficient space to accommodate everyone and to store the goods.  The head teachers of the various schools (except Lobo Rancho) attended as well as the education officer from San Benito Town Hall and the district education officer.

Speechmaking is a favourite occupation in Bolivia so each official representative was given his or her say.  When my turn came, I took the opportunity to spell out what I expect from the students and their families this year.

The major commitments set out  from the beginning were reiterated, namely that children must attend school regularly, do their homework and achieve to the best of their ability.  They are also required to wear their uniforms, and parents were admonished of the consequences of selling the clothes and shoes and of keeping them for “good”.

It was pointed out that La Esperanza has no vested interest in increasing the number of beneficiaries for the sake of it.  Our aim is to empower the children and young people by making a contribution to their education so that they will be in a position to improve their own situation and that of their families in the future. It was stressed that we would rather work with 5, 10 or 15 truly committed students and families, pooling the resources of more than one sponsor should this prove necessary as the children grow and their requirements increase, rather than spreading resources thinly  aiding students and families with little interest in self-betterment.

As a stimulus the children and their parents were informed that at the end of each term they should send a copy of the child’s school report and a letter or drawing (depending on the age of the child).  If these requirements are not met, the children will be withdrawn from the programme.  I think that all the families understood what was  being asked of them.  I ensured that all these points were translated into Quechua for greater clarity, particularly for the families from the puna community of Chaki Kh’ocha.

The mothers had prepared a lunch of chicken and rice which we all ate together.  Before leaving most people asked for a date to be fixed towards the end of the  first term so I feel that my words did not fall on deaf ears.  It remains to be seen which families will carry through till the end of the year.

The major task still remaining was to pay for the school materials and the uniforms so we visited both suppliers and I paid my debts.

The following day I had some business to attend to investigating the circumstances of some children that I knew when we lived in the Chapare whose mother had put them into an institution.  I visited the place with their father.  It turned out to be a school run by Swiss and German nuns.  We reached the conclusion that the educational level there was undoubtedly higher than in the Chapare and that if the children wished to continue their education they would be well advised to remain there. The two older children recognised this and decided to remain. The smaller child wanted to go home with his father but for the time being he will also remain at the school to see if he will adapt.  One of the major sticking poins is the food, but I could see that the problem is probably that the school diet is more varied than the diet they are used to in the Chapare – based on rice and yuca – and they have not got used to the new tastes and textures. Greater discipline and orderliness are also probably a problem but I felt that the long term benefits of them remaining there are undoubtedly considerable, not least in the field of greater hygiene and manners.  It remains to be seen whether their father will be able to do without them, but that is another matter ...

I also met with david, the young boy whose mother had cancer. Margarita is remarkably well.  The illness seems to be in recession and Margarita has found a new job.  Her pay is only Bs 150 (€15) per month and they do not pay her either punctually or regularly but she is making the best of things. David now lives with his mother again but he decided, wisely I think, to travel down from Qlisa to Cochabamba so that he can continue to attend the same school as before where the educational level is higher than in the villages.

Those of you who can read Spanish will see the magnitude of the problemn of educational levels quite clearly when you see the teacher’s reports. Many of the teachers are barely literate themselves.

I feel that the visit was profitable and positive and hope that both parents and children will fulfil the  requirements throughout the course of the year.

March 2006

PLAIN SAILING?

2006-03-27T11:49:00.000+02:00

PLAIN SAILING ... or was it?

My journey to Bolivia started off with a hitch: thirty minutes before I was due to leave home Roberto was stricken with a tummy upset which prevented him from taking me to the airport.  Andrea to the rescue as she was able to provide the name of a taxi driver who, fortunately, was free and able to take me to Málaga where I arrived on time, albeit €100 lighter.

Things improved when my Spanair flight to Madrid left and arrived on time, and everything seemed to be going smoothly as we boarded the Aerolíneas Argentinas flight for Buenos Aires which took off only thirty minutes late which, given airline procedures, can be regarded as within the bounds of normality.

Things began to change about 40 minutes after take-off when on the screen showing the flight path the plane cuold be seen turning around and heading back the way it had come.  It was some time before the captain announced that we were heading back due, he said, to the fact that a pilot light had come on.  He did not know whether the fault was an electronic one or whether the fault indicated by the light was real in which case it was a serious enough event to prevent the flight continuing.  We flew around for a long time jetissoning fuel in order to be able to land at Madrid airport.

The fire engines were waiting for us but fortunately their services were not required.  The fault was inspected and we were told that we could take off again but, of course, we had to load up with fuel which took about two hours.  At 3.45 am we took off again.  We had scarcely passed into Portugal when the plane turned round once again - the same problem.  The engine was making a strange noise and I opened the shutter to see whether we were flying horizontally or whether we were plummetting.  Suddenly the plane bounced in the air sending our stomachs up into our throats. Some people began to scream. The captain had switched off the engine. Once again we jetissoned a full tank of fuel (Where is the energy crisis?) and landed in Madrid.  This time the fire engines surrounded the plane and hosed into the engine. When it was deemed safe, we disembarked and were taken by bus to a nearby hotel -the largest hotel in Europe - where there were not enough empty rooms to accommodate all the travellers as there were several medical conventions taking place.

There we were served breakfast and lunch and there we sat around all day long without a visit from a single representative of Aerolíneas Argentinas. Nobody explained what was happening or what we might expect.  Eventually at 6pm we were taken back to the airport by bus and finally, almost 24 hours after our original departure time, we took off. The transatlantic flight was smooth and uneventful, much to everyone’s relief.  Some passengers had decided not to continue their journey and had gone home.

When we reached Buenos Aires, we realised that, even if we had arrived on time, we would have been unable to continue our journeys as the airline had been on strike and some people had been there for over 24 hours.  As many planes were at the wrong places, my flight to Santa Cruz was delayed for several hours.  The result of this was that when I got to Santa Cruz there were no flights: LAB (Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano), the national airline, is also in dire straits with planes being repossessed for lack of payment.  I tried the other airline, Aerosur, and they were able to offer me a business class seat which I took.  Finally, sixty hours after leaving home, I reached Cochabamba.  The e-mails sent to warn people of the delays had not been received so the hotel had cancelled my reservation.

Having completed my programme in Cochabamba I wanted to  go to the Chapare, the tropical rainforest area where we lived from 1993 to 1995.  I took the bus, leaving Cochabamba at 9pm on March 14th.  A true tropical deluge fell throughout most of the night, the sky illuminated by bright blue flashes of lightning. The ascent to the cloud forest at around 4,000m and the subsequent descent to the tropical rainforest was slow over the stony surface.  In places the road had been washed away and, as traffic could only pass in single file, this led to considerable delays.  Further delays took place at the anti-narcotics checkpoints where I was required to open my suitcase for inspection.
At 4am, seven hours later, we arrived in Entre Ríos, about 250kms from Cochabamba.  The rain was pouring down so we took shelter under an awning in the hope of being able to catch a lift to Roberto’s house.  I was amazed at the number of people sleeping in doorways and wandering around at that time.  At last a car did happen along and we reached the house at 4.30.

Where would I sleep?  All the rooms of the house are rented out to workers in the oil and gas fields which have been opened since we were there, and Roberto and his family live in a single room.  I soon found out.  Two girls were sleeping in one bed, Roberto, his wife and smallest child would sleep in another and I was given the third.  New sheets, freshly purchased in Cochabamba’s Cancha market, sweetened this prospect.  Exhausted, I  fell asleep quickly ... but not for long.  At 6 am we were up and shortly afterwards set off to visit Roberto’s land.

Things had changed considerably since we lived here.  We did not take the old road to Villa Unión but the road from Cruce Andino.  Now there are three access roads to Villa Unión which are maintained by the oil companies now working in the area. We explored the forest for a few hours, crossing the rivers by tree-trunk bridges and sometimes wading across when the  trunks had been washed away by the rains. It was a refresher experience as I heard the sounds of the rainforest once again - the birds, the insects, the cracking of branches - and felt the “sensurround” experience of the damp heat touching my skin. This is the only environment I know where all the senses are engaged at the same time. As we walked through the last remaining stand of virgin forest, it was a bitter-sweet experience.  The onslaught of  colonists slashing and burning has now been compounded by the activities of the oil and gas companies, so who knows how much longer this little islet can survive when loggers try to crash in and remove the timber without permission, neighbours encroach as they slash and burn and hunters snare and shoot the animals who have found refuge here.

On the return trip we took the old familiar road through Villa Unión.  No longer any need to manoeuvre the car wheels over two tree trunks.  The oil companies have improved the road and made the whole area much more easily accessible – a mixed blessing surely.

After a shower and a quick bite to eat, I made my way to the main road to wait for the buses travelling from Cochabamba to Santa Cruz which begin to pass after midday.  The second bus had a free seat. The three and a half hour journey to Santa Cruz was smooth since the road surface is much better on this flatter terrain. The only hitch was the Bulo Bulo anti-narcotics checkpoint where all passengers were required to disembark and the policewoman stuck a metal prong into everyone’s baggage (Tough luck if you were carrying fruit to sell in the market!).

Late afternoon found me in Santa Cruz, this relaxed but  dynamic town in the tropical area of Bolivia.

After a short but welcome respite in Santa Cruz it was time to undertake the return journey.  Would it be less gruelling than the outward leg?  I certainly hoped so.

Things did not start off too well.  The plane had not arrived from Buenos Aires so our departure was delayed three and a half hours. As we embarked we were cautioned to go to the transit desk “in case our boarding passes would have to be changed”.  An alarm bell rang but I muffled it.  On arrival in Buenos Aires with only 40 minutes to spare before take-off, a stewardess urged us to hurry to gate 11.  However, I decided to go to Transit just in case.  The girl there knew nothing of what was to happen to us except that our flight had been cancelled.  Eventually another member of ground personnel arrived with a list.  I was lucky.  I was to travel on the flight due to leave at 11.30pm.  Other passengers were not so lucky.  Some were sent to Rome and others simply had to wait.

I made my way to Gate 11.  It was impossible to get near the gate and in the lounge a veritable revolution was in progress.  Hundreds of passengers were milling around, standing on the seats, screaming their heads off, whistling and generally making their disaffection abundantly clear.  The airline staff were huddled behind their desk for protection. Two earlier flights had also been cancelled and the long-suffering passengers were making a last-ditch stand to get home. At last those of us who had been issued with boarding passes were allowed to board the plane which took off on time.

The remainder of the journey was uneventful except for the fact that I was suffering from a tummy upset and shortly after take-off all but one of the toilets was declared out of order!!!

The inevitable did happen. When I reached Málaga there was no sign of my suitcase.  I filed a claim and waited. In the end I found out where the holding store was and this morning, three days later, Robert had to go and collect the case as he needed it to return to Damascus.

So, the moral of the story is NEVER FLY AEROLINEAS ARGENTINAS.

March 2006

Thanks to Ms. Nancy Anjouk

2005-11-24T15:21:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Ms Nancy Anjouk

2005-11-24T15:20:00.000+01:00

Ms. Nancy Anjouk is our youngest sponsor. We would like to thank Nancy for her great interest and special generosity. As she lives in Damascus, Syria, we think Nancy is also our most exotic sponsor!!

Prize Draw

2005-09-15T17:35:00.000+02:00

The interview on REM radio, Marbella, was a success. Those who sponsored Sarah’s swim with €10 or over were entitled to be included in a draw for an alternative therapy treatment offered by Lori Hillman, the director of the Life Medico Resort at the Kempioski Hotel in Estepona. Mary Harboe of REM Radio carried out the draw, and the winner is Mr. Alan Ecott of Estepona. The prize comprises:

A diagnosis according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) plus

The winner may choose one of the following treatments;

Ayurvedic massage

Tai Yoga Massage

Reflexology

Seikhem Reiki Treatment

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Consultation

Radio Interview

2005-09-06T13:36:00.000+02:00

On Thursday September 15th at 3 p.m. Sarah & I will be taking part in a radio interview with Mary Harboe on the English language radio station REM in Marbella to report on Sarah's swim.

Follow-up Visit

2005-09-06T12:36:00.000+02:00

On September 9th Hala will be returning to Bolivia to cary out follow-up visits with the patients she saw in February and also to make a first visit to Chaki Kh'ocha to assess the situation in that community up on the puna.

Made it!!!

2005-08-29T17:54:00.000+02:00

Made it!

2005-08-29T17:51:00.000+02:00

Almost there!

Sarah's feat

2005-08-29T09:23:00.000+02:00

WELL DONE, SARAH!!!

As you all know, Sarah Higgins, one of our sponsors, took upon herself the amazing feat of swimming the 9km. from the Port at Estepona to Duquesa Port. Sarah is a very fit young woman. She trained as a ballet dancer and has kept fit throughout the childhood of her two children, Emma and Jack, by practising all kinds of outdoors sports. However, she only took up swimming seriously after coming to live in Spain. One of her original motivations was medical. Some years ago she was told that she had a slight problem with one of the valves in her heart and that at the age of 40 she would probably have to have an operation to replace it. Determination not to have to undergo such an operation is what prompted Sarah’s initial training.

However, in February this year, when she received a letter from her sponsored child, she was so touched by the simple letter that she decided to try and put her training efforts to some practical use by trying to raise funds for the project in Bolivia.

Sarah started training in May with a view to doing her swim towards the end of August. Things looked distinctly unpromising throughout most of the summer as the westerly “poniente” wind blew relentlessly. The characteristic of the “poniente” is that it skims off the warm upper layer of water leaving very cold water behind which makes prolonged immersion almost impossible. Another hazard this summer were the jelly fish, and Sarah has a number of stings to show for her efforts.

However, last Tuesday evening (August 23rd.) Sarah called to say that she was aiming to make her bid the following day. We had had almost a week of the easterly “levante” which warms up the water, but the forecast was that the wind would change once again on Thursday so this might be the last chance before the end of the month. It had been decided that, if the swim had not been done by August 31st., Sarah would do the equivalent distance in the swimming pool, but 300 lengths was not a very attractive proposition, so Sarah was anxious to take advantage of this opportunity.

She left Estepona at 11am accompanied (in a canoe) by her husband, Ben. Four hours later Sarah reached Duquesa Port. The local television cameras were there to record her arrival and interview her. Conditions had not matched the forecast. The tide was not too favourable and there had been large pockets of extremely cold water along the way, but she made it and arrived in excellent condition. The main complaints were cold and ravenous hunger so we made a bee-line for the beach bar where she was able to fill an empty spot. Her parents were also on hand with a bottle of champagne to celebrate her feat.

The total proceeds of sponsorship have not been counted as some sheets have still to come in from a number of locations but it looks as though the final figure might be around €300 which are a very welcome boost for the project. We got considerable press coverage with radio interviews on the Marbella English language broadcast and local Manilva radio. TV interviews were broadcast by Marbella TV, Estepona Estival TV and Manilva TV, so one never knows what fruits this coverage might bear over the coming months.

In any case, I am sure you will all join with me in congratulating Sarah on her tremendous achievement! Thanks must also go to Ben, Sarah’s husband, who has encouraged and supported her throughout her training, and accompanied her rowing in his canoe while she did her swim. His rowing is no mean achievement either! Thanks to you both.

A New Channel of Communication

2005-08-28T22:28:00.000+02:00

This new blogspot should allow me to keep you posted on new developments in the project in Bolivia more easily than through the web site.