uchumachi

claudia carrizales

2011-12-17T09:26:00.001-04:00

How do you measure the impact that education has on someone's life? And how do you determine the impact of that person's life and work on the lives of other people?

Though I'm unable to quantify it, the transformative power of education is evident in the hundreds of stories I hear from UAC-CP graduates who are living out the mission of the College. Last week, for example, I met with UAC-CP Nursing graduate Claudia Carrizales and listened to her talk about her work with SEDES (Bolivia's health service program). Education, I quickly found myself thinking, is what allowed Claudia to make something of her life--and improve the livelihood of literally thousands of people in Bolivia.

With her degree in Nursing, Claudia Carrizales is helping thousands of people in Bolivia to be disease-free.

Just four years after defending her thesis and graduating from the College, Claudia now manages a vaccination program financed by the Bolivian Ministry of Health (known by the spanish acronym PAI), which is responsible for the free distribution of vaccines. Specifically, Claudia is charged with managing the vaccination program for the entire population living in El Alto--approximately one million people (many who have migrated to the city from the countryside) in an area perched on the high plain just above La Paz, Bolivia's capital city.

"My job," Claudia explained to me one day a couple weeks ago when I was finally able to track her down, "is to help prevent diseases that, in some cases, can cause very severe health care problems or even death." Her team of health professionals that she supervises, which is based at 74 health posts throughout El Alto, both administer vaccines and educate people about the importance of vaccines.

"One of our goals for this year," Claudia offered as an example, "is to vaccinate 86,000 children between the ages of 1 and 6-years-old." She said that is actually about 80-85% of the child population. It's difficult, she said, to track down all the children of people who are very mobile (many travel often for work). There are also some parents who are scared of vaccines and prefer to treat illness and disease once it strikes by seeking treatment from traditional medical doctors. Claudia said her job is to teach people about prevention, to help people make the best decisions regarding their health care and that of their children. (The Bolivian government has also started offering cash bonus incentives for parents who vaccinate their children--a program that Claudia has mixed feelings about.)

"I'm proud that I am able to put into practice the things that I learned from the College--in my work and my personal life," Claudia told me. She pointed specifically to her practical experience during her second year of studies at the UAC-CP when she was part of the public health team--serving the community of Trinidad Pampa, located just over the ridge (1 hour walk) from Carmen Pampa.

Her work and responsibilities require a high level of dedication and commitment, Claudia admitted. And this is without mention of her additional roles as mother and student--Claudia is the mother of two children and she is completing her master's degree in health care administration. She credits her husband, UAC-CP Agronomy graduate Victor Hugo, for his support.

Originally from the town of Apolo--a rural, cowboy-type community located more than 15 hours from La Paz by bus--Claudia and her two older siblings (also UAC-CP graduates) were orphaned at a young age and moved to Carmen Pampa to attend the boarding high school. After graduation from high school, a penniless Claudia was offered a scholarship to study at the College--an opportunity that she gratefully accepted.

"If I hadn't had the opportunity to study in Carmen Pampa?" she pondered the question before she answered. "I have no idea how my life would have turned out. But I do know that the College has been a blessing in my life and thanks to the UAC-CP I am where I am--a registered nurse, helping to serve my people. I will always be grateful to the people who dedicated themselves to helping me."

grateful to volunteers

2011-12-12T10:16:00.003-04:00

Every year the small community of Carmen Pampa welcomes people from all over the world (and of all ages, abilities, politics, and religious creeds) to join the work of implementing the mission of the UAC-CP: to provide higher education to young women and men from Bolivia's most marginalized populations so that they, in turn, can become agents of change for positive development in one of the poorest areas of Latin America.

Kathryn Fuller, a 2011 graduate of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn., taught English to second-year Ecotourism students.

In exchange for room and board in the Volunteer House, UAC-CP volunteers (or Professional Visitors, as we prefer them to be called), work as full-time faculty members in the Language Department. Their duties include (but are not limited to): teaching English class, managing the language lab, facilitating English Club, participating in English Table, offering training workshops for English teachers at local high schools, and organizing an English Fair.

In addition to all of their official work duties, Professional Visitors also become a part of daily life at the College. They participate in staff meetings, retreats, and cultural events. They are also invited to volunteer with other projects--the children's library, the food cooperatives, the coffee plant, grant writing, etc. And, perhaps most importantly, most Professional Visitors live together in the Guest House--where they serve as ambassadors, of sorts, to welcome and provide hospitality to guests at the College.

As the semester comes to an end and our II-2011 Professional Visitors prepare for their departure, we are particularly thankful for Kathryn Fuller, David Berry, and Danielle Lang (who also volunteered at the UAC-CP in 2006). Like all Professional Visitors who have come before them, these three people worked tirelessly; they invested themselves wholeheartedly in the lives and education of UAC-CP students. Because of limited funds and a very tight budget, the Language Department would truly not be possible without the support of dedicated volunteers like David, Kate, and Danielle. In fact, their ability to work with limited resources speaks highly of their patience and their ability to adapt to challenging circumstances. We are grateful for their service. (Hye-Jung Park made a video to honor their work, which you can view here.)

And, in return, I expect David, Kate, and Danielle are grateful for the friendships they formed with their students, their fellow Bolivian staff and faculty members, and the community members of Carmen Pampa. I suspect that, whether or not they maintain these friendships for many years, they will be people and experiences that stay close to their hearts for a lifetime.

If you or someone you know is interested in making a minimum 6 month commitment to teach English at the UAC-CP, please visit Carmen Pampa Fund's website for more information. We are always looking for hard-working people with a sense of adventure, good humor, and patience to be a part of our life-changing work.

Many thanks to the Foldcraft Foundation of Minnesota for helping to fund the development of an orientation program for English teachers at College.

alejandro mamani

2011-12-08T08:52:00.002-04:00

A couple weeks ago, Carmen Pampa Fund sent out its 2011 Annual Appeal letter to sustaining donors in the mail. The letter featured UAC-CP Agronomy student Alejandro Mamani, a 22-year-old visionary and leaders who is currently in his last semester of studies at the College. He hopes to finish his thesis and graduate from the College by the end of 2012.

His life story is pretty typical for a student at the UAC-CP. Like most of his classmates, his is the story of a young person who, despite great odds and many challenges, is studying at the college level--a great achievement for any person, but a particularly huge milestone for a young person from Bolivia.

"What does it mean for a young person from Bolivia with scare resources to have a college degree?" Alejandro said, repeating the question I posed to him. "It's a huge significance. It's the door of success for one's family--for the family and for that young person." Alejandro continued, "Me, for example, I am the hope for my family. In my family, they tell me that and I believe that. I am studying at college so that we never have to experience the things that we have lived through again. I think that is what it means for a young person--the doors open and provide a new, distinct future."

Alejandro pictured with UAC-CP Vice Director Hugh Smeltekop was chosen to participate in the U.S. State Department's Winter Institute for Young Indigenous Leaders Program in the U.S. in 2012.

Alejanrdro was born in 1989 in a small town in Bolivia's barren altiplano. His mother, just 17-years-old, was an orphan who grew up living with a family who fed and sheltered her in exchange for her work as a sheep herder (but prohibited her from studying in school). Alejandro has never known his father--who left the family before Alejandro was born.

Alejandro's life seemed destined to be a lot like his mother's, but when he was 6-years-old, his mother moved them to El Alto, a poor, but rapidly growing city poor perched above La Paz on the high plain. "My mom felt that moving to the city was the best chance I had for a better life--better than the very sad life she had."

In El Alto, his mother met a construction worker who would become Alejandro's step-father. Together, they all lived in a small, simple room with a dirty floor and one straw mattress. While his step-father worked, his mother stayed at home with her children (Alejandro has two younger half-siblings). "My mom didn't really get out much--she wasn't really familiar with the city and it was intimidating. She was willing to work and did some cleaning jobs, but was mostly expected to be at home and had to wait for my step-father to give her money." There were many times, he admitted, when food was scarce and his mother's tears were frequent.

But his mother made sure that Alejandro had opportunities that she never had--like access to education. Once they moved to the city Alejandro started his educational career. Though not without its challenges. "I was teased a lot because I was tall...and because I was from the countryside, kids knew I was different." He also wasn't able to participate in the snack time during recess because his mother could only afford to give him 10 cents, which didn't buy much of anything.

The challenges never deterred Alejandro--perhaps because his mother wouldn't allow that to happen. "She would say, 'I don't care if there is nothing to eat. You will study,'" Alejandro recalled. "She would always tell me crying: 'Do you want to live like me? Do you want to have this life?"' Alejandro's answer is what kept him in school: 'no.'

Little by little, the family's economic situation improved. Eventually, his mother and stepfather separated and his mom started to work. Since 2005 she has kept the same job working as a cleaning person at the UPEA (the university in El Alto). As she made more money (approximately $200/month), she was able to provide more for her family.

Alejandro also started working to help support his mother and his younger siblings. Since the age of 14 he has worked for privately owned buses calling out neighborhood names to passengers and collecting bus fares. "I worked every weekend," he said, "I would get up at 5am and I would get home around 7pm. In total, I earned about 60-80 Bs. for whole weekend [approximately $10 US]." It's a job he kept throughout his time at the College--working in El Alto during summer and winter breaks.

In 2007 when he graduated from high school, he wasn't sure what to do with his life. He had his hopes set on entering the military--but he couldn't afford the fees. His mother encouraged him to go to college--though she hadn't considered he would go as far away as the Yungas, which is a solid 4-5 hour trip from the El Alto.

"I wanted to pursue my goal of being a professional. Before, in high school, someone had told me about the UAC model and it sounded like the right option for me," he said. Four years later, he remembers when he first came to Carmen Pampa to register for classes at the College. "The secretary at the time told me that there were scholarships--and that is something that really spoke to me. I decided in that moment that this was the place for me; a place where I could make it."

Though his mom was worried about costs, Alejandro said between his mother's support and his weekend work in coca fields, he has been able to cover the subsidized costs. And then two years ago he was awarded a scholarship, which has allowed him to really focus on his studies and have the money necessary to pay for additional things like: school supplies and bus fare. The scholarship, he said, has allowed him to stay in school and stay on track.

His goal? Alejandro says he will achieve the dream of changing the future for his family...and his own life. "Thanks to the College for opening the doors to me--everything it's offered to me--I am going to change!" He said that in a few years from now when he is "making decent money" he looks forward to the giving back to the UAC-CP. "I'd like to look for a young person like me who I could help sponsor--you know, someone like me. My goal is that within three years from now, I'll be helping other people like me to study."

He also hopes to help other people living in the rural area by providing them with technical assistance necessary to improve their own lives. "I'm here [at the College] so that I can learn how to teach people how we can improve lives--through better agricultural systems and practices." Though he spent most of his short life in the city, he wants to live in Bolivia's rural area.

"The situation that life has presented me has only given me more desire to keep going; more desire to survive and be successful in the future. I'm most grateful to my mother for making me keep my promise to be the future for our family. And I'm grateful to the College for giving me the opportunity to be something in my life."

gracias...for giving to the max

2011-11-18T19:34:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, November 16th, Carmen Pampa Fund participated in the third-annual Give to the Max Day--a special, 24-hour period to raise funds online to help support the College.

This year, thanks to 115 people who made donations and a special bonus gift of $5,000--CPF raised nearly $20,000 in just one day. We are thrilled that 42% of the people who participated are former UAC-CP visitors or volunteers.

Throughout the day many people provided words of encouragement and their own testimonials explaining why they Give to the Max. The following are just a few examples (more can be found on our Facebook page):

"To paraphrase Ghandi: 'UAC-CP students embody the change I want to see in this world." -Karen Ohmans, 2006 UAC-CP volunteer

"Our dollars go a long way at the UAC-CP, where opportunities are created and miracles witnessed every single day! I can't imagine a better investment. I am honored to be a small part of this ongoing success story." -Sue Wheeler, former Executive Director of CPF

"During my visits to the UAC-CP I have been so impressed with the dedication shown by its students, faculty, and staff. This is one of the best examples of doing things the right way, and I am proud to be a small part of the effort." Norman O'Braaten, former UAC-CP visitor

"Over 7 years, I've witnessed the personal and professional development of hundreds of UAC-CP students. This university changes lives, including my own." -Mary Murphy, regular UAC-CP volunteer

"This is probably the most important charitable donation I make. I look forward to it every year. You do great work." Adrian Pullen, donor.

Think you missed your chance to Give to the Max? Think again! Donations are accepted year-round (just no matching bonus!). Please visit: www.razoo.com/story/Carmen-Pampa-Fund to learn how you can help.

scholarships. scholarships. scholarships.

2011-10-24T18:19:00.000-04:00

Twice a year, CPF publishes the Scholarship Partners Newsletter. It's a simple (read: short!), but effective way to keep our scholarship donors connected to the students who benefit from people's amazing generosity*.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I believe scholarships are the single most effective way to help students stay in school, study, graduate, and become effective members of not just their home communities, but the global world. The stories of our graduates and former students explicitly tell us this.

It's also important to tell the stories of current students who receive scholarships--the fortunate and chosen few (I'll be blunt: the more $$ we have, the more scholarships we can give!) who have dreams that, because of education, are within their reach. Incredible stories of young people who, despite amazing odds, are making change happen.

So, without further ado: I share the Fall 2011 Scholarship Partners Newsletter, which is now available online for everyone to read.

*You can be generous at any level! $10, $15, $25... Be a part of the change, make a gift to CPF's Scholarship Partners Fund.

lucia cuno

2011-10-20T12:05:00.002-04:00

I'm not convinced that there are many things that can change your destiny when you're born into poverty. Except, of course, for education. And I think Lucia Cuno, a 2010 graduate of the UAC-CP Education Program, is an example of that.

In 1982, Lucia was the first of four children born into the Cuno family--a family which she describes as very poor with few economic resources ("We live hand to mouth," she said). Her mother sells small items like juice and popcorn and candies outside the local school where Lucia and her three younger siblings have all studied. Her father is a farmer and, at times, is employed as a construction worker in their hometown of Guanay--located approximately nine hours from Bolivia's capital city of La Paz (by way of a narrow, dusty road that twists and turns through the mountains of the Yungas).

Lucia's life may not have turned out too different from that of her parents had she not had such a desire to be educated. That said, education wasn't easily accessible; she has fought hard each step of the way against social norms and economic hardships to obtain her degrees.

Her father, she explained, was never supportive of her decision to go to school past the 8th grade. "He would say, 'Why bother going to school? You are a woman. You will just end up marrying someone and working at home." But Lucia wasn't willing to accept that as her destiny; and neither was her mother.

"I remember," Lucia said, "that my mom would say she would do anything possible to make sure that I would get an education. She said it didn't matter if we eat stale bread every day--we would somehow find the money to pay for the costs associated with school." Together, in fact, they worked extra hard to make rellenos (a fried pastry or potatoes stuff with a stew-like mixture) and sold them to Lucia's classmates during recess at school.

Their work paid off and Lucia did what many in her family thought was the impossible: she graduated from high school. At that point, many people thought that is where her educational road would end, but she kept on going. Despite fears that the already subsidized tuition would be unaffordable, Lucia registered for classes at the UAC-CP in 2003. With good grades, hard work, and responsible behavior, Lucia was awarded a scholarship at the College--financial assistance for food and tuition and housing that she credits for giving her the chance to study at the college level.

In 2010, Lucia defended her thesis (she did a study about dyslexia in two elementary schools in her hometown) and graduated from the College's Education Department. Since then she has been working full-time as a secretary at the UAC-CP and working her way through a master's degree program in Research Methods. She has also been teaching classes at the UAC-CP and one other university in La Paz. All the while, she has been thinking of how to achieve her ultimate career goal of getting her master's in special education--a field that is relatively unheard of in Bolivia's rural area.

Now, Lucia is one step closer to realizing her dream. Two months ago she was nominated to do a teaching internship at Adams Spanish Immersion School in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Since 2005, Adams School has invited one or two UAC-CP students/graduates to work as teaching assistants and live with a host family.) This morning she boarded a plane for the first time in her 29-year-old life bound for the Twin Cities--where she will embark on a new educational opportunity of teaching in an elementary school and learning English. Hopefully she will also get some practical experience in special education.

In her application to participate in the intern program, Lucia wrote that in order to get where she is today, she has had to overcome a lot of challenges and obstacles (two words, I think, that can't even begin to indicate the significance of her achievements). "All of which," she wrote in her opening paragraph, "taught me that it's possible to get anything in life."

Lucia is a young woman who I admire a great deal. Mostly, I admire her determination in the face of great adversity; I admire her for believing in herself, her unwavering tenacity to never give up, and her ability to see the possibilities of improving life through education. She is also the reason why I believe the UAC-CP is such an incredible place, as it provides young women (and men!) like Lucia with the educational resources necessary to change their destiny.

Agronomy Department Celebrates

2011-10-13T11:16:00.002-04:00

Today the College's Agronomy Department celebrates 18 years of preparing young people to be agronomists--an amazing and inspiring achievement when you consider the College's humble beginnings and challenges that continue to face the small, but growing institution.

Eighteen years ago, there were just 54 students registered at the College, which was only able to give degrees at the technical level. Today, there are more than 750 students registered for classes and thesis work--the vast majority of them (241) study in the Agronomy Department and graduate with the equivalent of an undergraduate degree.

In the past three years, the College has started tracking graduates more closely--paying particular attention to their work and their post-graduate studies. What we have discovered as we follow our graduates is that they are doing really different and amazing things! Examples? Here are just a few:

UAC-CP Agronomy graduate René Villca is the director of FUNDACOM.

Angel Rolando Endara received his PhD from the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México in 2010. He writes: "My time at the UAC-CP was the most beautiful experience of my life. Carmen Pampa taught me to mature as a person and as a professional. I recovered important values at the UAC-CP--for example, the commitment of working for our people and the desire to work in the countryside and for the people of the countryside."

René Villca Huanaco, current master's degree candidate, is the director of FUNDACOM. FUNDACOM is an association of UAC-CP graduates who manage various projects within three municipalities. Their work primarily consists of providing training for farmers in apiculture, building and selling apiculture materials, and processing honey which is then sold to the Bolivian government’s food subsidy program. He says, "If it wasn't for the UAC-CP, I wouldn't have been able to study at the college level. The UAC-CP provided me with the professional and practical training necessary to succeed."

Pamela Rocha Valdivia is currently working on her master's degree at the Universidad Privada Boliviana. Since graduating in 2008 she has worked as a consultant for such organizations as USAID, CARITAS, and the United Nations. She says: "I think the most important thing about the UAC-CP, even apart from living the mission and vision of the College, is putting into practice the life lessons that we take away from our education."

Danitza Ramos Pardo works for a micro-finance lending institution. Danizta writes: "Had I not studied at the College I wouldn't have had the opportunity to know other people, from other places in Bolivia, and I wouldn't have been able to have the opportunity to find work. I'm also grateful for having had the practical experience of working and studying in the rural area."

Aldo Estevez del Villar owns a consulting company and has been studying for a master's degree in conflict resolution and taking English classes. He writes: "The UAC-CP is a home for many youth from the rural area who choose a major to study with the idea of using their education to help benefit the development of the communities from which they come from."

Today, as UAC-CP Agronomy students celebrate the anniversary of their academic department, may they be inspired by those who came before them and are now working and studying (throughout the world!)--inspired by the same mission and vision for improving the quality of life for people.

¡bravo! uac-cp professor desiderio flores

2011-09-01T21:21:00.004-04:00

He may be the smallest UAC-CP faculty member, but he is also known for having one of the biggest smiles. He's the short, happy fellow who calls out "¡Bravo!" while clapping his hands and giving an enthusiastic thumbs up. It's that big character in the little body that we will miss having around the College now that Ing. Desiderio Flores is no longer working on staff at the UAC-CP. Though he will continue to teach once-a-week at the College, yesterday was his last day as a full-time administrator.

Standing in the UAC-CP garden, Desiderio recently gave a tour to a group of visitors from Food First's Food Sovereignty Tours.

It was his work with the International Potato Center (IPC) doing a root and tuber diversity project that first brought Desiderio, an Oruro native, to the Yungas in 1995. With IPC, Desiderio researched and inventoried native roots and tubers, made contributions to the IPC genebank and seed collection, and helped reintroduce the crops to community members. This work, he recalled, gave him the opportunity to work directly with subsistence farmers. He says his proudest professional accomplishments have been his work with local communities, helping people understand the economic, nutritional and cultural value of native crops.

"One of the most important things this worked allowed me to do was to help the campesina women improve their self-esteem," Desiderio explained. "Women learned that they have the ability to make a respectable living and at the same time value the culture they come from." People, he explained, were embarrassed to serve or eat food that was once associated with being poor farmers. But his work changed those stereotypes and helped bring back traditional and nutritional foods native to the area (such as racacha). [Desiderio is so well known for his love of racacha that students affectionately call him Ing. Racacha. And when I last talked to him in his office this week, he sent me on my way with five different recipe cards for racacha-based dishes.]

In July 1999, Desidero was invited by Sr. Damon Nolan and Ing. Oscar Peña to teach Botany at the College. He also started teaching the Roots and Tubers class at the UAC-CP--a class that he proudly introduced. In addition to teaching, Desidero took on administrative responsibilities. Most recently he worked as coordinator of the College's organic gardens and, this past year, the coffee plant.

"Here, I learned what it means to work," he said. "And to work not with the intention of making a lot of money, but of providing a benefit, a service, to the poor." That, he says, is one of the many things the the UAC-CP taught him. "To work here at the College, to share in the lives of young people who come to the College with the desire to learn and the hope to change the course of their future...that is why I ended up staying in the Yungas for so long."

Desiderio talks with visitors from a university in Peru about the UAC-CP's organic vegetable production.

He believes, he said, in the mission of the UAC-CP to help develop young professionals committed to the development of Bolivia--particularly with regard to agricultural development. "Bolivia is rich with agricultural diversity," Desiderio explained, "our job as agronomists is to help discover those riches and make sure that we use it for the benefit of the future of our country." He is particularly interested in Bolivians developing a genebank that assists with the identification and collection of plants native to the country. Even just here in the Yungas, Desiderio said, there is an immense variety of resources and a lot of work to be done in terms of genetic identification and protection.

"You have no idea how much I will miss this place--my colleagues, the friends I've met from all over the world, and more than anything, the young people. This college is different than any other institution of higher education, and it's been a pleasure to have been such an integral part of the work here. But we all need new challenges in life, and that is where I am at right now."

Desiderio participated in the annual Intercarreras festival at the College. He's pictured in the costume for the Morenada dance.

Desidero, who will continue to teach at the UAC-CP once-a-week through the end of the current semester, ultimately decided to leave the College so he could spend more time with his family. Like many UAC-CP administrators and faculty, Desiderio has made a personal sacrifice to live and work in Carmen Pampa. With two daughters still living at home, he has traveled approximately 18-hours round-trip to his home in Oruro nearly every other weekend. His decision to be at home more full-time also coincides with the recent birth of his first grandchild.

Though he is ready to move on, goodbyes at the College have been difficult. "I'm thankful for having known all of the people I met during my time at the UAC-CP. I hope the College continues to thrive with the support of people working for the common good of our country and the future of young people."

Ing. Racacha's wisdom and friendship--and insanely infectious infatuation of Andean roots and tubers--will be dearly missed. But we're grateful for the service he has provided and the guidance he will continue to offer as a UAC-CP professor. In his own words: "Bravo!"

bringing us joy

2011-08-15T17:53:00.001-04:00

"Today brings us much joy!" UAC-CP president Msgr. Juan Vargas told students, faculty, and family and friends gathered last Friday for the 2011 Nursing Department graduation. Bishop Vargas explained that it's a notable moment when the College community can celebrate the acheivements of UAC-CP graduates. "Today," he said, "we are proud that you will now go out and serve the people of Bolivia in the spirit of the mission of the College."

UAC-CP Nursing graduate Sonia Soto Silicuani is pictured with her parents following the graduation ceremony in Carmen Pampa last Friday.

Last Friday was one of the moments when we are reminded of why we are here, when we can see and celebrate the fruits of our labor. Sitting in the front row of the church, my camera in hand, I watched as young men and women from the Nursing Department received their pins (and, for the women, their caps). For me, it was a particularly proud moment, as most of the graduates I recognized as first year students from my time at the College as a volunteer eight years ago.

With tears in his eyes, graduate Paulino Siquita Ramos hugs a well-wisher following graduation ceremonies for the UAC-CP Nursing Department.

Like any other graduation ceremony, several different representatives of the College and the Nursing Department spoke about the significance of what it means to be a graduate of the UAC-CP. "We expect that you will go out and serve your people," Bishop Vargas reminded graduates. "Never forget that being a nurse isn't just about administering medicine. It's also about service--treating people with dignity and respect. In fact," he added, "that will be perhaps one of the most important parts of your work."

Nursing graduate Paulino Siquita Ramos (pictured above) spoke on behalf of the graduating class. "First, I thank God; I thank God for having given the idea to start a college for young people who have no other options to go to college. And," he continued, "I thank Sr. Damon for her initiative to make this idea a reality." He went on to thank all the people who made that moment, of graduating from college, possible for him and his classmates. He remembered UAC-CP faculty and staff, classmates, volunteers, and donors. And, in particular, he asked the crowd for a round of applause to thank the families of UAC-CP students. The church erupted with joy.

2 de agosto: remembering the role of education past and present

2011-08-02T13:09:00.000-04:00

Every year on the second day of August, children, adults, and the elderly from about six neighboring communities all gather in the village of Carmen Pampa to celebrate the "día del campesino." It is a day recognized exclusively in Bolivia's rural area that pays tribute to the agrarian reform that occurred nearly 60 years ago as a result of revolutions by indigenous people demanding equal rights and access to things, such as education.

Today, community leader Gregorio Chamiso spoke to a courtyard full of people at the local K-12 high school. Wearing a royal blue shirt and a sash the colors of the Bolivian flag, Don Gregorio talked about the significance of this day within the context of indigenous heritage. He also talked about the important role of education in the history of the local communities and reminded people that it is education that promises young people a better future.

Don Gregorio Chamiso, graduate of San Francisco Xavier High School in Carmen Pampa and father of three children, is an advocate of education.

"Today," Don Gregorio said, "isn't just about August 2nd. More than anything, today is about our continued struggle to ensure education for our children, so that they can have a better future. Because education is what sparks development and prosperity."

After his talk, I thanked him for his inspiring words. He asked that I make sure his sentiments of gratitude and respect reached UAC-CP founder Sr. Damon Nolan, who Greogorio mentioned in his speech and recognized for her role in bringing quality education to rural Bolivia.

Carmen Pampa community members march for the 2 de agosto celebration.

Some of the youngest members of Carmen Pampa share an ice cream cone as they wait their turn to march.

School children and community members from neighboring communities stand at attention as they sing the Bolivian national anthem.

pictures and talking points

2011-07-30T11:29:00.001-04:00

With approximately 750 students; five different academic areas (plus post-graduate degrees); and programs in social service extension, research, production, and leadership formation, there is always a lot happening at the College in Carmen Pampa.

Learn about some of the things happening at the College by watching this video, which features facts and photos detailing the work of Carmen Pampa Fund and the UAC-CP.

too many funerals

2011-07-28T07:17:00.004-04:00

Considering the relatively small size of our community and UAC-CP familia, I attend far too many funerals. I hear the sound of too many nails pounded into coffins. I feel the deep sobs of too many friends and family members in mourning. I see the lives of so many promising young men and women lost.

Today our UAC-CP family said goodbye to another student--a young woman who arrived to the Pre-University Program last February with hopes of following in her older sisters' footsteps of studying at the College. Natalie Cutili, who died from complications of Tuberculosis last night at her family's home, was laid to rest today in the Coroico cemetery surrounded by her family, people from her community, and her friends and classmates from the UAC-CP.

As much as I'd like to say it was "a beautiful ceremony" or "the perfect tribute to a lovely young woman," I have to say that it was, for me, a disturbing event full of chaos and profound sadness. It was a typical funeral in the countryside--void of any sense of obvious peace or tranquility.

The gate to the Coroico cemetery--a place where I have said goodbye to several students and their family members.

This afternoon as I sat in the cemetery with a couple of colleagues from the College and waited for Natalie's body to arrive in the back of a pickup truck, we collectively recalled the names and situations of other UAC-CP students whose lives were taken prematurely (the most recent, Wilmer Perez, just two weeks ago). Facing her tomb, we easily remembered Brigida Alvarez, a UAC-CP Nursing student who died in 2009. I couldn't help think about the blog entry I wrote for Brigida a little more than two years ago--as we sat in the very same sad situation:

Often the causes of death (for both our students and their family members) reflect that we live in the poor, rural area of a developing country where health care is either lacking or completely unavailable and diseases (like Tuberculosis) essentially eradicated from developed parts of the world still frequently prey on the poor... Part of our mission at the College is to change those frighteningly deadly statistics through education, research, and community extension. But when the very same young people who champion our work fall victim to the things they set out to conquer, it's an especially sharp stab to the heart.

"This happens too often," a UAC-CP co-worker said suddenly yesterday. And, as if to nobody in particular, he talked about the direct relationship most deaths have with poverty. In the end, he said, it all comes down to money--not having enough money to stay in the hospital or to get to better service. "Too many young people lost; too many funerals," he said. I couldn't agree more.

uac-cp faculty: commitment and sacrifice

2011-07-19T20:51:00.001-04:00

Last night, standing in the back of a classroom filled with UAC-CP professors and academic directors, I felt overwhelmed with both admiration and gratitude for the people who are responsible for carrying out a core part of the mission of the College--"to make higher education available to young people of rural areas and those who who, for whatever reason, are marginalized from the possibility to pursue such studies."

While I have often shared the inspiring stories of our students, last night I was reminded of the incredible stories of UAC-CP professors. They are professional men and women (mostly Bolivians) who go great distances (both literally and figuratively) to make higher education possible for young men and women studying at Carmen Pampa.

Dr. Hugh Smeltekop, Vice Director of the UAC-CP, and Dr. Martin Morales, Director of the Veterinary Science Department, talk to a group of professors during an orientation session for the upcoming semester.

Dr. Manuel Loza, who has taught classes like chemistry and microbiology at the College since day one, told the group of professors gathered last night that teaching in Carmen Pampa is a vocation--a calling to help serve Bolivia's rural area and contribute to its positive development.

Dr. Loza recalled life at the College nearly two decades ago and compared it to how things are today. He told stories of traveling in giant camiones (large trucks often used to transport animals or products in bulk) down the World's Most Dangerous Road. He said he and other professors would arrive at the College for their weekly classes covered in mud, dirty and tired from a long ride. Dr. Loza also remembered that classrooms were ill-equipped--unlike today, there were no projectors or DVD players or televisions to use in the classroom. All that, he said, has changed, but the mission and vision of the institution has not.

Dr. Manuel Loza has taught chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, etc., at the UAC-CP for 18 years.

"I love going to Carmen Pampa," Dr. Loza told the group more than once, explaining that it's because of the students' desire to learn that has kept him going back to Carmen Pampa once-a-week for nearly 20 years. He also noted that last night was a milestone for him, as sitting in the room was Dr. Claudia Cerruto, one of Dr. Loza's first students at the UAC-CP who received her PhD in May from Oklahoma State University and is now back to teach in the College's Veterinary Science Department.

Dr. Loza is one of about 90 professors who contribute to the success of the College. Because of the College's location in the rural Nor Yungas, professors usually make the 7-8 hour round-trip commute from Bolivia's capital city of La Paz to teach in Carmen Pampa once a week. While the College pays teachers fair wages, professors obviously do not work at the UAC-CP for the money. They are people willing to be challenged in exchange

Last night, two words stuck out for me. They were two words that people kept repeating when they stood up to introduce themselves and talk about their work at the UAC-CP. The words were "compromiso" and "sacrificio." Commitment and sacrifice. I believe they are two words that adequately describe the people who are responsible for making higher education available to Bolivia's most marginalized populations. They are the characteristics of our dedicated faculty and staff that keep them coming back to teach at the College.

la fiesta de ayni

2011-05-08T15:24:00.002-04:00

In the spirit of Ayni--the indigenous Aymaran practice of working together for the common good of everyone--Carmen Pampa Fund is hosting its 3rd-annual La Fiesta de Ayni.

La Fiesta de Ayni provides people who have long been involved in the success of the College the opportunity to reunite and learn about changes, achievements, and challenges in Carmen Pampa. The event also introduces the mission and vision of the College to people who are unfamiliar with Carmen Pampa Fund's work. (Like, for instance, this five minute minute video from the first La Fiesta de Ayni.)

This year special invited guests direct from the College in Bolivia include UAC-CP Vice Director Dr. Hugh Smeltekop with several UAC-CP students and graduates. Please join them in celebrating Carmen Pampa Fund's work to support the common good at the College in Carmen Pampa.

The event will be held June 23rd, at 6pm in the Rauenhorst Ballroom on the 3rd floor of the Coeur de Catherine building at St. Catherine University, St. Paul, Minnesota.

For more information or to RSVP, please call Carmen Pampa Fund's office: 651/641-1588 or email: info@carmenpampafund.org

maría francisca agramont

2011-05-02T18:51:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Sam Steinberger who traveled the narrow, dusty and sometimes treacherous roads of rural Bolivia to interview recipients of CPF's Scholarship Partners Program at their homes during vacation. The following is one of Sam's stories from his journey.
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Of the roughly 600 families in Alcoche and surrounding communities, María Francisca Agramont is one of five young people studying at the UAC-CP. At 21-years-old, she's entering her third year of Agronomy at the College. Her studies are funded with a scholarship from Carmen Pampa Fund.

In the courtyard behind her adobe brick home María tells me of the challenges she's had to overcome in order to study, the poor health of her parents, and the way she envisions helping others with the education she's receiving.

María's decision to study Agronomy is based partially on the vocational orientation as part of her Pre-University course at the College, but mostly on the need she sees in her community. "I live in a rural area and the community always needs, at the very least, somebody who can help out. Some people that live in the communities don't understand very well how we can improve yields." Beyond using her education for others, she adds, "Also, I like it!"

Entering the UAC-CP was a decision based on the assistance available there and the suggestion of a cousin. Word of mouth was what first caught her awareness. "Everyone was always talking about how good the College was, and how economical it was, too." But her parents' health was in decline, so financially, attending the College was nearly impossible. "I couldn't study for financial reasons." she says. Both her parents have spent time in the hospital this year, and as a result her family was unable to plan anything. Her mother continues recovering and her father is better, but still too weak to work. The resources at the UAC-CP offered hope. "I had a cousin studying there and he told me that I could study there; it was affordable. For that reason I arrived to Carmen Pampa and got the scholarship there."

Her story echoes the words of many scholarship recipients: "If I didn't have the scholarship, it'd be pretty tough." Carmen Pampa Fund's Scholarship Partners Program makes it possible for María to study. "It's always a huge help, because every month arrives and if you don't have a scholarship you have to be thinking about paying your tuition, your food. But the scholarship is a great help."

For María, obtaining an education is about giving back. She's exploring thesis topics related to the improvement of soils because she knows that is what her community needs. "For example, "she says, "before...in one hectare we could harvest at least 50 quintales [of rice]. But now, with all the time that's passed, we can only harvest 30." She points out, "The farmers don't understand very well how to properly manage the land." Armed with knowledge of organic, María hopes to improve yields. "Almost nobody around here realizes that earthworms are a benefit for the soil, that they improve the soil."

After completing her studies at the UAC-CP, María plans to eventually return to her community. "My dream has always been to have a company so I can create jobs." She understands that the process will take time, but she doesn't lack motivation. "The field of agronomy should be a big help for other people."

"In order to help others, we should begin with what we're studying. That's why we study. Not just for ourselves, also considering others."

con Bolivia supports UAC-CP scholarship students

2011-04-18T14:38:00.001-04:00

The following UAC-CP student profile was written by Suzanne Dulle, founder and president of con Bolivia. con Bolivia is a 501(c)3 based in the U.S. that raises funds to support education and health care projects in Bolivia like the UAC-CP.

Many thanks to conBolivia for your continued support of student scholarships at the UAC-CP. Also, special thanks to Suzanne and her husband Juan Velasco for the time they have taken to regularly visit the College so that they might better understand and offer support to the overall mission and vision of the College.

...
From a boarding school for children without parents in one of the poorest areas of Bolivia, Potosi, to third year Nursing student at the UAC-CP, Maria's road has been a long and oftentimes difficult one.

Maria was born in the city of Cochabamba and is one of five children. At 8 years of age, she was sent to live at an orphanage in Potosi. There, she excelled in her studies and blossomed into a right and determined woman. However, at the age of 18, Maria was told that she could no longer remain at the boarding school and would have to leave and find her own way in the world.

Maria's response was that she had a deep desire to continue her education at the university level. Her hopes for a better future were conveyed to the small, US-based non-profit, con Bolivia, and they responded by awarding a scholarship for Maria to studying at the UAC-CP. It was a dream come true for Maria!

Even though far from home and missing her extended family very much, Maria is happy in Carmen Pampa. She appreciates the milder temperatures and the beauty of the region, which is in stark contrast to the harsh climate of Potosi.

As she looks forward to the day she will finish her classes and enters into her "practicum," Maria is pragmatic as to where she would like to be located in Bolivia. "Where the opportunity is," she told me, with a glint of determination in her eye.

Today, there seems to be little that can stand between Maria and her long-term goals. When I asked her, "What next?" she hopefully responded, "To continue my studies and to specialize in anesthesiology." Given her straightforward and positive approach to life, I think that Maria will realize that dream.

¡salud¡ international health day

2011-04-07T00:10:00.000-04:00

Today, April 7th, is celebrated world-wide as a day to focus on the topic of health...and health care and the millions of people around the world who continue to suffer from diseases and illnesses long-eradicated in the developed parts of the world.

In Bolivia, health care statistics are grim. Bolivia's child mortality rate (66 per 1,000 live births) is the worst in South America. The maternal mortality rate in the country's rural area is 602 per 100,000. Diarrhea remains the leading cause of death for children under the age of five-years-old (mostly attributed to unsanitary water). Proper nutrition is a significant problem -- the diet of most rural families here in the Yungas, for example, consists primarily of rice, potato, and plantain with very little protein or vegetables. For that reason, experts estimate that 23 percent of people in Bolivia suffer from malnutrition. (Here in the community of Carmen Pampa, I am a witness to undernourished children who are far shorter and smaller than their classmates.)

Nursing student Veronica Quispe spent time working on a Leishmaniasis project at the hospital in La Asunta, a rural mountain town in Bolivia's South Yungas.

Students and staff working on behalf of the UAC-CP's Nursing Department and Public Health program often confront: Tuberculosis, Leishmaniasis, Dengue, Cholera, Rabies, Malaria, Yellow Fever, and Chargas. Though the location of the College in the Yungas mountains means we are free of many insect-carrying disease, we are not immune to them all. We hear stories on a daily basis of students or their family members who are sick.

The good news is that recent changes in Bolivia's health care system have helped to improve access to health care and the frequency with which people use health care service. However, the vast majority of people living in the poor, isolated rural areas--far from hospitals and clinics and well-trained health care providers--remain under-served.

A poster in the hospital in the lowland town of Palos Blancos where UAC-CP Nursing Students had internships reminds people about the risk of dengue.

Despite the the grim statistics and the overwhelming challenges of providing affordable and user-friendly health care to Bolivia's rural population, the College still has reasons to celebrate today. The UAC-CP is helping to improve health care in Bolivia. This year, 175 men and women are registered in the College's Nursing Department--all young people inspired by the mission of the College to educate indigenous youth to provide quality health to people in one of the poorest areas of Latin America.

What many people don't realize about the UAC-CP's unique curriculum, is that students here learn by doing through service. Starting in their second semester of studies, all students in the Nursing Department are required to spend half of their semester working on-site in hospitals and clinics. The Nursing Department, in fact, has agreements with 12 municipalities in the rural area where students are placed during their two-month practicas. Often in exchange for housing and food, students work in hospitals and public health clinics--they gain real-life, professional experience and provide important health care services to people who might otherwise go without.

The College's Public Health team takes the show on the road: nurse Micaela Soliz and student Alcira Pacajes do a general health check of little boy in a neighboring community.

The College also finances, in large part, the Carmen Pampa Health Post. The UAC-CP's health team: Dr. Wendy Maida and Micaela Soliz (UAC-CP '08) work full-time for the College and attend to 13 communities in the valley (plus the College, local K-12 boarding school, and nearby school in the community of San Pablo). In 2010, they reported attending to 1,574 health consultations and provided 560 vaccines. They also work to implement a Bolivian government program that ensures free access to health care for pregnant women and children up to 5-years-old. In addition, they provide public talks about such things as waste treatment, hygiene, and oral health.

So today, as we remember people throughout the world who are not so fortunate to have access to quality health care, I "salud" the UAC-CP's Nursing Department for its active work to educate young professionals from Bolivia's rural area to be the solution for their country's grim health care statistics.

SOURCES:

[1] World Bank. 2007. “Bolivia at a Glance.” 6/4/2009. Available at: http://devdata.worldbank.org/AAG/bol_aag.pdf

[2] Richter, Kathleen. “Reduction of Maternal Mortality Rates in Bolivia.” Prospect: Journal of International Affairs at UCSD. May 2009. Available at: http://prospectjournal.ucsd.edu/index.php/2009/05/reduction-of-maternal-morality-rates-in-bolivia/

international women's day

2011-03-08T05:02:00.022-04:00

Today, International Women's Day, I think it's important to recognize the College's role in the promotion and liberation of women through education. Here, in one of the poorest areas of Latin America, the UAC-CP is dedicated to the social and economic success of both men and women.

Ecotourism students take an English exam.

When UAC-CP founder Sr. Damon Nolan first arrived to Carmen Pampa in the early 1980s, she was appalled at the unequal and limited educational opportunities for girls and women. There were no women studying at the local high school. So, her first step was to convince fathers to let their daughters study. Her first year she succeeded in getting four young women ("Bathrooms," Sr. Damon admits, "were a challenge!")

When the idea of the College came to fruition, Sr. Damon made sure it was understood that it would be an institution of higher learning for men and women to receive equal opportunities. Now, 28 years after girls were first admitted to the local high school and 17 years after the founding of the College, we are thrilled that more than half of the College's study body is composed of women. In fact, 52 percent of UAC-CP graduates are women--many of whom have gone on to continuing studies (two female UAC-CP graduates are currently doctoral candidates).

Veterinary Science students work in the lab.

To celebrate the extraordinary achievement of the College, Carmen Pampa Fund is providing the opportunity to honor inspiring women in our lives with a donation to the Fund. Each woman you honor with a tribute gift of $25 or more will receive a special handwritten card this month of March (Women´s Month) from a female UAC-CP student whose life has been transformed through education.

Women in the College´s Pre-University Program dressed in traditional costumes to dance the Tink'u.

Help us celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day and recognize the success of the College to promote women. Please consider honoring an inspiring woman in your life by making a gift to Carmen Pampa Fund. Your gift will help support scholarships for students and teacher and administrative salaries for women who work at the College. Women honored with a gift of $25 or more will receive a special note from a female student at the UAC-CP. Click here to make your gift!

scholarship update

2011-03-02T18:18:00.002-04:00

I truly believe that the most effective way to help students at the UAC-CP achieve success is by donating to Carmen Pampa Fund's Scholarship Partners Program. And the results of our graduate survey indicates this--the overwhelming majority of UAC-CP graduates had scholarships. Scholarships allow students to study, graduate, and incorporate the mission of the College into their professional and personal lives.

Agronomy student Genia Santander Agramont (far right) pictured with her family is a recipient of a scholarship from Carmen Pampa Fund's Scholarship Partners Program.

Unfortunately, due to funding cuts from several partner programs, the College is only able to provide 1 out of 10 students with some type of financial assistance. Though I like to think that we make it possible for everyone to study here, I sadly know some young people have dropped out of school based on purely financial reasons. In fact, it happened today.

The current CPF Scholarship Partners Program newsletter for Winter 2011 features two short profiles of UAC-CP students Ruber and Amparo, who are both examples of how a scholarships transform lives. You can read their stories here online.

Many thanks to the people who donate to the Scholarship Partners Program--may you know the miracles you make happen.

testify! ...for a new website

2011-02-07T13:13:00.004-04:00

Carmen Pampa Fund has the opportunity to participate in The Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge on March 26th and 27th. It's a 24-hour challenge for web pros to build websites for Minnesota-based non-profits who could use a facelift.

Carmen Pampa Fund wants to be part of this challenge...but we need your help, we need your testimonials (part of the selection for participating non-profits is based on testimonials).

Please take just dos minutos to visit: http://tc2011.overnightwebsitechallenge.com/nonprofits/27 and leave a brief message about why Carmen Pampa Fund deserves a full day at the website spa.

Already several people have shared beautiful messages. The following are two special messages from former volunteers Chris DeLorenzo (2010) and Anne McGinness (2004). To read other peoples' testimonies, you'll have to visit the site!

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"Carmen Pampa's story needs to be told. Education in the global South is an often-overlooked but absolutely essential area of international development. The marginalized classes of the developing world need professionals and leaders from among their ranks. As a volunteer teacher at the UAC-CP last semester, I have seen the profound impact this institution has had on its small corner of Bolivia. I have worked day-to-day with students determined to return to their villages as professionals and agents of change, and I have visited communities where graduates are promoting very real and practical development. Carmen Pampa is truly an exceptional place.

Yet it still has many critical needs. The College is perpetually running on limited funds, struggling to keep the lights on and the copy machines running. Finding qualified professors, particularly for the English program, can be very challenging due to the university's limited visibility in Bolivia and internationally. A new, dynamic and attention-grabbing website would go a long way in remedying these shortcomings. My students certainly deserve it." --Chris DeLorenzo

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"I was a volunteer at the UAC for a year in 2004. The experience changed my life. Sr. Damon [UAC-CP founder], the administration, teachers, and students work every day toward fulfilling the dream upon which the school was founded: to provide education to those who would not normally have access to education, so that the students might give back to their communities the skills they learned in pedagogy, veterinary science, agriculture, nursing, and tourism.

This is an institution that works every day to eliminate poverty. Inspired by the Greek word, metanoia, the community at Carmen Pampa works daily toward a conversion, a complete reorientation of the mind and heart into faith, hope and a better life." --Anne McGinness

Thanks to everyone who has left a testimonial on the The Nerdery!

scholarship student: erica sarmiento

2011-01-28T17:52:00.000-04:00

Another blog entry by UAC-CP volunteer Sam Steinberger. Sam spent the month of January visiting and interviewing students who are only able to study at the College because of scholarship assistance. Agronomy student Erica Sarmiento, who is featured in Sam´s story, is a recipient of a scholarship funded by donors of Carmen Pampa Fund´s Scholarship Partners Program.

"That is where we used to live," Erica Paula Sarmiento Flores said matter-of-factly, pointing to an adobe wall framing a wooden door that now opens to a weedy hillside. Last year, the house where she, her six siblings, and her mother lived, collapsed during the rainy season and nearly buried one of her sisters.

We continued walking up the cobblestone street to a quiet plaza in Erica´s hometown of Coroico in the green Andean cloud forest, just 30 minutes from Carmen Pampa. In spite of the obstacles and hardships she has faced in continuing her education, Erica, a 20-year-old Agronomy student entering her fourth year at the UAC-CP, has kept a smile on her face and hope for a better future in her heart.

Erica and her trademark smile. Last year, she was elected by her peers to serve as president of one of the College´s three food cooperatives.

Erica´s decision to study Agronomy was based on her passion for working in the countryside, with an eye towards helping others. "Since I was little, I have worked in small communities." She explained, "I like the interaction between a person and a farmer. I like to work with people in rural areas."

One of the major problems facing the region today is the coffee bean borer, a bettle that damages coffee beans and lowers yields. Erica learned that the Yungas around Coroico used to produce very high quality coffee, but now the income from the damanged crops isn´t high enough to support farmers. She hopes to address the topic in the thesis she will complete in her final year of studies at the UAC-CP.

What really stood out about Erica, in addition to her love of the environment and her commitment to helping others, was how grateful she is for her education. Due to financial constraints in her family, she never planned on studying at a university. "My mother didn´t have the resources to help us study, so I went to work in the fields. Once afternoon, my mom came home and said, ´Erica, I´ve enrolled you in the college.´" Erica was both excited and nervous.

Her mother, Martha Gladys Florex Gonzales, never graduated from high school. Pregnant with her first child at 16, Martha was eventually abaondoned by her husband and succeeded in raising seven children with income from a small coffee stand in the Coroico market and the help of her oldest son.

Erica continued her story, "That same afternoon, my mom said, ´Daughter, my wish is that you study. Become a professional and don´t turn out like me.´ I said, ´Thank you mom!´"

Erica and her mother Martha outside the family´s small sandwhich/coffee stand in Coroico.

Erica recounted her first steps toward the UAC-CP,working ten hour days then studying for her entrance exams until she went to bed. When she found out she had been accepted to the UAC-CP, "It was pure happiness! It was for my mother, too, because her wish was that we study and have a profession--and that we don´t suffer like she has. She has suffered a lot since she was 16."

Even though she was admitted to the UAC-CP, the dream of Erica, and her mother, would not have been possible without the support of Carmen Pampa Fund. "We had heard in town that they give scholarships to students that really want to study," Erica explained. "Thanks to the scholarship I can continue to study in the College. If I didn´t have the scholarship, I would have to abandon my studies, because I don´t have enough money to continue."

Erica reflected on what the scholarship is facilitating. "Thanks to the scholarship...I´m going to be something in life. Thanks to this scholarship I´m going to be able to help my family and other people that need my help--not just my family, but all people that need my help."

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There are many young men and women like Erica who want to "be something in life." But without access to education, it is difficult for young people to lift themselves out of poverty. Please consider helping the College provide a future for inspiring and aspiring Bolivians. Make a donation to CPF today!

scholarship student: alicia menachaca

2011-01-14T17:20:00.003-04:00

Though he's just a short-term volunteer, South Dakota native Sam Steinberger is working overtime to help collect stories about UAC-CP students who receive scholarships from Carmen Pampa Fund donors. For several days, he's been trekking around rural Bolivia visiting students and their families at their homes. He's gotten some great stories and beautiful pictures. I'm happy to share one of Sam's stories here....

The small community of El Palmar is not much more than a pit-stop of a few open-porched restaurants and food stands built along the flat, dirt highway that runs from the town of Yucumo to the Amazonia tourist destination of Rurrenabaque. But for UAC-CP student Alicia Menchaca Mendez, it’s home.

Alicia Menachaca receives a scholarship thanks to CPF's Scholarship Partners Program...and the people who make it possible with their financial contributions.

We sat under the shade of a tin roof in front of her family’s red ceramic brick house as buses, trucks, and motorcycles buzzed past on the road forty feet away. As another hot and punishing tropical day is born, Alicia told me about her first year of studies in the UAC-CP’s Pre-University Program—a year-long college preparatory program that prepares young men and women for college level classes (many high school graduates who come from Bolivia’s rural area are not adequately prepared for college-level courses).

Now that Alicia has completed her year of Pre-University, she has decided to enter the UAC-CP’s Nursing Program. She’s fascinated by the human body and ultimately hopes to work in a hospital. “There are always people that are sick,” she pointed out, noting the demand and importance for the profession.

Alicia’s decision to attend the UAC-CP was based upon the economic resources available at the College. “I decided to go to the UAC-CP because they really help us financially.” She explained, “They help us, the campesinos, to succeed. That’s why I wanted to go. That’s what encouraged me.”

Without the support of her scholarship from Carmen Pampa Fund, Alicia thinks she may have had to wait a year to start studying at the College; she would have had to work and save to pay her tuition.

And even that may have been impossible.

“My parents didn’t want to send me [to Carmen Pampa],” Alicia said. It wasn’t because they wanted to deny Alicia the chance to earn a college degree, she explained. “With the financial situation we’re in, and because I have so many siblings, we couldn’t support my studies.”

Education in Alicia’s family is a luxury. Both her parents speak Quechua and her mother, Valentina, has never stepped foot in a school and doesn't know how to write her own name. Because they lacked sufficient land to support a family, Alicia’s parents left their hometown in the high altitude of rural Potosí. Here in the lowlands, they grow mostly rice for subsistence and cultivate cacao, tomatoes, other vegetables and fruits, as well as making fresh cheese, to sell and provide a small income.

“The scholarship really helps,” said Alicia. “It made everything possible.” The community work required by her scholarship, including plucking chickens, maintaining the university vegetable gardens, and washing pigs in the pork plant, reminds her that she is working for her degree. “At first I didn’t have any money because my parents…only sent money for school supplies. I didn’t have enough to buy things like a bar of soap, things like that,” she said. But now, with her scholarship, things are different. “My parents don’t worry about me,” she said with a smile.

You can help students like Alicia. Make a donation to Carmen Pampa Fund!

karen pari video

2011-01-10T16:37:00.001-04:00

I often tell people that rural Bolivia seems like one of the most unlikely places for a gringa like myself to find my personal heroes. And yet, here I am, surrounded by people who have tackled overwhelming challenges; people who have succeeded in their ability to improve their lives through education. They are the people who inspire and humble me; they are the people who personally animate me to be part of the work of the College.

As a woman, I am particularly inspired by UAC-CP female graduates who, in a particularly machista society, have garnered their spot as directors and managers and business owners. And they do this while maintaining their roles as mothers, sisters, daughters, and aunts.

UAC-CP graduate Karen Pari is one of four siblings to study at the College. Thanks to William Wroblewski's video, hear from Karen in her own words. Click here to watch the video.

They are women like UAC-CP Veterinary Science graduate Karen Pari. Karen is one of four siblings to attend the UAC-CP. Her sisters Wilma and Betty and her brother Rubén are all thesis students at the College. (I previously blogged about her brother Ruben's incredible work to start a school in a remote mountain community: http://uchumachi.blogspot.com/2009/10/creating-changepoco-poco.html)

Though not the oldest, Karen is the first of the family to graduate from College and, as a small business owner, she is able to help support her siblings. Unlike many other UAC-CP students, this unique team of siblings live at their humble home in the nearby community of San Pedro. Because their parents aren't physically present and unable to financially support them, Karen, Wilma, Betty, and Rubén have worked together to support themselves and encourage each other in their college studies.

As Bill's video shows, Karen's dedication to live out the mission of the College--to live and work and serve in the rural area--is both admirable and inspiring.

Special kudos to long-time, returning volunteer Mary Murphy. Mary, a professor at Smith College, has served as a very special friend to the Pari family.

all-college reunion

2010-12-13T14:07:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the second of two UAC-CP alumni reunions hosted by the College this month--a new tradition that we plan to continue as a way to maintain contact with graduates and involve them in the work of the College. Because their success, I always remind them, is our success.

A group of UAC-CP alumni and their families gather for a photo yesterday afternoon.

As alumni (and their partners and children) took part in the traditional apthapi (an indigenous word that is the equivalent of "potluck"), UAC-CP Vice Director Hugh Smeltekop showed a video about the College. Following that, he showed a recently filmed short clip of UAC-CP founder Sr. Damon Nolan whose greeting included a request for graduates to remain committed to the mission of the College.

UAC-CP Director Fr. Freddy del Villar also spoke to the group. He told them that as the College approaches its 20th anniversary, it needs to recognize and utilize one of its most valuable resources: its graduates. "It's important that we have you all come back so you can tell your story to our current students. You have been where they are," he continued. He said UAC-CP graduates serve as an example of all the possibilities for young people currently studying in Carmen Pampa.

Fr. Freddy talked about several ways UAC-CP alumni can stay involved. He said graduates can give talks or workshops at the College, they can share news of work or scholarship opportunities that they know about, they can offer internships at their current places of employment, and they can make a financial contribution to the College.

At the reunion, alumni learned about the new scholarship fund, named in honor of Sr. Damon Nolan, that provides a way for former UAC-CP students to give back to the College. While the special fund won't help to subsidize the cost of education, housing, and food, it will directly help students who are unable to pay for minimal costs of tuition and food.

Gladys Rivera, a former UAC-CP Agronomy student who now manages the three food cooperatives at the College, told the group that this type of financial assistance is really essential. She gave her personal testimony to the needs that she encounters on a daily basis as part of her work in Carmen Pampa. "We still have students who don't eat because they don't have the money," she told everyone gathered. By giving back to the UAC-CP, Gladys explained, alumni can help young people surpass the same hurdles and achieve the same dreams that graduates have realized.

Agronomy graduate Sonia Moy and Veterinary Science graduate Darwin Luna work together for CARITAS Coroico, which coordinates social service extension projects.

After the formal presentation, graduates stood up one by one and provided a brief update about their current work and life. They talked about their work in micro finance banks, hospitals, and NGOs. A couple talked about how they've started their own businesses. Many mentioned the mission of the College and how it relates to the work they do now.

Going around the room, graduates peppered their life updates with memories of the College (David Torrez, one of the first to study at the UAC-CP, remembered that there was initially no electricity!). They also gave thanks to Sr. Damon; for her vision to respond to the needs of Bolivia's rural area and her ability to always believe in young people. And they talked about their willingness to make a personal and financial investment in the College. "It seems only right," a graduate told me later, "that I help contribute to a place that changed my life in a really profound way."

thankful for raúl's lesson

2010-11-25T15:30:00.001-04:00

Today, on Thanksgiving, those of us in the U.S. are reminded of everything for which we have to be thankful. Many times, we even speak of this day in terms of our "bounty" and "abundance." As a Minnesota/South Dakota-native living and working in rural Bolivia for nearly five years, I often find myself inspired by the young people here at the College who are able to recognize and give grace and gratitude for what they have...particularly in terms of opportunities that come without abundance.

I think of UAC-CP student Raúl Carita – a young man genuinely grateful for the opportunity he's been given to study at the College, despite the challenges and difficulties that accompany it.

Raúl Carita.

A first-year student in the UAC-CP's Nursing Department, I first met Raúl a couple of months ago when our Food Cooperative manager handed me a list of names of students who she heard weren't eating regularly and asked me to check in with them individually. Raúl's name was at the top of the list.

A day later, sitting on the bench outside the Volunteer House, I encouraged Raúl to tell me why he wasn't participating in the Food Cooperative Program. And so he explained: he is the youngest son of poor citrus farmers who live here in the Bolivia's mountainous Yungas. "My parents are old and they work really hard for little money," Raúl told me. "I can't bare to ask them for extra financial help."

Which was why Raúl was barely eating. He was skipping meals – drinking only juice, eating only crackers – because he couldn't afford the monthly $22 subsidized cost for lunch and dinner in the College's Food Cooperative Program. (Thanks to Cross International, the College offers a free breakfast program for all students and donations to Carmen Pampa Fund help provide a subsidy for lunches and dinners). Any money Raúl was able to save he used to pay for school supplies and his nursing uniform.

"So, why do it?" I asked him in all sincerity. "I mean, how is it that you want to study so badly that you're willing to put your studies before your stomach?" Raúl's answer was simple. He came to study in Carmen Pampa because he knows first-hand the abject poverty that exists in Bolivia. And he knows he has the ability to do something about it.

"I have seen the way people are forced to live in remote, rural communities. They have no access to public health or education and it makes me very sad. But I believe, with a college degree, I can help improve the health and livelihood of my people. I feel called to do this."

Raúl's tender disposition and dedication to helping people charmed me immediately. As did his ability to solve his food problem. "I talked with the president of the Food Coperative," he told me later. "And we agreed that I will work in the kitchen every day and help the cook." In exchange for his work, Raúl said, he is able to eat for free. A great solution for Raúl! (But unfortunately not something that will work for all students who need financial help to pay for Food Cooperative dues.)

"You know," Raúl said into the microphone my iPod voice recorder, "I really feel called to be a nurse, to help the sick and suffering in my country. Yes, it is a difficult time for me as I work to achieve this goal. But I at the same time I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here [in Carmen Pampa]; to have this chance to improve myself and serve other people."

Today, as I consider my blessings, I think of Raúl. And I find myself truly appreciating that, in the midst of so much need (adequate food, accessible health care, quality education, etc.) and in the absence of abundance and privilege, here in Bolivia there are young people like Raúl who not only recognize grace, but turn it into opportunity and change.

the great give together

2010-11-16T01:13:00.003-04:00

It's not just for Minnesotans! What has been dubbed the Great Minnesota Give Together is the second annual Give to the May Day--an opportunity for people (from all over the world) to make donations in a 24-hour period to support Minnesota-based non-profits...like Carmen Pampa Fund.

This year CPF's goal is to raise $15,000–the minimal amount CPF sends to Carmen Pampa each month to provide support for the College's 700 students! It's a big goal for a small organization, but it's definitely possible with your help. Please click on the Donate Now above to watch a video about the College and make a donation to help support effective development in rural Bolivia.

comfort vs. adventure: travel bolivia-style

2010-11-10T23:57:00.002-04:00

Travel in Bolivia can be described in many different ways--none of which, in my opinion, would ever make use of the word "comfortable."

I was reminded of this yesterday when, in a hurry to return to Carmen Pampa from La Paz, I opted for a seat in a 15 Boliviano ($2.15 USD) 15-passenger minibus that was leaving ahorita.* I hesitantly chose the minibus over the faster and more comfortable 25 Boliviano ($3.50 USD) minivan option that I usually take on my weekly treks to Bolivia's capital city because there weren't any minivans available.

Giant buses like the one pictured here are generally reserved for longer, overnight rides. This was a flat tire on a 17 hour trip to Apolo.

So, unable to run the risk of not getting home, I found myself smashed smack dab in the middle of a minibus. With not enough leg room for me to sit forward, I turned my body to the right--resting part of my back on the man sitting to my left and claiming floor space of the young man to my right. With no room to put it on the floor, I held my bulky messenger bag on my lap carefully trying not to bother the braids of the woman sitting in front of me. It was immediately obvious to me why I generally splurge the extra dollar for the minivan option.

There seems to be an unwritten rule in Bolivia that for every seat in a car, bus, or van, there is the capacity to hold 1 1/2 x's that amount. On trips to Caranavi (three hours away) four or five people are often squeezed into the backseat of a station wagon that should only have seatbelts for three. Once, seated far in the back of a 15 passenger minibus with my parents on a trip from Tiahuanaco to La Paz, my mom shouted aloud (in English) when the head count surpassed 22 people: "What? How many more people are going to get on?" (The answer, we learned, was two).

A minibus from Carmen Pampa carries a spare tire, soda bottles, and a local kid on top.

And when people don't fit inside the vehicle, they go on top. Bolivians like to joke that the fare actually costs more because those "seats" come with air conditioning and a panoramic view. But, as a product of a country that enforces relatively strict seatbelt laws, it never seems quite right to me when I see children, live animals, and propane gas tanks sailing harmoniously atop clunky Toyota minibuses!

That's not to say I'm immune from riding in non-traditional fashion. I have done my fair share of riding standing up in the back of pick-up trucks and the larger, semi-truck-esq camiones. In fact, apart from the slow speed, possibility of getting rained on, and the safety concern (there is always the threat of going over the cliff!), I hold firm that one of the best ways to travel from the hot lowlands back to Carmen Pampa is hitching rides with truckers carrying giant loads of rice or coffee. The bags containing either of these products naturally contour to the shape of your body as you nestle in for an evening of Southern Cross gazing and shooting star watching.

Yesterday, as I loathed my physical discomfort, I was hit with an odd nostalgia as I recalled all the times I had traveled in uncomfortable conditions. And that's when I realized that some of my most vivid memories of Bolivia have centered on uncomfortable travel. Whether it was begging the driver to let me off a non-stop 15+ hour bus ride so I could go to the bathroom. Or the time I hitched a ride with a bus of young military guys who dropped me off in the middle of nowhere at 1am as the fork in the road leading to our separate final destinations forced us to part ways. Or the overnight bus I ended up on with all elderly Quechua-only speakers who I accompanied across the cold, dark Altiplano listening to the song "Sunshine Reggae" played repeatedly. (I of course had to purchased the song off of iTunes once I got home.)

This truck, eventually carrying about 16 people, didn't make it to our final destination...we arrived on foot.

It has been in some of the most physically uncomfortable modes of transportation that I have experienced some of my best and most memorable adventures. They are the hot and dusty adventures of listening to countless hours of cumbia music. They are the reflective adventures of looking out the window and feeling overwhelmed as I watch Bolivia's poverty whiz by. They are the quiet adventures of traveling across the barren Altiplano. They are the conversations with local folks about politics and economics and social conditions. They are the unforeseen, three dollar adventures of sing-alongs and flat tires and near-miss head-on collisions on winding, gravel roads that weave throughout Bolivia.

Almost all of them are the types of adventures my back and legs and patience would prefer not to repeat. Yet I am so grateful to have experienced every moment.

Yesterday, as I sat for 40 minutes inside the tight confines of the minibus that had yet to leave the terminal, I felt my patience waning. And then, as the bag of coca started to be passed around and the murmur of the native Aymara language began to bubble up, I reminded myself that I'm not here because Bolivia is "comfortable." I'm here because I love traveling on a journey full of adventure!

*The Spanish word ahorita, by definition, means: "right now, right away." However, I have found it to mean: "any time between right now and five hours from now."

cutting edge: advanced studies

2010-11-09T07:44:00.000-04:00

"It's the latest thing!" UAC-CP Veterinary Science graduate Reyna Carrizales told me last Saturday when she surprised me with a visit to my office. "It's great that the UAC-CP is offering this program," she said, referring to the College's new post-graduate diploma program that focuses on developing businesses to specifically serve Bolivia's rural area.

Reyna Carrizales is a 2009 UAC-CP graduate and is currently registered in a post-graduate diploma program at the College.

The South Yungas native said the specialty program (which requires her to travel to Carmen Pampa every other weekend for two, long days of classes) is very applicable to her current job where she works as a health inspector for a unique slaughter house that serves llama breeders in Bolivia's Altiplano. In her free time, Reyna has been helping an association of poor farmers from the Altiplano organize themselves to sell llama jerky. "Everyone I work with is very excited for me that I'm registered in this diploma program," she said. "Because they know it will only make me a better employee."

Reyna graduated from the College last year after defending her thesis--a research project that focused on the cleanliness of the slaughterhouse in the nearby town of Coroico. She researched different types of disinfectants and application processes to determine the most effective way to kill microorganisms. "The objective of my thesis was to improve the health of people in Coroico," she said.

As a result of her work, Reyna was able to respond to the needs of the people of the people from the rural area to help address a community problem. "That is what a thesis has to do," Reyna explained, "respond to a problem in a simple way and in a way that the average person or farmer from the rural area can understand the solution and affordably implement changes."

Today, Reyna is applying both her thesis project and her post-graduate diploma studies to her professional career. "We graduate from the UAC-CP confident in our abilities to be able to create change."

entomology eddy

2010-11-01T10:55:00.008-04:00

Almost two years ago, I wrote about UAC-CP Agronomy graduate Eddy Alarcon. Eddy, who hails from the rural Bolivian community of Santiago (Mapiri), is the son of poor miners who barely earned enough money to put food on the table while he was growing up.

UAC-CP graduate Eddy Alarcon stars in a short video that features the work of the College's entomology lab.

With nothing but a mid-sized wooden box full of his few belongings, encouragement from his mother, and hope in his heart, Eddy made the 16 hour journey by boat, bus, and foot to study at the College in 2000. And eight years later, after lots of bumps and bruises along the way that were eased with scholarship assistance and moral support (and tough love) from classmates and UAC-CP faculty and staff, Eddy graduated--with one of the highest scores ever awarded for a thesis project to date.

Recently I received a link to a short video that features Eddy and his work in the College's entomology lab (to watch the video, click here). The video was made by former UAC-CP volunteer William Wrobleski who spent a semester in Carmen Pampa in 2008 interviewing faculty, staff, students and community members about the impact of the College on their lives.

William's interest in Eddy's thesis project is what I presume inspired him to make this video, which not only features Eddy but serves as an important reminder of ways the College's service extension projects empower young men and women like Eddy to respond to the needs of poor farmers. The College's special projects, like the entomology lab, provide UAC-CP students with a way to learn by providing education and services to local farmers.

For those who have visited the College, this three-minute video will help bring you back here to Carmen Pampa for a moment. And for those who haven't had the opportunity to experience Carmen Pampa, I expect William's video will introduce you to the sights, sounds, and people--like Eddy--who are part of the UAC-CP's mission and vision. The mission to provide higher education to the poor; to prepare young men and women who are called to serve the poor; to guide young adults in their search for truth through education, research, and community outreach; and to integrate the work of the College throughout Bolivia's rural area.

Mil gracias, William, for helping others meet the people of Carmen Pampa through your lens!

wanted: volunteers in bolivia

2010-10-29T09:13:00.000-04:00

The success of the College is dependent upon the special skills and talents that each person shares within the community. And I am always amazed by the dedicated team of faculty and staff who, committed to the mission and vision of the UAC-CP, make the seemingly impossible...possible!

"The College is about much more than educating young people in Bolivia; it's about social justice and creating change." --Jessica Bellock, former UAC-CP volunteer English teacher

While the majority of faculty and staff at the College are Bolivian (many make personal sacrifices to live here permanently--far from their family--and others commute no less than 8-hours per week to teach here), there is also a significant number of professional volunteers and missioners from across the globe who make their home here in the little community of Carmen Pampa. They are the people who come here to teach...and learn.

We are always looking for hard-working, dedicated, and mature volunteers who can help us carry out the mission of the College. For that reason, the College and Carmen Pampa Fund have identified special job opportunities (some paid and some unpaid) for professionals from other countries to have the opportunity to support the College's work and experience the transformative power of development and change through education.

Visit Carmen Pampa Fund's website to learn about specific ways you can support our work and have a life-changing experience!

how facebook is helping someone like francy

2010-10-14T09:30:00.003-04:00

Why is a Carmen Pampa Fund donor pledging $1,000 for our Scholarship Partners Program if we can surpass 450 friends on our Facebook site by the end of October?

It provides a worthwhile incentive to help Carmen Pampa Fund educate new people about the successful work of the College to provide a response to the poverty and educational inequalities facing people in one of Latin America's poorest areas--rural Bolivia. And, in the process of expanding our social network, we are raising money for our Scholarship Partners Program--a fund critical to the success of young men and women like Francy Quisbert.

Fourth-year Agronomy student Francy Quisbert. Her favorite classes are Microbiology, Entomology, and Biochemistry.

For 21-year-old Francy, the UAC-CP was the only chance she had to study at the college level. And even then, without a scholarship the odds were stacked against the young woman who hails from a community in the mountainous Nor Yungas.

Despite the College's already subsidized costs (students pay $42 US a month for tuition, housing, and food), Francy's family--like most poor, rural bolivian subsistence farmers--was unable to support her financially. "I suffered a lot that first semester," Francy recalls. Without money, she was often forced to make the difficult decision of paying for tuition rather than eating. "There were many times when I only had a few cents to buy a container of yogurt to get me through the day."

With the help of UAC-CP classmates and staff members, Francy remained strong her first semester; she worked hard to earn a scholarship that would allow her to continue her studies. In the end, her hard work and perseverance paid off--she was awarded a scholarship beginning in her second semester.

The scholarship, funded by donations to Carmen Pampa Fund's Scholarship Partners Program and awarded by a scholarship committee at the College, provides for students like Francy who demonstrate academic merit, strong leadership skills, and extreme financial need. In return, scholarship students must complete 120 work-study hours per semester.

Now in her final semester of studies in the College's Agronomy Department, Francy is thinking about her thesis project (she plans to do an inventory of local insects) and post-graduation work. She is confident in her commitment to apply her professional knowledge and practical experience to help the people of Bolivia's rural area. "[My dad] has always known that, with my degree, there is a future."

Thanks to everyone who has helped to share the story of the College--its ability to respond to the needs and struggles of the poor through the power of higher education. Because, in the process of raising awareness for our cause, you have also helped to raise money for the Scholarship Partners Program so that someone like Francy can have a college degree...and a better future.

anniversary celebration

2010-10-02T18:14:00.003-04:00

Today marked day three of the four-day-long Intercarreras celebration here at the College. Intercarreras is the annual celebration that takes place the first weekend in October in honor of the Feast of St. Francis on October 4th--the anniversary of the founding of the College. This year the UAC-CP is celebrating 17 years of providing high education and services to Bolivia's rural area.

An Ecotoursim student freshens up the basketball court on Wednesday by painting U.C.B. (Universidad Católica Boliviana) in the center.

Intercarreras is an olympics-esque event that pits the five different carreras (majors) and Pre-University students against one another in a variety of competitive events. Students play soccer, futsal, volleyball, basketball, and chess by day. And by night they take the to the stage to compete in poetry, karaoke, dancing, and theatrical competitions. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, College administrators take turns cooking--preparing enough food to feed 800 people each day. (Last night, I came into the kitchen of the Volunteer House to find Hugh and volunteer Chris DeLorenzo butchering 40 chickens for tomorrow's barbecue!)

In between games, students sit down to eat a bowl of soup. The lunches were prepared by UAC-CP faculty and staff members.

I can't keep up with all of the constant day-long activity. But students and staff don't seem to mind the long days that begin at about 6am and last until 1am. "It's the one time of year when we all come together and just celebrate ourselves," an Education student told me. "All the pressures and difficulties we have in our lives...we forget them for a few days and just have fun."

Despite heavy rain today, Veterinary Science students faced off against Education students on the lower campus' mud-covered soccer field.

Intercarreras is also an informal homecoming event. Graduates return with their families to visit the UAC-CP and one another. This morning I chatted with UAC-CP Agronomy graduates Juan Suñiga and Leyla Yujra--the married couple came with their two little boys from Caranavi. "For us," Juan explained, "coming to Carmen Pampa...it's like coming home." Juan claims that he was the second person to register for classes at the College when it first opened its doors 17 years ago. "I am happy to be a part of an institution that is contributing in such a significant way to the development of Bolivia's rural area."

The activities will culminate tomorrow with a day-long parade and showcase of traditional dancing. In the late afternoon, the winning academic department for the multi-day event will be announced. And on Monday the little village of Carmen Pampa will be quiet--as everyone rests and recuperates and prepares for life to return to "normal" on Tuesday.

graduate update: agustin apaza

2010-09-21T08:02:00.001-04:00

Agustin Apaza is a 2009 UAC-CP Nursing graduate whose life story and ear to ear smile I find personally inspiring. He is a young Bolivian man who has overcome literally life-threatening odds to achieve what some may have once considered the impossible.

I wrote about Agustin last December--the obstacles he's faced, the experiences that have shaped his life, and his dream to help other people. "I think each of us has a mission," he told me last year. "And this is my mission--to reduce the pain and suffering of other people." His dream, Agustin confessed, would be to work with Doctor's Without Borders, get international experience, and then eventually someday return to the College to teach and share his experiences with other young Bolivians like him. (Click here to read Agustin's story published last December)

So I was particularly touched last week when I learned from Agustin via a Facebook e-mail that he is realizing his dream--and the mission of the College--to serve the poor. He wrote:

Greetings from Honduras!

Hello, dear Sarah. How are you? Where are are you??

Since I left the College I have been working with Doctors Without Borders. I worked with them throughout Bolivia and then I went with them to Guatemala on an emergency medical mission. Right now I am doing another emergency mission trip with Doctors Without Borders in Honduras where we are working with the dengue epidemic.

It's been really amazing to travel and get to know so many places and distinct cultures. Of course I am also running some risks in the sense that these Central American countries can be very dangerous--we encounter a lot of insecurity, crime, and wars between rival gangs on a daily basis. I miss Bolivia very much and will be returning there soon.

I hope you are doing very well. I also send hugs and kisses to Sr. Damon. I always keep you both in my heart. Thanks to everyone at the College, I am a professional and I am able to help the people most in need.

Much love,

Agustin Apaza

the scholarship fund

2010-08-30T08:02:00.006-04:00

While I often write about and share the stories of our students here in Carmen Pampa, I think the most powerful stories come directly from them.

The letter I received yesterday outlines common difficulties faced in order for young men and women to study at the UAC-CP.

So, with my own translation and a few edits to protect identities and provide context, I'm sharing a letter that I received from a UAC-CP student who came to talk with me yesterday about his inability to pay for College this semester. As I do for all students who seek help (mostly because there are so many that I need help remembering), I asked him to write me a letter.

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Carmen Pampa, 29 de Agosto 2010

Dear Sarah,

First, I greet you very respectfully. You are a person to whom I wish much success in the work that you do day after day.

I'm writing you this letter to ask a huge favor. I am hoping you might be able to find me a person who could help me pay for my tuition and food costs so that I can continue my studies at this College. Sarah, I ask you for this favor and help because my family can't help me--they have very few economic resources.

I have four other brothers and I am the last child in the family. My siblings are adults and have their own families and children and it is for that reason that they are unable to help me financially. My mom is older and is physically unable to work very hard. My mother also has her husband and he works, but is injury in a mining accident prevents him from earning very much. My father died when I was in high school and even when he was alive he didn't support me because my parents divorced when I was just 8-years-old.

Ever since I was just a little kid I've always wanted to study. For that reason I supported myself in high school when I had to pay for my school materials. I worked hard to make it. None of my older four siblings were able to study--none of them finished grade school. I am the only one in the family that has struggled and fought in order to continue studying at the college level. I do it because I want to be the pride of my family, of my community.

In order to do this, I work during vacation to be able to pay for my tuition and food cooperative dues. But now things are more complicated for me as my economic situation has worsened. I'm in my fourth semester of studies in Agronomy and I am unable to afford to pay for my studies and food because in the most recent vacation [month of July] I didn't have very much success in my work. I paid the registration fee, but up until now I still haven't paid the first month's tuition.

I want to continue studying at the UAC-CP. Since I was a child I have had to look for strategies that would allow me to continue studying in grade school and high school. And that's how I have arrived to where I am today--studying here at the College.

My father wasn't able to see me graduate from high school because he died. And now I can't think of asking my beloved, older mother for financial help--I just hope that she will be able to see me graduate from college. (I invite you to meet my mother--we can travel together together to visit her in Mapiri. You are welcome to our humble home.)

With nothing more to add, I only ask that God always bless you and I wish you safe travels on your upcoming trip.

Sincerely,

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Reading between the lines of his letter, the second-year Agronomy student is asking for support of about $50 a month (the subsidized cost that students pay for tuition, room, and board--not the actual cost to educate them). While $50 isn't that much (maybe one night of dinner, movie, and drinks?) in the scheme of things, it's impossible for the average person to single-handedly provide that amount to all of our 700-some students.

That is why I encourage people to make donations to CPF's Scholarship Fund. Our Scholarship Partners Program allows the College to award scholarships to students based on academic achievement, behavior, and financial need. Of course, the amount of scholarships available is entirely dependent on the size of CPF's Scholarship Fund. The more money we raise, the more scholarships we can make available for students.

So, to those of you who give to the Scholarship Fund--MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS! Know that you provide amazing miracles with your gift. For those of you looking for a way to make a difference, please consider making a gift, in any amount, to CPF's Scholarship Fund!

veronica goes to brookings

2010-08-09T09:09:00.003-04:00

Today is a big day for UAC-CP Agronomy graduate Veronica Calles. Tonight, she boards a plane bound for the United States where she will make her way to Brookings, S.D., to enroll as a full-time graduate student in Plant Sciences and Entomology at South Dakota State University (SDSU).

In the past two years, I have written a couple times about Veronica -- a beautiful, intelligent and responsible young indigenous woman who is from the small farming community of Santa Ana (a 30-minute walk from Coroico).

Veronica and her father, Francisco, a couple hours after Veronica's thesis defense at the College in April.

I blogged about Veronica and her incredible life story in March 2009 (click here to read) and I later wrote about a visit to Veronica's home and my experience staying with her family in June 2009 (click here to read). And today I'm thrilled to write about her again to share the most recent and exciting update on Veronica's life.

A year ago, Veronica was given a scholarship from the U.S. State Department to study English at the Centro Boliviano Americano (CBA) -- the premiere English institute in La Paz. While taking English classes daily and living with her sister in La Paz, Veronica was able to finish writing her thesis. In April, she successfully defended her thesis and graduated from the UAC-CP. And a couple months later was informed of her invitation to study at SDSU -- all of which will be funded through a research assistantship.

Veronica is an amazing example of the transformative power of education. She has demonstrated to herself and to others that, given the opportunity, young men and women from Bolivia's rural area can transform their lives through education. And we expect that Veronica's experience and knowledge gained through her master's degree program will help her transform the lives of her people living in Bolivia's rural sector.

We are all very proud of Veronica and wish her the best of luck as she embarks on this life-changing adventure!

Special thanks to Dr. Diane Rickerl and Dr. Paul Johnson, regular and long-time collaborators with the UAC-CP, and other faculty and staff at SDSU for making this opportunity available to Veronica.

august 2: día del campesino

2010-08-03T09:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, August 2nd was a special day widely celebrated throughout Bolivia's countryside.

Women from the community of Choro Alto carry the Bolivian flag as part of an official parade. (To watch a 35 sec. video of the marchers, click here)

"El día del campesino," as its commonly called, is the day campesinos/farmers honor the agrarian reform of 1953 which, sparked by revolutions demanding equality for the oppressed indigenous people, resulted in the dismantling of the traditional haciendas (plantations), end of formalized indentured servitude, redistribution of land among sharecropping peasants, and a restructuring of the education system in Bolivia's rural area.

The day, celebrated only in the countryside, is a big one here in the community of Carmen Pampa. People come from approximately six other communities in the valley to participate in the day-long celebration which started at 9:30 am with a Catholic mass, followed by a parade up and down the road, an official flag raising and civic act ceremony, another parade around the high school patio, a traditional apthapi (Aymaran potluck), and presentation of traditional dances.

Grade school students, high school students, and UAC-CP's college students stand before the flag-decorated stage prepared to listen to local leaders speak.

At the flag raising ceremony and civic act, the patio of the local Carmen Pampa high school was filled with students dressed in official uniforms or traditional costumes lined up according to grade level. On one side of the patio were the little children of the elementary schools of the area, followed by the middle school and high school students of Carmen Pampa and the neighboring community of San Pedro. And at least 1/4 of the patio was occupied by the UAC-CP's college student and faculty population. About five students from kindergarten to college level took turns going on stage and doing national poetry--most of which was recited in Aymara, the local indigenous language.

Middle school students prepared to perform a native dance for the crowd.

Carmen Pampa kindergartners line up for the official procession. Traditionally, the student with the highest grade carries the flag in official parades.

Standing "at ease" the 1,500 person+ crowd listened as an older Carmen Pampa high school graduate and invited guest reminded everyone why we were there. "Today," he said, "we remember the people who fought so hard to give us the right to be free." As he gave a relatively brief history of the progress made since the revolution of 1952, he made special mention of the important role of education in the future success of Bolivia's poor, indigenous population. He spoke about the founding of the Carmen Pampa San Francisco Xavier High School and, later, the UAC-CP. He pleaded with parents to make sure education is a number one priority in the family. "The revolution isn't over," he said, "we are still fighting for our rights. And one way to fight is with the power of education."

Essentially, I believe, 2 de agosto is a day that provides hope for people living in the countryside that change is possible. In their lifetimes the older community members have fought for and experienced change in the form of social and economic liberation (albeit at a painfully slow pace), and it's been a lesson to them that change is not only possible, it's yet to come. An important lesson to pass on to the new generation as they become the new agents of change in the rural area.

everything is possible

2010-07-27T06:11:00.005-04:00

There is a common saying here in Bolivia: "Todo es posible." Everything is possible. It's something the locals say (though, not necessarily with 100% confidence) when they seem to be up against all odds. It's like an aloud expression of faith to themselves and others that all will work out. In the end, if you believe in the possibility, everything will be okay.

Todo es posible.

With four years of Bolivian life experience under my belt, I've been able to trace a personal evolution of my reaction to this way of thinking; this idea that it's better to believe in the possibilities of success rather than consider the odds of loss. In the beginning, amused by the positive reaction to seemingly insurmountable problems, I would smile and then repeat the words, "Todo es posible." Admittedly, I was thinking, "Well, okay... yeah, but realistically probably not gonna happen."

Students, faculty, staff, and UAC-CP Director Fr. Freddy (center) take on the "impossible" task of moving a tractor...by hand.

But experience has taught my doubting-self that, in a place where things seem more improbable than possible, folks are on to something. With dedication and determination and, perhaps most importantly: the faith that everything really is possible, small wonders are often worked. The things people might consider improbable or impossible become reality.

A simple example. A couple weeks ago I caught myself doubting the ability of a group of students, faculty, staff, and UAC-CP Director Fr. Freddy to move an old, no-longer working CASE tractor from the women's dormitory to its new resting spot about 30 feet away. "Seriously?" I asked a colleague as we examined the multi-ton yellow beast, "how are they going to move this thing...by hand?" He shrugged. "Todo es posible."

And so I watched, my digital camera in hand, videotaping first the inability to even budge the tractor, and then the discussion of what to do next, and then the gradual progression of more and more people joining in with new ideas and solutions and pushing/pulling power and cheers. And then, just like that, everything became possible (as indicated in the following super short videos):

Video 1. --The Push.

Video 2. --The Arrival.

I'm often reminded here in rural Bolivia, a place where the odds seem stacked higher against people than in other parts of the world, that if you truly believe that todo es posible, you do have the power to move mountains, as the say. Or, at the very least, move tractors.

guest blogger: stacy rooney

2010-07-03T09:23:00.001-04:00

Stacy Rooney, my dear friend and avid Carmen Pampa Fund volunteer and donor, has been visiting for the past 10 days and flies back to Minnesota today. Borrowing an idea from Hugh, Stacy agreed to do a guest blog spot to share a little about her experience.

...

Visiting Carmen Pampa has been an amazing experience. My only previous visit was six years ago and it is wonderful to see with my own eyes how the College and the community continue to thrive. While I keep current on all the happenings at the UAC-CP through Sarah and her blog, it is obviously a special treat to get to witness it all with my own eyes.

With a UAC-CP graduate and her children preparing for the 3-hour ride to the UAC-CP reunion.

Most of the students are gone right now on their winter break, but there are still some who continue to work during vacation. I've had the pleasure of meeting many alumni (at the reunion Sarah mentioned in her previous blog entry). It was wonderful to meet the students who have gone on to bring their creativity and talents to various communities throughout Bolivia.

I have no Spanish skills, but through their tone and facial expressions, I could instantly pick up when they were speaking about how much they value their opportunity for education at the UAC-CP. All of the graduates wanted to know the recent happenings on campus and what their classmates are accomplishing in other parts of Bolivia.

Those who were here while Sr. Damon served as director of the College always inquire about her. They have all wanted to tell me their own stories of how her vision of creating the UAC-CP has impacted their lives.

Visiting students and graduates in the rural town of Taipiplaya--transportation was in the back of a truck.

In addition to the students at the alumni of the UAC-CP, I hold the faculty in high regard. With minimal resources by U.S. standards (e.g. refilling ink cartridges for printers rather than buying new ones and sporadic access to Internet), they dedicate their lives to the work of this College and challenging the students to hold the highest standards for themselves.

The overwhelming sense of being on campus is being a part of a community. For the successes and challenges, the effort and the reward, the mistakes and the learning from mistakes, this community is journeying together. I feel honored to have been a part of the community during my short visit and I am inspired to continue my role as a volunteer, donor, and friend of Carmen Pampa Fund when I return to Minnesota.

I am immensely proud to be affiliated with the work of the UAC-CP. For any of you who haven't visited, make plans to visit. If you haven't donated in the last few months, I encourage you to do send what you are able to donate today! You will get an amazing return on your investment!

all school reunion

2010-06-29T05:45:00.009-04:00

Last Saturday, about twenty UAC-CP graduates and former students gathered for an informal reunion in Caranavi--a hot and dusty town located three hours from the College where many students call home and many graduates have settled in their post-collegiate lives. It was the first of what I hope will be many more gatherings of a recently formed (and in-the-process-of-developing) alumni association.

UAC-CP graduates, former students, their kids, and me gather in Caranavi.

Sitting around the patio of a local hotel as their children splashed and dashed in and out of the pool, old UAC-CP friends (and new!) did what all people do at college reunions--they reconnected. They updated each other on their lives and reminisced about the past. Two things were particularly on peoples' minds: UAC-CP founder Sr. Damon Nolan and the College.

"How is Sr. Damon?" everyone wanted to know. It created a way for me to pull my visiting, non-Spanish-speaking friend Stacy Rooney into the conversation, as she had recently seen Sr. Damon at Carmen Pampa Fund's Fiesta de Ayni in May. "Sr. Damon sends her love," was the message we share...along with her e-mail address.

Former UAC-CP Education students catch up on life.

And people asked about the College. Graduates wanted to know about the new advanced-degree program, former students wanted to know more about the business plan alternative to the thesis requirement for graduation, and everyone wanted to know about student life, in general.

I found myself in several conversations with people talking about the mission of the College. "Apart from knowing the mission and understanding the mission, it's important for us to live the mission," UAC-CP Agronomy graduate Leyla Yujra told me. "That's what I learned. And, I think, more than anything, that's what sets the College apart from other institutions."

It was also an optimal time for me to hand out graduate surveys that we are circulating to gather more information about UAC-CP post-graduate work. The surveys, which collect basic information like phone numbers and e-mail addresses, also inquire about graduates' work. "We need to evaluate how UAC-CP graduates are responding to the mission," I explained.

UAC-CP Agronomy graduate Juan Suñiga with his two sons (not pictured: his wife is UAC-CP Agronomy graduate Leyla Yujra).

"My life would have turned out very differently [had I not studied at the UAC-CP]," wrote one graduate in the comments section of the survey. "At the College I learned so many precious and valued things--life lessons that were imbedded in the mission and vision of the UAC-CP. It's with pride and joy that I give thanks for everything that I received at the College." She also said it's thanks to her education that she is independent and able to look for and find work to support the rural area.

I hope the reunion is the first of many to come as they will serve as informal ways of keeping our graduates connected--across the generations--and it will keep those of us who work at the UAC-CP close to the lives of the people we have shared a part in watching grow. Their work, I remind them, reflects the success of our work here in Carmen Pampa.

the feria 16 de julio

2010-06-23T09:17:00.007-04:00

Without fail, every time I visit the "16 de julio" I find myself in awe. The feria is an immense and open-air market held every Thursday and Sunday in the city of El Alto--a large and fast-growing settlement of primarily indigenous people who have come from the countryside in search of a better life.

A woman dressed in traditional clothing, looks upon a pile of what I would call "junk." One man's junk is another man's treasure comes to mind often at the infamous El Alto market.

Assuming you can find it in the misaligned and tightly packed streets, you can buy just about everything you could ever need or want at the 16 de julio. There are cars, construction equipment, clothing, books, furniture, electronics, live animals, restaurants, kitchen supplies, sporting goods, barber shops, etc. And more than things to buy, there are also things to see: soccer games, live music, and, once, I think I even saw a dead person.

Treasures are definitely out there, but it sometimes takes patience to find it. On Sunday, I immediately found the bedspread I wanted, but it took more than an hour of asking where I could find an energy stabilizer before I decided that I didn't want to spend that much money. Things are somewhat organized according to sections. So, when I needed to purchase an "H" emblem for a Honda I started in the car section. And when I needed a plunger, I went to the plumbing area. But even then, you can often find single vendors hawking off whatever they can of their randomly assembled inventory. On Sunday one woman was selling oranges, old newspapers, and sad looking baby dolls.

The market is above the city of La Paz. In this photo, you can see Mt. Illimani across the distance.

Quality of items vary, as well--items are new and used...and stolen and illegal. Hanging out alongside vendors with more permanent stands, young men hold cell phones that I know used to belong to people who are now missing them. Some vehicles, brought in illegally to the country from Chile, come with false paperwork. And famous brand clothing are commonly marked with fake tags. Not keen on the idea of buying another pair of cheap, junky headphones, I sucked up my usual "don't buy stolen goods" rule and bought a pair of "original" iPod headphones to the replace the ones I lost (were stolen?) the previous week.

It's a rat maze, for sure. And, at more than 14,000 feet in altitude--the lack of oxygen and intense rays of the sun don't make for ideal browsing conditions after a couple of hours. But it's worth the visit to see the creativity that goes into making a buck...or, in this case, a Boliviano.

pomp & circumstance

2010-06-10T14:39:00.000-04:00

Technically it's just a piece of paper. But here in Bolivia a college diploma is a pretty big deal.

It is, of course, a big deal to have a college degree in the U.S., too, but here it means something even more--particularly for young people who have grown up in the rural area. One can kind of understand the miracle of the achievement when you consider that Bolivia is a country where, according to a 2005 World Bank Report,* it was reported that in the year 2000 barely 15% of the population ages 15 and older had attained their high school degree.

Dona Panchita, a beloved cook on Campus Leahy and motherly figure to many of our students (and volunteers!), is pictured with her two daughters: Agronomy graduates Rosemary and Maria Ester Gutierrez and their two daughters.

There is also the use of the word "professional," which is used to indicate a person who has found their professional calling and received their college diploma. Whenever I ask parents of UAC-CP students what they want for their children, they tell me that they want them to be "professionals." And on the survey we are using with UAC-CP graduates, when asked how the UAC-CP made a difference in their lives, the most common response is: "It allowed me to be a professional."

"To be a professional," explained my co-worker and former UAC-CP student Gladys Rivera, "it means a lot to the people who struggled for the right to be educated. Until the agrarian reform of 1952, many of the poor and indigenous people of this country were banned from going to school. But today, that's different." Today, Gladys said, young people are better able to live lives of dignity and justice because of access to education.

Former classmates turned husband and wife, UAC-CP Veterinary Science graduates Dany Chambilla and Fico Carrizales show off their diplomas following graduation ceremonies. They are pictured with their children Daniel and Kristia.

On Wednesday as night I sat in a packed auditorium at the Catholic University of La Paz for commencement ceremonies** staring out on a sea of navy blue and gold colored caps and gowns, I couldn't help but imagine what the 10 UAC-CP students sitting out there in the mix were feeling and thinking as they waited for their names to be called so they could walk across the stage, accept their college degree, turn the tassel on their cap, and walk back to their seat...a professional.

*World Bank Report: Expanding Opportunities and Building Competencies for Young People: A New Agenda for Secondary Education

**UAC-CP students technically graduate once tey successfully defend their thesis. However, because the thesis defenses happen on an individual, rolling basis there is generally no commencement ceremony here at the College. Our graduates do have the option to participate in the official pomp and circumstance at Catholic University where, donning cap and gown, their names are called to walk across the state and accept their diploma.

the aguayo

2010-05-14T17:14:00.000-04:00

"Like monochrome cords of yarn--when combined and woven into cloth they become something far more useful and beautiful than the yarn itself." --Dr. Hugh Smeltekop, UAC-CP Vice Director

The theme of Carmen Pampa Fund's 2009 Annual Report focused on the aguayo--the colorful and durable multipurpose fabric that dots the Bolivian landscape and is used for both practical and decorative purposes in daily life. But, as the introductory letter explains:

The aguayo is more than just a practical multipurpose piece of cloth. The vibrant colors and intridcate designs that are woven with care from hand-spun wool, have traditionally provided a way for indigenous people to tell stories, record histories, convey emotions, and express dreams. Aguayos have historically served as a form of expression for people who otherwise had no voice.

The aguayo is woven together with different colors and dimensions of yarn to create a bigger masterpiece. It reminds us that the Unidad Académica Campesina-Carmen Pampa (UAC-CP) is more than just a College. The UAC-CP’s unique curriculum, which weaves academics, production, research, service, and leadership formation, helps students find their color, their stitch, and their design. It prepares young men and women to integrate their individual designs so that they can serve as a vibrant, unique and practical response to the needs of Bolivia’s rural poor.

If you missed it, check out Carmen Pampa Fund's 2009 Annual Report online. The stories and pictures of graduates, students, faculty, volunteers, and institutional partners remind us that we're all part of this amazing tapestry!

elizabeth hayes

2010-05-06T23:14:00.003-04:00

Tonight, while our Minnesota-based supporters and donors gathered at St. Catherine University for Carmen Pampa Fund's annual event, I sat with students and faculty in the church here in Carmen Pampa and watched as Sr. Jean Morrissey, Sr. Helena Harney, and Sr. Helen Bubu renewed their religious vows in honor of the feast day of Elizabeth Hayes--founder of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (MFIC).

For about 30 years, the MFICs have had a strong presence here in Carmen Pampa and neighboring Coroico. Even before Sr. Damon and her congregation helped start the College, the Sisters served as champions of education and justice for the poor. Today, Sr. Jean serves the College as director of the Theology Department. She's supported by Sr. Helena (of Ireland) and Sr. Helen (of Papua New Guinea) who also manage a boarding school near Coroico.

Sr. Jean Morrissey with two UAC-CP graduates and a UAC-CP Nursing student.

During a special dinner we shared with the Sisters before mass, Hugh asked Jean, Helena, and Helen what they admired most about Elizabeth Hayes, founder of their order. And I thought it was interesting that all three of them talked about her courage, her tenacity. They talked about her dedication to serve and walk alongside the poor--in whatever far away place that might be.

From the bits and pieces I know of Elizabeth Hayes' life, it seems to me that she was a bit of a rebel--in the sense that she was willing to take risks to do things and go places based on what she believed to be right by her faith. And when I consider that, its no surprise that the FMIC Sisters I know chose to follow Elizabeth's path.

Sr. Carmen Minga, a native of Peru, is a graduate of the UAC-CP's Nursing Program.

I am a witness to the ways in which the Sisters do "faith justice." They live their faith as companions and witnesses to the lives and spirit of the poor. Their work here in Bolivia is expressed clearly in Article 97 of their Constitution: "As Franciscans we shall be prepared to work personally and corporately to change unjust systems that maintain peoples and societies in a condition of oppression. By living and teaching the social principles of the Church we witness in our lives to both the oppressed and the oppressors. It is through the expression of love in our pursuit of justice that we will promote peace and reconciliation."

Tonight, after we sang the closing hymn, I was both proud and very touched to watched students line up to greet the Sisters with handshakes and hugs...and words of congratulations and thanks. I followed their lead and stood in line behind a UAC-CP Veterinary Science student. "Thanks, Sister," I overheard him tell Sr. Helena sincerely mid-hug. "Thanks for being here; thanks for helping us."

There are so many things our Sisters do for all of us, so it was nice to have a moment to celebrate them and their work. And to remember the brave Elizabeth Hayes who started it all.

....

And for those who missed it, Nicolas Kristof of the NYTimes had a nice column in last Sunday's paper about the work of Catholic priests and nuns (click here to read it). The only thing it lacked was mention of our Sisters here!

my collection

2010-05-04T09:20:00.000-04:00

I have a collection. It's a collection that grows at a pretty steady pace throughout the semester. And as it grows, it clutters the top right hand drawer of my desk. It's a collection of letters from students asking for work in exchange for a scholarship to help them pay for food.

My collection is not unique. A few weeks ago, UAC-CP Director Fr. Freddy pulled open his top desk drawer to show me his own collection of letters. And I know that my colleagues: UAC-CP staff, faculty, and volunteers also have similar stashes.

An example of a typical letter is this one I most recently received on April 11th:*

Ms. Sarah,

First, I'd like to greet you and wish you much success in all the work that you do for the benefit of others.

The reason for this letter is to request a scholarship so that I can participate in the food cooperative. The financial resources of my parents are not sufficient to help me pay all of my monthly tuition and, for that reason, I'm unable to afford the food cooperative.

My family consists of six brothers and sisters--four of whom are in high school. For my dad, it's really hard to support them all. He is a subsistence farmer and does what he can to support me, but his income doesn't allow for me to afford my studies and food.

It's for this reason that I very humbly ask you for a scholarship for food so that I can continue with my studies. Within me exists a great interest and desire to study and improve myself so that someday I will be able to help my family and others to improve their lives.

I am very thankful for all the blessings I receive, so I have a lot of faith that I will receive a favorable response. It would be a wonderful support to my parents who want to see me succeed, but are unable to help with the entire costs. I hope that your collaborative spirit will help me. May God guide and bless you in everything.

-Sonia

....

Many of us who work here at the College look for jobs that students can do, and sometimes we just help students with special situations outright--scholarships with no strings attached. In the case of some academic departments, I've known professors to pool their money together to support students they know need financial help. Some UAC-CP employees, who receive modest salaries themselves, sponsor students. I have a couple students that I help--and they, in exchange, help me with office tasks and chores.

Sometimes, the demand for help here can feel a bit overwhelming--especially when I open my top drawer to face a pile of letters detailing need. With recent cuts in scholarship assistance from long-time partners, I know that just as the needs of our students will grow, so will my collection.

Thankfully we have help from people who make it all somehow come together. Like people who donate to Carmen Pampa Fund's Scholarship Partners Program, or the UAC-CP graduates who have formed a joint account to donate to a scholarship fund, and my co-workers here at the College who make a great personal and financial sacrifice to help students.

Ideally, I'd like to rid myself of my collection. To know that my empty desk drawer means that we are successfully providing higher education to our students...on a full stomach.

*My translation from Spanish to English.

volunteers

2010-04-19T10:13:00.003-04:00

In 2009 the College and Carmen Pampa Fund designed a new initiative: English and Ecotourism--Foundations for the Future. The objective of the initiative was to strengthen the College's English Program--with particular focus on the Ecotourism major.

Jessica Bellock works with a UAC-CP student in the Ecotourism Program.

Thanks to funding from Sieben Foundation, Carmen Pampa Fund was able to form a special task force of ESL experts and hire consultant Dr. Susan Bosher, Associate Professor of English and Director of ESL at St. Catherine University, St. Paul. Together, they have worked with faculty and staff at the UAC-CP to develop a comprehensive overhaul of the College's English Program. The inauguration of the new English curriculum was implemented this past February at the beginning of the 2010 academic year. And we're happy to report that after just two months, exciting progress is already being made!

Our work isn't finished though. In order to sustain the initiative and ensure its success, Carmen Pampa Fund is working with its academic partner St. Catherine University to recruit trained professionals who are interested in sharing their time and talents to help strengthen the College's English Program here in Carmen Pampa. Students at St. Catherine University also have the opportunity to do semester-long internships for credit.

Kyle Piispanan, David Flannery, and Ben Yoder-Henley--volunteers for the 2010 academic year. (Not pictured is Sarah Purcell)

But professional opportunities at the College are not just for St. Catherine University students. We welcome committed and hard-working volunteers with experience in teaching English as a Second Language. In the past we have welcomed students from University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Boston College, College of St. Benedict, South Dakota State University, University of Minnesota, etc. We also welcome retired professionals and professionals who are on sabbatical.

For more information about how you can be a part of this exciting new initiative at the UAC-CP, please visit Carmen Pampa Fund's website to review job descriptions.

apthapi

2010-04-15T11:30:00.001-04:00

Apthapi is a word in the local indigenous Aymaran language. Essentially, apthapi means "pot luck;" it's a communal event when people bring a type of food to share.

In the local communities, campesinos often spread aguayos (their colorful, woven blankets) out on the ground and then place their food offerings on top of it. Little by little, people make their way around filling their plates (or shirt tails) with the variety of items available for consumption.

UAC-CP administers gather together for an apthapi on Campus Leahy.

Apthapis are special events--ways for community members to come together, share, and often celebrate. Several months ago a UAC-CP graduate proudly showed me pictures from the time a very poor community he had been working with organized an apthapi for him. He said most of the apthapi consisted of all sorts of varieties of potatoes. "Though they had so little, I know they brought everything they had to share and they did it partly to honor and thank me. It was beautiful," he said.

In a similar spirit, yesterday the College's nearly 40-member administrative staff hosted an apthapi in honor of visitors from Carmen Pampa Fund--Ann Leahy and Tara Nolan, who were participating in the bi-annual Joint Planning and Oversight Council.

Gathered around a series of long tables topped with all sorts of food prepared by UAC-CP co-workers (potatoes, baked chicken, corn, salad, beef strips, rice, and Hugh's racacha cake), the College Director Fr. Freddy reiterated that, on behalf of the College, he was happy to have our visitors here with us and hoped they felt a part of the College's work.

Cecilia Carrizales reflects on the ability of the College to fulfill its mission with the help of people who provide financial support--like those who give to Carmen Pampa Fund.

UAC-CP graduate and long-time employee Cecilia Carrizales talked a little about how and why we all found ourselves standing there. After reflecting a little bit on the mission of the UAC-CP--to provide education and human formation to young people from Bolivia's poor, rural area--she pointed out that without the work and presence of everyone standing around that table, this "obra de Dios"--"work of God," as students and locals often refer to the College--would not be possible.

maribel

2010-04-10T08:23:00.003-04:00

I wasn't here when El Alto* native Maribel Villca arrived at the UAC-CP in 1998. So I can't tell how much of her solid character she formed during her time at College. But I do know that she's not the typical image one might have of an indigenous woman living in a developing country--she is a strong, self-assured, and very determined woman.

She's a wife, a mother, a daughter, and a sister. She's also a business owner. Maribel is a recent graduate of the UAC-CP's Veterinary Science Program and the only certified veterinarian in the Municipality of Irupana, South Yungas.

Maribel stands in the doorway of her Veterinary Clinic holding her bound thesis project.

It's been a long journey--both literally and figuratively--for her to arrive at the place she is now. Though she had finished her studies at the College several years ago, her thesis still stood in the way of her college degree. And when she and her husband, Porfirio Kapa (UAC-CP '09) moved their family back to his hometown in Irupana so that he could manage a rural farm worker cooperative, she was forced to make frequent 24-hour round-trip visits to Carmen Pampa to meet with her thesis advisors. Many times last semester she would stop by my office to say hello--always exhausted, but determined to finish.

Maribel with her daughter Daniela before the final defense in December. "It's important to me that my daughter be here today," Maribel told me. "I want her to know that her mother is a professional."

"What pulled you through?" I asked her during one of her visits to my office last Fall. "What has kept you motivated?" She pointed to many key people who stood by her side--particularly her husband and her brother Eddy.**

She also named her scholarship. "My scholarship is what allowed me to study at the UAC-CP; without my scholarship I would not have been able to finish my studies and graduate. ...I'm so grateful for my scholarship and to the people who make the long-term commitment to provide us with scholarships, because I understand it is a personal sacrifice for people to support us for many years," she said. "In the end," she continued," I hope scholarship donors know that their investment, their commitment to standing with us as we trip and fall along the way, is worth the investment. I believe my life is proof of that."

Maribel, her husband Porfirio (UAC-CP '09) and their children: Daniela, Jonathon, and Nataniel stand in the plaza of Irupana--a town in the South Yungas.

Though it's her husband's hometown, Maribel has made a name for herself as a female professional--the only one in Irupana. "As women, we are tired of being stepped on by men," she told me. "We want to be just as good or better than them. That's what education gives us. And now," she continued, "we are seeing the results. Here, I am respected for my profession."

Her respect and appreciation has grown. A few weeks ago I had lunch with a former UAC-CP student who mentioned that he had heard of Maribel's success. "They were talking about her and her business on the radio," he told me. "It wasn't advertising, they were just saying how great it is to have someone in the pueblo who is a trained professional who is willing to go out to the communities and attend to animals." It was exciting, he said, for him to hear about the success of one of his classmates.

Though the successful defense of her thesis last December officially made her a college graduate, Maribel has one last thing she wants to do before moving on. In May, she will don a cap and gown and walk up on the stage of the Catholic University of La Paz to receive her diploma in front of a packed auditorium. Per her request, I assured here I'll be there to see it happen. "I wasn't so sure I wanted to do it," she confessed when I visited her recently in Irupana. "But Eddy [her brother] said I deserve this; I deserve to have this moment."

*El Alto is the large city on the altiplano that borders Bolivia's capital city of La Paz. It is an overwhelmingly poor area that is home to more than a million people--most of whom have come from the countryside to the city in search of a better life.

**Maribel's younger brother Eddy Villca is also a UAC-CP Veterinary Science graduate.

You can help support women like Maribel with a gift to Carmen Pampa Fund. Click here to transform a life through education!

nursing department anniversary

2010-03-19T17:32:00.007-04:00

Today the College's Nursing Department celebrated its anniversary with a special mass followed by the capping, pinning, and candle lighting ceremony.

Nearly all of the 153 Nursing students registered in the program this semester were dressed in their crisp, white nursing uniforms. With friends, family, and community members seated toward the back, UAC-CP Nursing students sat attentively in the front of the church as they listened to UAC-CP leadership speak about the importance of their vocation and the need for their services in Bolivia's rural area. "You have been called to be instruments of peace and love," UAC-CP Director Fr. Freddy told them.

The following are pictures from today's ceremony...

UAC-CP Nursing student Flora Mamani.

William Apaza receives his candle and lantern in honor of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale.

Twenty-three Nursing students were presented with their caps and candles. They're pictured here with UAC-CP Director Fr. Freddy del Villar, UAC-CP President Msgr. Juan Vargas, Director of the Nursing Department Lidia Cuevas, and recently retired UAC-CP staff member (and beloved father figure) Donato Monrroy who was presented with a plaque in honor of his long-time dedication to the Nursing Department.

UAC-CP Vice Director, Dr. Hugh Smeltekop, and UAC-CP Nursing students.

alcira pacajes

2010-03-05T12:10:00.000-04:00

When I recently browsed the World Bank's statistics page for Bolivia, I found that high school attendance rates for 17-year-old girls in the rural area hover around 20 percent. When I shared this sad figure with UAC-CP Nursing student Alcira Pacajes and contrasted it with the fact that 52 percent of UAC-CP graduates are women, she smiled. "You mean women are the majority?" she confirmed.

As part of her public health clinical experience, Alcira takes a patient's blood pressure at the hospital in Palos Blancos (a rural town in Bolivia's lowlands).

Though she unfortunately doesn't represent the average 24-year-old woman from Bolivia's rural area, Alcira is a typical UAC-CP student. Like her female classmates, Alcira is a young woman who--despite challenges that most people couldn't imagine--has come to Carmen Pampa with the hopes of realizing her dream to become a professional.

"I am from the colonia [small village] of Cristo Rey--in the mountains, outside of the town of Caranavi," she told me. She's the daughter of citrus farmers who earn just enough money to meet their most basic needs. "My parents send money when they have it," she said, "but usually they can't afford to help me, even though they want to." Financially, Alcira struggles.*

Alcira weighs a baby as part of her work with the College's public health program, which serves 13 communities in the Municipality of Coroico.

Her parents, Alcira explained, are indigenous Aymarans who only had the opportunity to study until the second grade. "Even though they aren't educated, they value education," she said. "They always wanted their children to be professionals. They always wanted my siblings and me to be better than them...to have better lives and more opportunities." Which is why her father, upon hearing about the UAC-CP, encouraged Alcira to apply.

"At the beginning I didn't know what major I wanted to study," she said. As a student in the College's Pre-University Program she participated in different vocational training sessions that introduced her to each major area of study. She was attracted to the UAC-CP's Nursing Department. "I liked the idea of helping people in a very direct way. As nurses, we are an important part of people's lives; we help them with their physical part...and the human part."

In her fifth and final year of studies at the College, Alcira will spend three months of the current semester doing clinical work at several hospitals in La Paz. Though she still has nearly two years of school left before graduating (after this year, she still has a year of residency), she's already thinking about post-graduate studies. "I want to continue studying; I want to gain more knowledge and skills," she said. She would like to eventually work for an non-profit organization.

"Are you proud of yourself?" I asked. "Yes," Alcira admitted modestly, "but I will be even more proud when I have my diploma in hand...when I can show that to my parents and tell them, "Thanks to you, this is what I have earned for our family!"

*She was studying with the help of a scholarship from Carmen Pampa Fund's Scholarship Partners Program. But the very limited number of scholarships makes them highly competitive and when she failed a class last year, Alcira lost her financial assistance.

porfirio kapa

2010-02-25T11:43:00.002-04:00

I never cease to be inspired and amazed by people I've met here at the College. People like Porifirio Kapa who, despite all odds, embody the spirit and mission of the UAC-CP.

Porfirio is the son of an alcoholic father and the brother to six siblings who grew up in a remote village in the South Yungas. When he was in the third grade, he was forced to drop out of school after his mother died so that he could support his younger siblings while their father went away to work in the mines. Though his life seemed to be destined to be the same as his father's, he never allowed himself to give up on his dream to go back to school.

UAC-CP Agronomy graduate Porfirio Kapa. "People need to understand that the mission of the UAC-CP is to serve. It is to return to our communities to replicate all that you've learned so that we can help lift Bolivia up," he said.

"I witnessed my father's life and the life of my neighbors...working so hard just to be able to eat, but never achieving anything that would offer them a future. And that made me think of my own future--of what kind of life I wanted to provide for my children and what kind of example I knew I could be for my Bolivian brothers and sisters."

After finishing his obligatory year of military service as a teenager, Porfirio finally made a very serious commitment to go back to school. Though there was no road, he walked 12-hours, round-trip every weekend to attend alternative education classes in the nearest town of Irupana (he often spent Saturday night sleeping in the street because he couldn't afford a place to stay). After five years, with the equivalent of a high school diploma, he enrolled in classes at the UAC-CP. He finished his coursework in the College's Agronomy department in 2005--an accomplishment he credits in large part to scholarship assistance from USAID.

Since leaving the College, the 33-year-old has worked as the assistant manager of CORACA Irupana--an organization that provides technical assistance for an association of more than 800 organic farmers in the Municipality of Irupana, South Yungas. "The mission of CORACA is to help ensure profitable, all-organic farming for local producers."

Following a meeting with local farmers in Porfirio's home village (where he and I talked to locals about the UAC-CP and the importance of education), Porfirio gives a training session on organic pest control methods.

Porfirio manages several areas of agricultural production, trains producers, develops and manages projects, and makes contact with outside markets. In collaboration with government agencies and private organizations, Porfirio has written training manuals about conservation and organic practices. Bolivia's Vice Ministry of Social Control has paid him to give presentations to more than 4,000 producers. In addition, Porfirio works as a farmer himself--using his land to model successful agricultural practices.

"I wasn't put on this earth to be a rich man. As an agronomist, my vocation is to help producers and that's why I do what I do. That's my goal...to help others. And maybe I won't be able to make a giant change, but by speaking to people, interacting with people, showing people--I can help change ideas. And that's why I'm proud of my work with CORACA."

The house Porfirio grew up in is still occupied by his father and sits on land that the family still farms.

Located seven hours by bus from Bolivia's capital city of La Paz, there are very few trained professionals dedicated to living and working full-time in Irupana. Porfirio is the only college graduate from his home village. While he's been offered higher paying jobs in La Paz, Porfirio is committed to serving the rural poor. "Some people think if you're a college graduate that you shouldn't be in the countryside...but for me, it's different. The first thing I tell people is that I'm not interested in money. What I want is to improve the way of life for my people."

Porfirio, his wife Maribel (UAC-CP '09), and their youngest son Jonathon pictured outside CORACA's processing plant in Irupana.

Porfirio recognizes that his success has been dependent upon the help of others. He is most grateful to have his wife Maribel at his side (Maribel is a recent graduate of the UAC-CP's Veterinary Science program and provides veterinary consultations to farmers in Irupana.) Together, they have three children: Nathaniel, Daniella, and Jonathon. His kids, Porfirio said, give him energy. "I studied for them, for their future...and now my kids are proud of me--that I'm a college graduate." The value he and Maribel place on education is obvious--their two older children both carry the Bolivian banner in local parades (an honor which signifies that they are the best students in their grade).

"I always believed I was going to be something in my life. I didn't want to be the same, I wanted something better. And in that sense, with the help of education, I feel like I have achieved that dream."

highlight of the week

2010-02-04T22:49:00.000-04:00

Last night at our communal Volunteer House meeting we each shared a high point and a low point of the week--a pretty hectic week that marked the beginning of the 2010 academic year at the UAC-CP.

My high point, I said, came after a full day of running work and household errands in La Paz. I was pretty exhausted when arrived to Turbus Totai (the minibus company we use for transport to the Nor Yungas) in the late afternoon. The small office was experiencing mild chaos as -UAC-CP students, faculty, and staff, frantically tried to secure tickets for their trip direct to Carmen Pampa. While Monday afternoons are often busy days, this past Monday was particularly so as everyone had their bags and boxes of belongings needed to start the new semester.

With bags and boxes and bodies everywhere, there was no place to sit inside the office, so I stood outside on the sidewalk leaning up against the building, happily watching everyone greet one another with the traditional handshake and kiss on the cheek. "It felt like I was part of a family reunion," I told the other volunteers last night.

Victor Choquehuanca finished his coursework in Education at the UAC-CP.

Former UAC-CP Education student Victor Choquehuanca (who I hadn't seen since 2005 when he was a member of the College's student food cooperative program) stood with me as I waited for my bus to arrive. Initially, we kept each other company by commenting on all the young faces ("You wouldn't recognize anyone at the College these days!" I assured him). But after reminiscing about days at the UAC-CP, Victor brought me up to speed on his life. He's been busy, he explained, working in his home community in the Province of Inquisivi--where he's planning to make a run for mayor in April. Currently, he's employed by PyMES--a group of micro-enterprises. Specifically, he works in the area of mango production--working with farmers to help increase yield and find markets.

"Sometimes I wonder if I studied the wrong major," Victor told me. "Maybe I should've studied Agronomy." But he also agreed that his background in education is what helps him work effectively with farmers--facilitating workshops. And agriculture technical training that he's received in Bolivia and Peru have not only provided him with important tools and knowledge, but it has animated him to pursue post-graduate studies in Agriculture. But first, he admitted, he has to graduate from the UAC-CP.

Victor is one of many students who, though he has finished all his required classwork at the College, he is yet to be counted among the number of graduates because he hasn't defended his thesis--the final graduation requirement. I literally pulled his ear and told him to get on that. "I know," he admitted. "It's just hard to find the time...but I will."

Just as Victor and I exchanged email addresses and phone numbers, I was swarmed by a group of UAC-CP students who wanted to make sure I knew my bus had arrived. Flanked on either side by a new generation of UAC-CP jovenes carrying my purchases to be loaded onto the bus, Victor bid me farewell--I promised that I'd visit him and his work project and he promised that he'd make some headway on his thesis.

And then, crowded into a packed 15-passenger minivan, our bus full of UAC-CP students and professors made our way caravan-style through the gorgeous Yungas mountains all the way home...to Carmen Pampa.

new beginnings

2010-01-29T10:30:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of registration for the first semester of the 2010 academic year--which begins on Tuesday! Both familiar friends and new faces are back on campus. Students are standing in lines waiting to fill out registration forms, complete health checks, answer questionnaires, get photos taken for student ID cards, etc.

Don Mario and his daughter Gladys camped out last night so they could register for classes today.

This morning as I greeted students with the recurring question of, "How was your summer vacation?" I ran into Don Mario and his daughter Gladys. I first met them a few weeks ago when they came to visit the campus and found it relatively deserted--most everyone on summer vacation. So, I met with them in my office that day and answered questions they had about the College--classes, schedules, costs, food, dormitories, etc. Gladys--the first to go to graduate from the high school and, now, go to College--her father was obviously concerned about where he was sending his daughter.

Based on my first impressions, I think Gladys seems like a pretty typical first-year UAC-CP student. She's the oldest of several children. Her parents are citrus and coffee farmers. They live in a remote mountain village. (When I asked her where she's from, Gladys said Caranavi. But when I pressed for more information, she said their home is five hours from Caranavi. Which translates to an 8 hour journey to Carmen Pampa.)

For me, it's especially exciting to know our students' parents--to see them involved in their child's life and, more specifically, their education. I'm inspired that people with so little formal education themselves (it was evident to me at one point during our conversation that Don Mario is illiterate), go to such great lengths to make sure that their children become professionals. But I suppose that is the result of knowing what a life without education brings.

Two weeks ago, I asked Don Mario what he wants for his daughter, why he's brought her here to the UAC-CP, his response was the same response I hear from all UAC-CP parents: "I want her life to be better than mine. I want her to go farther." And I think that's the hope we all have for every single young person lined up outside the main office right now.

feliz cumpleaños, hermana

2010-01-21T10:09:00.001-04:00

There is not a day that goes by--not one--when I don't hear mention of UAC-CP founder Sr. Damon Nolan. Whether it's someone asking me about her health or someone recalling a story about her calling them into her office or someone offering up a petition for her at mass, she is remembered every single day here in Carmen Pampa. And today, being her birthday, is certainly no exception.

One of the most amazing parts of my job is that I get to travel around Bolivia and be a witness to all the lives that Damon has touched--the lives she has helped transform. As I've written about on several occasions, when I travel to visit UAC-CP students and graduates, I go to places that aren't in the guide books or noted on maps. Often, I go to places that aren't even on roads. But wherever I go, however remote and faraway it feels, I find traces of Sr. Damon.

Sr. Damon's namesake, Katharine Aliaga. The daughter of former UAC-CP Veterinary students, Katharine graduated from kindergarten this past December.

In the town of Charazani, located 17 hours by bus from Carmen Pampa, I had an old Quechuan woman, ask me through a Spanish interpreter, about Sr. Damon--a woman she'd never met. On a late night bus to the Alto Beni I sat next to a woman who studied at the local high school when Damon served as director. And last July, just as I was feeling alone and out of my element when passing through a mountain village, I sat down to a lunch table with two apparent Bolivian strangers who, when I mentioned Carmen Pampa, became my instant friends. "Cómo está la Hermana?" they both wanted to know. How is the Sister?

In the interviews, conversations, and daily interactions I have with UAC-CP students, graduates, faculty, community members, etc., I have collected precious messages of greetings and gratitude for Sr. Damon--some of which I've shared with her, but honestly there have been far too many to share them all. The following are a random sampling from throughout the past few months (including a couple from today):

My co-worker/Agronomy thesis student Gladys Rivera and her 6-month-old daughter Nathaly share a birthday greeting for Damon. "My daughter's future is brighter because of the work Sr. Damon has done--especially for women," Gladys told me a couple months ago.

"You are a "prototype of women" that supports the development of young people, especially women, in our country--never forget it!! You always kept me on the right path, you kept all of us on the right road...because we are the fruit of the seeds with the most precious human values that you left in us." -Ines Mollisaca, Agronomy

"Happy Birthday, Sr. Damon! I thank you so much for having founded this college. Thanks to you I am a professional. I hope you have a great day and hope that you'll come visit us in Carmen Pampa. Happiness, happiness, happiness is what I wish you today and always." -Lucia Cuno, Education thesis student

"A symbol of strength, hope, and achievement for the young people of the UAC-CP. Thank you for showing us the right road in our lives!" -Carlos Vergara, Agronomy '08

"I thank you a ton--for everything you've done for us. I thank you personally because you've given me an incredible opportunity to be able to study here. If it wasn't for this college...the truth is, I don't know where I'd be. You are an example to me--there are no words to tell you what you did for me." -Agustin Apaza, Nursing '09

Cristia and Daniel Carrizales--children of Fico and Dani (UAC-CP employees and former students of Damon's at the local high school and the College). Fico still wears one of Damon's old sweatshirts.

"Happy Birthday! We are thankful to be here at the UAC-CP, to be professionals, to have the beautiful family that we have, and for the great spirit you've planted in our hearts to know that we can always overcome. You're always in our hearts and prayers. God bless." -Fico Carrizales, Veterinary Science '09, and Dani Chambilla, Veterinary Science thesis student, and their children, Cristia and Daniel.

Thinking of you every single day, but especially today, Damon. Feliz Cumpleaños...desde Carmen Pampa.

new generation

2010-01-11T16:44:00.000-04:00

It's been pretty quiet here in Carmen Pampa the past month with nearly everyone on summer vacation. But this week some fresh faces have arrived on campus--young men and women who have come to register for the 2010 academic year entrance exam.

New faces, yet-to-be-known names--each one with a unique story to tell, I'm sure.

This year the College is doing something new. All students who are registering for classes for the first time at the UAC-CP must attend a week-long orientation. It includes an overall introduction to the history and mission and vision of the College, tours of both campuses, explanations from academic department directors about the College's major areas of study, and general information about housing, classes, and the food cooperative program. They will also receive some instructional tutorials and test-taking advice before the week ends with a series of admissions exams. This morning, students watched a video that features the UAC-CP and highlights its academic focus, as well as its focus on production, research, community service extension, and leadership.

In his welcome message, Fr. Freddy talks to students about the unique mission of the College.

When I visited the orientation session at 11:30 today, UAC-CP Director Fr. Freddy was in the middle of welcoming students and talking to them about the mission of the UAC-CP. He told the packed lecture hall that the College is not a traditional institution of higher education; it doesn't exist to prepare people to work in offices, sitting behind computers. The College, he said, is a response to the need for development in the rural sector, which essentially means you have to roll up your sleeves and work along side the people. He made it clear that students are expected to work both in and outside of the classroom ("machete in hand," he said). "We expect that when you leave here, you will go back to your communities and help your people--that you will take away from here the lesson of solidarity, of service to improve the lives of others."

As I've noted before, it's always particularly exciting to have new students here. You can't help wonder who these young people are...and, more to the point, who they will become in the years that they live and study here. Some are brothers and sisters of former students and graduates, others are here for the first time, and a few are local kids--ones I've practically watch grow up over the span of time I've lived in Carmen Pampa.

Like 16-year-old Guadalupe. This morning when I drove the truck to the upper campus I was accompanied by Guadalupe--a recent graduate of the local Carmen Pampa high school. She wants to study Agronomy at the UAC-CP, she told me, and eventually hopes to specialize in Industrial Agriculture. "So, what are you feeling?" I asked her. She confessed that she was feeling afraid. When I prodded, she admitted that she's nervous about all the things any other college freshman would be nervous about: classes, homework, meeting new friends, living in the dorms, etc. I assured her that a year from now she won't be able to imagine ever feeling anxious. "By the end of next year," I promised her, "you won't even be able to imagine having been so afraid." For me, I think, it will be fun to watch her transform.

'tis the season

2009-12-19T20:34:00.000-04:00

For me, there are just certain things that signify that the Christmas season has arrived: snow and cold weather; Christmas trees, wreaths with giant red ribbons, and outdoor lights; Jingle Bells-infiltrated radio stations; Advent wreath-adorned tables; a live production of The Christmas Carol; gift wrapping; and, last but definitely not least, peppermint ice cream. But those things that traditionally symbolize Christmas for me in the U.S. are hard to come by here in rural (subtropical) Bolivia.

Which is why for the past couple weeks, despite the small tree in the main office, my co-worker who listens (and sings along) incessantly to the Christmasy song Belen, and the abundance of panetones (Latin America's version of the fruitcake), I have found it hard to believe that the Christmas season is upon us. When I sit in a t-shirt and shorts reading emails from Midwest-based friends and family about holiday parties, Christmas-themed theater, and Secret Santa exchanges, it doesn't compute. "It's like if you suddenly started celebrating Christmas in July," I wrote to a friend the other day.

Christmas tree at our all-staff luncheon on Campus Leahy.

But despite the heat and the lack of red and green M&Ms, I always end up getting into the spirit of Christmas...eventually. Considering that Christmas here really doesn't start to appear until a week before December 25th (as opposed to a week before Halloween in the U.S.), I just have to have more patience in knowing that the warm fuzzies of the holidays will arrive...on it's own, non-commercial timeline.

For me, the spirit struck me yesterday at our UAC-CP all-staff Christmas party. It came first at mass, during the sign of peace, as the near 60 people employed by the College in some administrative capacity, energetically moved around the chapel to share la paz--peace. It was through the lively and sincere exchanges of handshakes and hugs that I felt Christmas--the feeling of being among friends and family, mi familia Boliviana. And then it continued through the fraternal fellowship that followed as we all shared the typical Bolivian Christmas meal, picana. And just like that, in an average-esque afternoon, Christmas presented itself in sunshine-filled Carmen Pampa.

Eight-year-old Kristia Carrizales (daughter of UAC-CP graduate/employees) stands next to her family's little Christmas tree.

Honestly, I love Christmas in Carmen Pampa--it's always simple and pure. Which is why, even though I'm excited about my upcoming travels with friends, I'll miss celebrating Christmas Eve in our little village this year. I'll miss the the big church--packed with locals from the surrounding communities and their children, dressed in traditional outfits who come prepared to sing and dance. I'll miss passing out modest gifts to grateful, grinning kids. I'll miss baking bread and making hot chocolate with the UAC-CP students who stay to work over break. I'll miss sitting around and talking with the people from neighboring communities. And I'll miss the peace and quiet of Carmen Pampa the following day. That whole evening--that, for me, is Christmas.

May the spirit of Christmas, whatever it means and however it feels to you, find you wherever you are.

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo...desde Bolivia

daniel

2009-12-13T11:07:00.003-04:00

Last week Daniel Condori completed his third year of studies in the College's Agronomy Program--it was probably the most difficult year of his life. But the difficulties had nothing to do with homework or tests.

Last April Daniel's father Manuel, a construction worker in nearby Coroico, was severely injured in a work-related fall. Although we originally received word that he had died, Manuel unbelievably survived the accident and now, nearly nine months later, he is living at at home where he is confined to a bed--unable to walk and talk.

Daniel Condori with his mother outside their home in Coroico. Daniel's mother earns about $30 US a week for harvesting coca.

The accident has caused a dramatic change within their family unit. It's taken a toll on Daniel, the oldest, who feels torn between his responsibility to take care of his family and continue with his studies at the College. Understandably it's been incredibly stressful for him. A few months ago he came to my office to talk about how juggling school, work, and family was leaving him physically and emotionally exhausted.

But somehow, Daniel made it. Determination and hard work, mostly. "I've worked a lot of construction jobs," he said. This way, he's earned enough income to pay for studies, food, and family. Unfortunately, all the work has left him with no time to complete the hundreds of practical internship hours required for his area of study. "I've had to make difficult choices," he told me, "and unfortunately my studies suffered because of it. But what other option do I have?"

Daniel pictured with his dad in his family's living room/bedroom. (Photo credit Cross International)

Even with his job and his mother's earnings, the family is unable to afford the 30 Bs a day ($4 US) for regular hospital attention for his father. "Imagine! That would cost us 900 Bs ($130 US) a month!" he said, appalled at such an outrageous cost. So Daniel and his mother, with the help of two other siblings, have developed their own physical therapy routine. Daniel also credits the local priest who comes every Sunday to celebrate a mass in their home and help bring his dad to the hospital for doctor visits.

Shamefully, I have to admit, I've only gone to visit the family once--in early October. It was a very sad situation. His father, laying in bed, groaned and moaned as he seemingly tried to explain to me what happened in the accident. Though impossible, Daniel seemed to be able to communicate with his father in some way.

These days, Daniel is feeling optimistic. He reports that his father can respond with "Sí" or "No" and, with help, he can stand up. It's painfully slow progress, but it's nonetheless encouraging. In fact, Daniel smiles and laughs when he talks about his dad's simple, yet seemingly miraculous abilities.

And then laughter quickly turns to eyes welling up with tears as he tells me, "I love my dad and I give thanks to him for everything he's given me throughout my life. I just want him to get better; I can't stand watching him suffer."

Daniel is the oldest of three siblings. His youngest brother (left) is in high school. His other brother (right) just finished his obligatory year of military service and wants to study in the UAC-CP.

In the end, Daniel knows that he can't let his situation get him down. And I know he recognizes that in some bizarre way this experience will make him stronger--I know this because that's what he tells me.

Daniel is definitely ready for the two-month summer vacation. He plans to spend some of that time in La Paz with his father looking for someone who can help them with physical therapy support. "So I'll see you at the end of January for class registration," I confirm as we say goodbye in the traditional Bolivian way with a handshake and kiss on the cheek. "Yeah," he responded unconvincingly.

But because Daniel made it through this past year, I am pretty optimistic he'll be back next semester. That's what his dad would want.

nursing grad in the new york times

2009-12-11T14:34:00.004-04:00

A few months ago The New York Times asked readers to submit photos that they believe show the importance of educating girls and empowering women. They published the photo I submitted of UAC-CP Nursing graduate Genoveva Orosco--a photo that I feel captures the confidence and the pride and the social and economic change that happens--often in just one generation--when people have access to education.

The photo published online in the New York Times Magazine shows Genoveva, in her nursing uniform, standing with her very stoic and traditional campesino parents on graduation day in Carmen Pampa, August 2008.

Genoveva, like many of her UAC-CP counterparts, could easily be one of the women featured in the now widely read and Oprah-touted "Half the Sky"--a book by NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn that makes the argument for how women in the developing world have the capacity to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

One of six children, Genoveva is not an ordinary college graduate. She is the daughter of extremely poor potato farmers who barely finished grade school. She is a young woman who first came to study in Carmen Pampa in 2003--traveling alone, up to 12 hours away. She is a proud, indigenous person who, with little to no financial help from her parents, carved out a future by working weekends and summers* in order to pay for part of her studies (she also had a partial scholarship). She is the first of everyone in her family to graduate from college and work as a professional.

Genoveva on a recent visit to Carmen Pampa.

Genoveva is also a young woman who exemplifies the mission of our work here at the College. Today, one year after graduation, she lives in her home community of Sapanani (a town located about 20 miles from the Bolivian city of Cochabamba) where she works as the coordinator of a public health center. While the health center is part of a larger network of clinics funded by Fundación San Lucas, at her site she manages three other people. Her job, she told me, not only helps her to support her family, but she feels good about providing medical consultations for the people of her community.

Even though she isn't mentioned in Kristof's book, Genoveva goes down in my book as a testament to the power of education to transform lives. And because she now has a college degree, Genoveva has choices she never would have had otherwise...which means the sky--whether or not she holds it up--is the limit.

*For those of you who have been to the Volunteer House in Carmen Pampa, Genoveva helped paint most of it during summer vacation 2005.

evo time

2009-12-05T12:00:00.004-04:00

A couple weeks ago in Coroico I made an impulse buy. I wasn't at all in the market for a new watch, but when a Bolivian friend half jokingly suggested that I purchase the Evo Morales-themed time keeper, I couldn't resist. Despite the relatively steep $5.80 asking price, I couldn't fight the strong urge to augment my political kitsch collection.

Tiempo Boliviano: half past Evo Cumple. (Not a super clear photo, I know...but you get the idea)

So that's how it came to be that I'm now the proud owner of a black plastic watch that pays homage to Bolivian president Evo Morales. It features Evo (who I swear is winking at me) and the phrases: "Bolivia Change" and "Evo Cumple." As if the face of the watch wasn't crowded enough, it also displays the word: "Yangkey," which I thought was a misspelled attack on yankees/gringos, but it's apparently just the brand name of the watch...which, incidentally, was made in China.

The timing of my purchase (pun intended) is a bit coincidental. Tomorrow is December 6th--election day here in Bolivia. It's been four years since Evo was elected as the first indigenous president of Bolivia and tomorrow voters will return to the polls and, assuming all goes as my lunch crowd tells me is expected, Evo will earn himself another term as the jefe máximo of Bolivia.

Ricardo Ramos won the first-ever (Sarah Mechtenberg-sponsored) "Evo Lookalike Contest" at the College this past year. Online voters agreed it was his thick crop of hair that garnered him first place: an Evo-lución t-shirt.

Though I'll refrain from making any personal political commentary, I will say that Evo's political party, MAS, has been out in full force for the past couple weeks. But here in La Paz (due to travel restrictions,* I had to come to La Paz yesterday in order to pick up visitors on Monday morning), all is tranquilo. Now that the campaigning is officially over, the pre-election energy that I felt last weekend in La Paz (marchers, press conference with Vice Presidentis Alvaro Garcia, media frenzy, etc) seems to have evaporated. For today, only graffiti remains.

Tomorrow, I've been told, most everything will be shut down here in Bolivia's capital city. Without transportation, everyone will be pretty much contained to their homes and neighborhoods--the only place they need to get to are the polls. So, apart from accompanying a native friend on a field trip to experience Bolivia's democratic system, I'll probably meander around La Paz on foot--with Evo, of course, strapped to my wrist...winking at me.

*Voting in Bolivia is obligatory. Also, national law requires that there is no purchase/sale/consumption of alcohol 48 hours prior to election day. It also prohibits travel on the day of the election (except in rural areas such as Carmen Pampa where they travel to neighboring towns like Coroico).

learning to breathe again

2009-12-03T14:01:00.008-04:00

It could be interpreted many different ways. But UAC-CP Nursing graduate Agustin Apaza chooses to see how his life has been filled with fresh starts and new opportunities. His brilliant smile and bubbly persona are the result of having a positive outlook on life, he told me when I sincerely questioned how he never seems to let difficulties get him down. "Imagine if I'd lived my whole life feeling sorry for myself," he posed. "Do you think I would have ever been able to achieve anything? No!"

An orphan who was found abandoned in a plaza in La Paz as a baby, Agustin grew up in a system of public and private orphanages--always longing for the mom he never knew, often feeling alone and forgotten and discriminated against. And then, as a child, he was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart defect. He spent more than 10 years in and out of hospitals before a Rotary Club in La Paz (#4690) made it possible for him to travel to the U.S. for surgery.

Going into the surgery, Agustin (15-years-old at the time) knew that if it wasn't successful "they wouldn't be able to do anything more to save me." Death was at the door, but Agustin emerged anew. "It felt...kind of weird...because basically, I was reborn," he explained. "I had to learn to walk all over again. Because I had no strength in the beginning, I even had to learn how to breathe again."

In some ways, Agustin said, it was the same for when he arrived to study here in Carmen Pampa. Released into the world as a young man without any type of resources and unable to afford the cost of college anywhere else, he came to the UAC-CP on a scholarship. And it took some adjusting to get used to living life in the countryside, but it was at the UAC-CP where he was once again given a new chance at life.

Having grown up in hospitals, the College's Nursing program was the last thing he wanted to be a part of. "I was treated so poorly by nurses for most of my life," he explained. "I told myself, 'I am never going to study nursing. One, because it's just a dirty job and also because the medical staff were so mean. Plus, I knew the cost of studying would be too expensive." But through a series of events that he believes are more than mere coincidences, he ended up studying Nursing. "Now look!" he smiled, noting the irony. "The thing I wanted least of all for my life, that's what God chose for me!"

"Nursing is about service; it's to help the people that need--that's how it helped save me. And God changed me so that I could go on helping others. I was a very, very sick person for most of my life..and in a bizarre way, I believe that is what saved me." His illness, he said, is what has made him a more dedicated professional--he understands that it also has a very emotional and human aspect.

At the same time, he feels that the UAC-CP has technically prepared him for his professional work, too. "The principle thing for our Nursing Department at the College is the promotion of health and prevention of disease in the rural area--that's why we have the major here. We are all prepared to work in the rural area, we have the experience," he said. "Each semester we leave and do practices in hospitals and clinics throughout the Department. And what we see and experience is that we have the power to give back and make change and spark development in the rural area."

"I think each of us in life has a mission," Agustin told me after I asked him to talk about his understanding of the College's mission. "And this is my mission--to reduce the pain and suffering for people." Which, he admits, is easier said than done. "For me, working in the rural area is the saddest part. Partly because we see people who have been forgotten by our government, people not well taken care of, people who don't have basic services, and people that are very far from health services."

"Truthfully," Agustin said, "it's painful because you see people in need and you feel helpless because you don't have the necessary supplies to improve the situation. How beautiful it would be to have equipment and medicines and such to be able to attend to their needs. But considering the reality, you know the person is sick and often you can't do anything."

"Public health is very sad," Agustin said after recalling a couple particular incidences of visiting the homes of poor, farming families. "But it also gives you much joy. Sometimes you make a house visit and attend to a patient and feel like you've really made a difference--you do it, you cure them. And then days or weeks after that, the family will come to the hospital or clinic and say, "Thank you." It's the best gift for those of us who work in public health--it's not, 'Here, take my chicken,' or 'Here, I brought you fruit.' No. Not for me. For me, it's that they say, 'Gracias,' and smile and that's sufficient. With a smile and a thank you, you feel so satisfied. It always makes me happy because I know I did my job and I completed my personal mission."

When I reminded Agustin that he also completed his mission of graduating from college, he flashed me his giant trademark smile. "I can't believe it. I can't believe it!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I am so happy to have finished. And so, so proud that I finished at the Unidad Académica Campesina-Carmen Pampa. So proud."

"That is what I hope for--for people to always take the spirit of the UAC-Carmen Pampa with them in the work they do, to be proud of who we are and what we accomplish for the poor and marginalized. ...Wherever I go in this world, I am always going to say that I am from Carmen Pampa. Always. Always."

Agustin officially graduated from the UAC-CP in September. He is currently employed by Medicus Mundi and works on a Chagas disease project in the rural area around Tupiza, Bolivia.

paolita

2009-11-28T12:13:00.001-04:00

I am quite aware of the expectation that I'm not supposed to have favorites. But since she's the only girl her age that I know in the town of Caranavi, I think it's safe for me to proclaim that Paola Calle Ticona is my favorite 8-year-old friend in the sweltering river town located three hours from Carmen Pampa.

Paola Calle Ticona.

Paola is the oldest daughter of Tito Calle and Flor Ticona--who also happen to be the first UAC-CP students I met when I first arrived to Carmen Pampa in December 2003. [You don't forget those kind of things--the people who first showed me kindness.] Six years ago, Tito and Flor were young parents, financially strapped and struggling to make their way through school. Paola was their first and only child at the time--a gorgeous, polite little girl who everyone on campus knew and loved and, in some ways, helped raise.

Today, Paola is a bubbly second grader at a private school in Caranavi. She's a brilliant little one (I offer unbiased proof: she carries the flag in all school events, which means she has the highest grade in her class). Her favorite subject is math and she wants to be a mathematician when she grows up. She spends her free time doing extra-curricular activities, playing Barbies, reading books, coloring, and helping to care for her three younger siblings.

A year ago, Paola learned to play chess at an after-school program. A skilled player, she now helps her teacher coach other students at her school.

I marvel at Paola's life as it is an almost unbelievable leap from that of her parents'--her mother, especially. Flor, the youngest of nine children, comes from a remote Quechuan community located in the rural area outside the town of Apolo--more than 24 hours from Carmen Pampa by public bus. Faced with no other educational opportunities, Flor came to Carmen Pampa at the age of 15 to study at the boarding high school. "I earned 70 Bolivianos ($10 US) a month," she told me, to help cover costs. "And I rarely afforded to go home, so I would normally stay and work over summer and winter break."

On a scholarship, Flor continued her studies in Agronomy at the UAC-CP where she met Tito, had Paola, married, and now lives with her family (they have four children) in Caranavi, where Tito is the regional manager of ANED (a micro-finance company). While Tito graduated from the College, Flor is still one class and a thesis defense-away from officially being counted among the titulados. She wants to finish and has people willing to make that happen, but it's more difficult with children, she told me. Truthfully, she dreams of returning to Carmen Pampa and I dream of helping her do it.

Flor and Tito with their children: Alex, Alda, Alan, and Paola outside their home in Caranavi.

In any case, Flor has experienced the transformative power of education...and it shows, especially as I see it trickle down to her kids. Though her poor, Quechuan roots are evident in her reserved, stoic personality, when Flor speaks of her children she exudes confidence and tenacity. "My girls," she said, motioning to Paola and 3-year-old Alda, "they are going to go farther than I could have ever imagined for myself."

Paola is one of very few children living in rural Bolivia who can claim that both of her parents are college educated. In Paola (and the other children of UAC-CP students), I see the power of education as it gives them opportunities that their parents only dreamed of and their grandparents never imagined possible. "When you think," Flor told me, "that my parents can't speak Spanish--they can't read or write in any language--and then I went to college. Now I look at Paola and all the opportunities she has that I never had because my family was so poor..." Flor stopped talking and looked over at her daughter quietly reading a book. Neither of us said anything. If you don't believe education can lift people out of poverty, I thought to myself, try telling that to Flor Ticona.

....

Hands down, Paolita is one of my favorites. And, I admit, it makes my heart happy to know that I think she classifies me, in some way, as her favorite, too. "Is that your aunt?" I heard one of her little friends whisper to her in Spanish as we sat watching Tito play soccer on a Sunday afternoon in Caranavi a couple weeks ago. "La Sarita?" Paola responded in a confused sort of tone. Then she looked up at me and smiled. "No, she's my good friend!" she said...as if every 8-year-old in rural Bolivian towns have 32-year-old gringa friends. "No ve, Sarita?" she asked, as if to confirm that the feeling was mutual. "Sí, Paolita." I told her. "We are good friends."

in receiving that we give

2009-11-26T09:30:00.006-04:00

I'm a relatively proud and independent person who often prefers to do things on my own. Which can mean that while I like doing things for other people, I'm not always so comfortable when the tables are turned. As my friends can attest, I find it difficult to ask for help and easily accept kind, thoughtful gestures. Here, where I live and work among people who have a lot less material belongings, money, and resources than I do, I often feel particularly uncomfortable and awkward about receiving things.

But recent examples have reminded me that it's not about money or power. It's not about pride. It's not about saving people or coming to the rescue. It's about dignity. It's about justice. It's about humility. And it's about graciousness. It's unfair of me to negate someone's right to give as they so choose and to deny them the right to be received graciously for their thoughtfulness.

Because it's not only in giving that we receive; it is also in receiving that we give.

A group of UAC-CP graduates and thesis students insisted (despite my protests) on paying for everything when I came to visit their budding business in Palos Blancos. When I left for home, they sent me packing with a giant basket full of fresh fruit. "You've helped us, now let us show our thanks," one graduate told me.

One specific lesson came during my mid-October travels when I met up with a UAC-CP graduate for an interview and visit to his workplace. I had just checked out of my hostel and was carrying my backpack, my messenger bag, and a giant bottle of water. As we took off in search of a taxi, he offered to help me carry something. "No, no, no," I told him, waving my hand as if to say, "It's all okay. I got it." I was quite capable of managing my stuff. But he reminded me that it wasn't about what I was capable of doing.

"You know," he told me. "Sometimes I think you try to do it all...and you don't let others help." One of the fundamental parts of the mission of the UAC-CP, he reminded me, is service--teaching students the importance of helping others. "But you need to know how to accept service, too. You need to allow others to help you--that's a way of empowering people. So," he said, motioning to my stuff, "let me help." And immediately I knew. He was right. I had no other option but to smile and surrendered my backpack to his care.

I've been in plenty of situations here in Bolivia where people's kindness seems much too generous--something beyond their financial means or available resources. Whether it's being served the biggest piece of chicken at a poor family's home or being taken out to a restaurant by a UAC-CP graduate who I know is saving money to start his own business or receiving a free ride from someone who could probably use the fare I would otherwise pay.

But what I am learning, poco a poco/little by little, is that it is not for me to judge a person's ability to give; it's not for me to take away someone's want to share and know the pleasure of giving goodwill and receiving thanks. It is not my place to respond to gifts or invites with phrases such as, "Oh no! Please don't." or "Really, you shouldn't." When someone extends hospitality and kindness, my response needs to be "Gracias." Thank you.

A couple months ago I had a bit of a mishap. Trying to back the College's ambulance up a slippery mountain road, I nearly drove myself and the green beast off the edge. An hour from the College and without cell phone reception, it was a local family that came to the rescue. For three hours they worked--hauling muddy stones from the ditch to a build a wall, of sorts, underneath the front right tire of the vehicle that almost entirely dangled over thin air. As men took turns cranking up the jack, us women folk made valiant efforts to literally pull the ambulance away from the edge. As I apologized over and over for my mistake and the trouble I had caused them, they all assured me that it was no big deal--everyone has accidents, they said.

"How much should I pay them?" I whispered to our public health nurse Micaela Soliz as I helplessly watched the group of 12 strangers dirty their clothes and hands. Mica looked at me curiously. "Pay them?" she repeated. "Nothing. Sarita, the gente do this because they want to help," she said.

When it came time for me to attempt to drive the ambulance to safety, despite some concern about whether or not the rear weight wouldn't pull the vehicle over the side, a young man stepped forward and took the keys from my hand. Fearful that the car would tip, I could barely watch as he climbed onto the driver's seat. But in one quick punch of the gas pedal the ambulance was back on solid ground...and everyone who had come to help seemingly vanished. When I attempted to thank the guy who led the charge to save the ambulance, I couldn't even get the word "gracias" to come out of my mouth. As the feelings of fear and panic subsided, my entire being was filled with gratitude and my face was wet with tears. "De nada," he told me. You're welcome. And there it was--simple and sincere, no cash transaction necessary--gratitude was given and received.

I love when Sr. Theresa Merwin tells the story of one of her first campesino house visits after arriving to South America. While I won't even attempt to tell the beautiful and poignant tale, the moral of the Egg Story is: We didn't come here to teach, we came here to learn.

Today, on Thanksgiving, I think of Sr. Theresa's story within the context of lessons I can learn from local people who have unselfishly offered to extend kindness and hospitality to me. My experiences in Bolivia serve as reminders to my often stubborn-self that I am not here to give, as much as to learn how to receive. If I should know the goodness of giving, I should also allow others to have the same feeling. And if other people can exude the spirit of thanksgiving, I should humbly and graciously and without protest welcome the opportunity to give thanks for unnecessary, but wholesome kindness bestowed upon me.

last minute pardon

2009-11-24T11:40:00.007-04:00

Though the pilgrims never made it to Carmen Pampa, the gringos did...and with us, we brought our Thanksgiving tradition.

This past Sunday, a group of about 20 people representing at least six different countries, came together to share in the feast of Thanksgiving. On the patio outside the Volunteer House, we delighted in the culinary wonders that annually make appearances on U.S. dinner tables the fourth Thursday of November.

Our fearless leaders: Hugh, Fr. Freddy, and Tom.

It was a team effort with a plan mapped out on the dry erase board in the Volunteer House. Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, canned cranberry sauce*, fresh baked bread, stuffing, beet salad, deviled eggs, and a variety of pies (pumpkin, apple, and mango).

Of course, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the quintessential bird. Or, in this case, the birds. Though we had hoped to prepare one of the two free-range turkeys we've watched grow up over the past couple months in the coffee plant area, when I stopped by to strike a deal with the turkeys' owners last Friday, we agreed that the birds still had a couple months to go before they'd be ready to eat. So, we had to settle for chicken--four of them.

In the end, Tom the Turkey actually did make an appearance at the special afternoon meal, but not in the traditional way. As we gobbled up chicken with all the fixings, Tom strutted around the yard relishing in his last minute pardon.

*Special Thanksgiving Shout Out to Kimberly Lane for sending down the cranberry sauce! If you couldn't get on the AA flight, we're at least happy that the cranberry sauce did!

head of the class

2009-11-19T15:20:00.000-04:00

Last week I attended a couple days of workshops in Coroico. Presented by the Inter-American Institute for the Collaboration of Agriculture, those of us in attendance were employees of the UAC-CP and CARITAS Coroico--a Catholic, social service agency whose extension projects nicely compliment the five academic areas at the College.

Graduates Richard Agramont, Paola Surco, and Victor Hugo Flor work in social service extension projects for CARITAS Coroico. Miguel Manuel Manrique manages the College's entomology lab. They were a few of the UAC-CP alumni present at a recent workshop in Coroico.

As my eyes wandered a bit during the presentation, I found myself counting the number of UAC-CP graduates who were in attendance. Fifteen. Out of approximately fifty attendees, 15 were graduates of the College. Many of them, in fact, were students I had in class back in the day--an ironic twist that didn't escape me as I would occasionally awaken from day dreaming to find a couple of them sitting next to me taking copious notes.

The same students whose homework I used to grade, whose food cooperative fees I used to collect, whose futsol games I used to cheer on...are now my colleagues. Now, I thought in the moments when my mind wandered away from the theme of project development, we are working with them to create change, instead of for them. It definitely left me with something to think about during two long days of workshops.

For those of you on Facebook, check out Carmen Pampa Fund's page with recently updated photos of UAC-CP graduates.

true confessions of an unhappy camper

2009-11-17T00:34:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday morning, a few hours before I set off on a long-weekend camping trip with 75 Pre-University students and a few UAC-CP staff, I stood outside in my pajama pants whining to Hugh. "I just know that I'm going to regret singing up for this whole camping thing by the time I wake up tomorrow morning," I told him.

In fact, I was wrong. I didn't regret it the next morning; I regretted it much sooner--about twenty minutes after leaving Carmen Pampa I had become one unhappy camper. One of 75+ people packed, standing up under the midday sun in the back of a giant camion, I was contemplating ways I could politely excuse myself from the commitment I had made to my co-worker and camping trip coordinator, Carlos Fernandez. By the time we finally arrived to Coroico, I had a text message from an all-knowing Hugh: "Having fun yet?" Absolutely not, I thought.

Me climbing into the camion where we waited about 20 minutes before actually leaving.

Even though my name means "princess" in Hebrew, I generally like to think that I'm not a high maintenance person. Gringo friends who have visited me here in Bolivia would agree--my definition of "roughing it" is often a bit more liberal. But this past weekend, despite slightly more than three years of life in Bolivia, I received a zap of culture shock.

Part of the reason I was annoyed was that I felt the entire outing was very unorganized. "I don't know any of the details," I told Hugh, before he graciously took time out of his busy morning to drive me and my supplies to the upper campus. I've worked in non-profit programming and education long enough that I come to expect certain pre-activity requisites: schedules, objectives, goals, and...details! "Nobody has told me what the plan is!" I said. "And does this really surprise you?" Hugh asked. He had a point there. No. It didn't surprise me. ...but, still, it annoyed me!

Without tents/sufficient camping equipment for everyone, some students had to build their own tents of plastic and tree branches.

I had also been fooled by the word "camping." When I think of camping, I call to mind words like: quiet, relaxation, solitude, mother nature, hiking, reading, s'mores, etc. Bolivians, I quickly learned (particularly in groups of 80), have a different idea of camping. What I had assumed would be a weekend of reflection, reading, and nature hikes turned into a pseudo Survivor-esque reality show of student groups competing to build the most exquisite of campsites that would have done Gilligan, Mary Ann, and the Skipper proud.

Within a couple hours of our arrival to the campsite, students (split into seven teams) transformed a flat, grassy knoll into a type of Gypsy-looking camp. "These are true campo kids," Fr. Freddy said proudly as we watched students, in ant-like fashion, scramble to build tables and camp stoves out of rock and lash branches together to make tents and clothes lines. It's true--our students from the rural area are amazingly innovative, creative, and adaptable.

Students in "my" group built a traditional underground oven to cook Sunday's lunch: chicken, yuca, potatoes, and plantains.

Of course the low-impact camper in me was concerned with other things, though. What about the bathroom situation? What are we doing with the organic and inorganic waste? Should we really be digging up all this earth? Why are you moving all these rocks around? Can't we make just one fire pit instead of seven? My inquiries were received with looks of confusion; I was left feeling like the queen of prissiness.

My bad attitude was called out by my good friend and UAC-CP graduate turned UAC-CP staff member Carlos Vergara. "Sarita, why are you looking like that?" he asked in his impeccable English, as I sat along the river (apparently scowling) as I watched students frolic in the swift current (I wasn't keen on entering--I had seen too many pieces of garbage float by). Carlos, who is my ever-so-trusty cultural beacon, had no sympathy for my displeasure. "Sarita, this is what we do for camping. You have another idea of relax, but that is not what my people do. This is what we love!"

Group of students eats breakfast--hot chocolate and a piece of bread--before starting the day.

Carlos had a point. The students loved it--that I could not argue. Despite the fact that I was the only one whose tent survived the rain and wind storm on Saturday night, all the students were loving the experience. Working together, they took turns hunting for firewood, cooking, and washing dishes. Free time was spent playing games, swimming, and preparing for Sunday evening's talent show. "I wish we could stay another night," Olga, a beautiful and timid young woman from Potosi, told me over breakfast. "Don't you want to stay?" she asked me. I didn't have the heart to tell her.

Truthfully, I wanted nothing more than to go home. The 50 percent of me that Myers Briggs has identified as introverted, needed to be set free from the big group. Which is why this morning (day three) as I started to watch the clouds roll in and feel the rain begin to fall, I decided to start packing up my things. And then, by some grand miracle, my phone rang. It was Sr. Jean and UAC-CP driver Javier Tintaya coming back with visitors from La Paz. They would be passing by Pacallo--would I like a ride back to Carmen Pampa they asked. Yes!

Within twenty minutes of that phone call, I was seated in the front seat of the SUV telling the backseat gringo contingent all about my weekend (making it clear that my dissatisfaction was an exception to the rule and acknowledging my straight up bad attitude). Sr. Jean, perhaps used to my more positive spin on things, laughed. "I can't wait to see how you blog about this one!" she said.

Alas! The true confessions of an unhappy camper...very happy to be back in Carmen Pampa.

chasquis vs. fiber optic cables

2009-11-06T08:20:00.000-04:00

More than 500 years ago, the success of the Inca Empire's intricate communication system relied upon chasquis--messengers who delivered important news or transported special objects between distant locations. Typically, chasquis were exceptionally strong men between the ages of 18 - 25-years-old who ran for miles, often in high altitude and poor weather conditions, to complete their assigned tasks. They were, in essence, the information super highway of the Incan era.

I couldn't help but think of the chasquis the other day as I watched a team of IT specialists from La Paz working to install fiber optic cables to connect the UAC-CP's upper and lower campuses. Once complete, the College will have an internal telephone system and better Internet connection--a modern-day information super highway right here in Carmen Pampa.

With no cell phone signal in Carmen Pampa, my "pink brick" serves only as an alarm clock. It's convenient for when I'm in Coroico or La Paz, however, as it has phone and texting capabilities.

Although chasquis in the traditional sense are no longer used, communication in rural Bolivia mostly still relies on the same general concept--if you want to send a message or a package, you send it with a person. Even here in Carmen Pampa where our Internet and phone access are an exception to the rural Bolivian rule, we are constantly relying on one another to deliver things via chasquis. "Are you going to the other campus?" we frequently ask one another. "Will you tell [insert name] that [insert message]?"

Although cell phones are quickly making their way into the lives of rural Bolivians (they are relatively inexpensive to buy and maintain), cell phone signals have yet to arrive in most tucked away areas (Carmen Pampa, for example). Of course, for the younger generation there is e-mail and the Internet has made an appearance in some major rural towns (it's become a great way for us to maintain contact with UAC-CP graduates), but unlike in the U.S., people here are unable to check e-mail with relative frequency making it an unreliable way to send urgent information.

The word-o-mouth method is better than nothing--even though it's unarguably very slow and unreliable. It's painful, too. Last June one of our students from a very poor village about 15 hours away from the UAC-CP was unaware that his father had died until a classmate from the same hometown arrived to Carmen Pampa with the news. Sitting in my office with a hand over his face to cover his tears, Francisco said he couldn't believe he had missed his father's funeral. His family had no way to contact him. His story is unfortunately not unique.

As part of his required community work hours, UAC-CP student Rinel Apaza helps to install new wiring on Campus Leahy.

Chasquis and fiber optic cables; pututus and wireless internet. These juxtapositions show how rural Bolivia finds itself at a tremendous communication crossroads. It's an intersection that is gradually bringing modern technology (cell phones, Internet, etc.), in contact with old communication methods still used today (as I write this, I can literally hear the call of the pututu announcing a community meeting for the locals).

Though it seems a long time coming, looking back it's really incredible to consider just how fast our communication abilities at the College have evolved. When I arrived here for the first time six years ago the Internet was essentially non-exist and and our lone office phone on Campus Leahy provided spotty, expensive service. Generally, to communicate with the outside world it was at least a 45 minute trip to Coroico (wait time not included) to use painfully slow and relatively costly Internet (according to my watch, it took about four minutes just to open a single e-mail).

Today, I have wireless Internet in my bedroom! The other night, in fact, with the help of Skype (an online software program with phone and texting capabilities) I dialed up a taxi driver from Coroico to ask that he send a car to pick up visitors from the UAC-CP. After I hung up, I was ecstatic--a task that once might have taken me a good chunk of time, energy, and money to arrange, took me no longer than two minutes and about 30 cents. Even the most robust chasqui couldn't compete with that!

javier alvarez: a positive outcome

2009-11-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

John Estrem, Executive Director of Carmen Pampa Fund, reminded me recently that the success of the UAC-CP shouldn't be measured so much by the outputs (e.g. number of graduates), but by the outcomes--the work of our graduates, for example, and their response to the mission of the College. Of course, with numerous graduates and thesis students spread throughout Bolivia, it's difficult to effectively capture and measure outcomes; it's a tedious task that often requires the sharing of unique and individual stories.

Javier Alvarez, a 2007 UAC-CP Agronomy graduate, is one of many of those stories.

Javier Alvarez in his office in La Asunta in July 2009.

Since April 2007, the 38-year-old Charazani native has worked for ACDI/VOCA--a branch of USAID that supports rural development. Javier is stationed in La Asunta, South Yungas, where ACDI/VOCA is focused on two projects: 1. The implementation of social projects (potable water, bridge and school construction, etc.); and 2. The implementation of productive projects (farmer associations for crops and livestock).

Of the four projects that ACDI/VOCA is currently focused on--plantains, coffee, stevia, and apiculture (bee keeping), Javier is in charge of the latter. The organization's concentration on these four crops was determined after doing a technical study last year that identified the needs and capabilities of local farmers, Javier told me.

"What we do is this," Javier exlained. "we work directly with farming communities in the South Yungas." The process begins with beekeeper training that Javier provides to farmers in rural communities twice a month for 3 or 4 months. "We do the training in the most practical way that we can by coming to farmers in the countryside. As they are older people, and they learn by doing, we concentrate on the practical part more than the theoretical." The workshops also bring farmers on field trips, of sorts, so that they can meet with other beekeepers. "In this way, they learn farmer to farmer--they learn better..they can speak in their own language. And they can learn first-hand whether its worth it, the difficulties, the success, etc."

Javier's ACDI/VOCA project has contracted with FUNDACOM (a honey business owned and operated by UAC-CP graduates in Coroico) to build bee boxes for their training program.

After the basic training program, farmers form associations made up of people who are fully dedicated to the project. "The training allows us to see who has real abilities to implement the program. Some people like it, others don't..so this is how we do the workshops in each community."

"Interested families can receive up to five bee colonies," Javier said. Seeing the look on my face, he anticipated my question before I had the chance to ask. "Why five? Because we did an analysis of the flowers in the sector. We could give each family 10 - 20 colonies, but the bees depend on the flowers for their alimentation..and we decided that the five colonies can be divided in their lots. Fifty columns for one sector is a lot, so we have determined that five is a sustainable number."

When I talked to him in July, Javier was working with six communities (about 90 families, he estimated). "Once the farmers have their product, the idea is that they will be able to work with ARCo (another USAID branch) that has more strength in commercialization. Whether it is ARCo or us, we will help them guarantee a market so that, in the end, they increase their family's income." Javier said the work is a way to help foster economic and social justice for Bolivia's rural poor.

Once he had finished explaining his work, I asked Javier how he interprets the mission of the UAC-CP. He explained that the mission of the College has a lot to do with human formation. "We learn how to transmit our knowledge to the people in the countryside so that they can also develop in the same type of way. More than anything, we are trained to help contribute to rural development. In my case, those of us with this project [UAC-CP at ACDI/VOCA] are working to help farmers implement successful production so that they can improve their income."

"I believe that I am realizing the mission [of the UAC-CP]," Javier told me, pointing to ways in which the College infused him with values of responsibility, honesty, and respect. "These are the values that we need to spread throughout the communities we reach. It is our duty as graduates of the Colege to help community leaders learn these values so that justice exists for people. And by people," Javier continued, "I include women, too, because in the countryside there does exist a problem with the marginalization of women. They are valued very little and that's not good. So, more than anything, our work is to insert the human values we've learned into rural communities. That, for me, is most important."

"Thanks to God, things are going well for me in my work," said the married father of two. "I've earned my place in this world...and I feel good because I think I'm supporting people that really need."

Check out Hugh's post about his recent conversation with Javier.

bread babies

2009-11-01T15:32:00.018-04:00

As my country folk spend the day recovering from their Halloween sugar highs, those of us in Bolivia are gearing up for Todos Santos.

Todos Santos (All Saints) is a multi-day, government-recognized holiday that, melding indigenous and Catholic beliefs, celebrates the lives and pays tribute to the memories of deceased family and friends. Essentially, it's Memorial Day--with a twist.

Todos Santos is characterized most commonly by t'antawawas (a word in the indigenous Aymara that means "bread babies"). Ceramic faces representing people and animals are sold so that people can bake them onto the bread. They are left on altars prepared for the spirits' return and they are handed out to visitors who come to pray for the deceased.

As is custom, people prepare altars in their homes to remember those who have died--particularly family members who have died within the past year--and to welcome the spirits for visits. The kitchen tables-turned-altars are covered in a collage of things: momentos that represent the deceased (pictures, keepsakes, etc.) as well as candles, bread, fruit, chicha, and sweets. Neighbors and friends visit the homes and pray before the altars offering up their wish for the deceased to safely find their way to the afterlife. In each home they usually prepare and eat the favorite meal of the person(s) they are remembering.

The altar prepared in the Volunteer House last year for Todos Santos. The ladder is a common symbol (often in bread form) that represents a way for the spirits to "climb up" into the afterlife.

Tomorrow people can be found visiting the local cemeteries where they will gather around the eternal resting places of their loved ones. As a community, they will gather together to eat, drink, chew coca, and listen to music. Like other visitors, I am more than welcome to join them. As I did last year, tomorrow I plan to make my way around the cemetery with a big bag in hand to accept the gifts of t'antawawas, popped corn/rice/wheat, and candies that they give in return for praying with them.

It's a lovely tradition and one of my favorite Bolivian celebrations.

For more information, try a google search for "Todos Santos" or, for those of you who read Spanish (or for those of you who don't, but want to see some pictures), click here to read an interesting, more in depth description.

all hands on deck

2009-10-27T07:04:00.004-04:00

There are definitely some disadvantages to living smack dab in the middle of the place where I work. But living in a small community peppered with talented young people has its advantages, too. And I make full use of that convenience!

Like a couple months ago when a volunteer's going away party happened to land on my night to cook. While I can usually hold my own in the kitchen, this particular evening I was desperate for help. The guest of honor had requested her favorite Bolivian meal: chicharron de pollo with fried yuca. Apart from tracking down the chickens and the yuca, I had no idea how to begin preparing the meal for our near twenty guests.

Nursing students Gimena Cadena and Jose Luis Gomez prepare chicken for dinner at the Volunteer House. As I am unskilled at preparing Bolivian cuisine, they were my dinner party lifesavers!

With two hours before show time, I walked out to the Campus Manning courtyard (i.e. my backyard) and easily persuaded two first-year Nursing students to help. While I provided the entertainment (music and intermittent dancing), Gimena Cadena and Jose Luis Gomez put on aprons and set to work. And within no time a delightful dinner was being shared among a table full of hungry guests. Potential dinner party disaster diverted!

Jose Luis and Gimena saved me that night--as many of our students save me in last-minute emergencies or tight pinches. Here, it's handy to have a plethora of people to ask for help--many of whom have unique talents.

Ecotourism students Damian (pictured) and Ruly Antonio stepped up to the plate at the last minute and accompanied my visiting friend Kelly Abraham and me on the Ecovia Trek. Their fire-starting skills were rewarded with S'mores!

The electric shower in the Volunteer House isn't working? We call on Beto, a sixth semester Ecotourism student. He's a trained electrician and can, within minutes, ingeniously solve any type of electrical problem. Need a chair or an end table fixed? Talk to Eddy who works in the UAC-CP's carpentry shop on the upper campus. He'll drill a hole, put in a bolt, and even load the repaired item back into the truck. Foot infection or stomachache? Go see UAC-CP Nursing graduate Sr. Carmen who lives next door. The contents of her first-aid kit, combined with her sweet bedside care, will heal sickness and infection.

UAC-CP students represent a hodgepodge of abilities that range from sewing and painting to mouse trap setting and bat chasing. I rely on students to help carry luggage and groceries, unclog sinks, and fix broken locks.

Of course there are generally no financial transactions for these services. But I usually try to find some way to thank students or compensate them for sharing their time and talent. Often, their "payment" somehow aligns with the context of their good deed. Like, Gimena and Jose Luis stayed and had dinner with us on the night they cooked and Beto always takes a hot shower in our house once the electrical situation is under control (a nice change from cold showers in the dorms).

There are definitely days when I long to be a little less in the middle of it all, but I also recognize the advantage of being surrounded by so many talented and able-bodied young people who can come to the rescue when I need it most. Without their help, my dinner parties (and my work) would be less flavorful.

sleepless night

2009-10-16T11:45:00.003-04:00

Despite a deep sleep last night and a strong cup of UAC-CP coffee this morning, I'm still feeling the effects of my overnight stay in the women's Pre-University dorm on Wednesday.

Erika Sarmiento is an Agronomy student who serves as a resident assistant in the women's Pre-University dorm. Above, she's pictured with two Pre-University students, Martha and Lidia.

According to my calculations, it's been about 15 years since I first came to know the life of all-nighters, meal plans, and roommates. And truthfully, I can't say that I miss dorm living. But I can say that I do have really fond memories of it--living in close community with some of my dearest friends during a really exciting time in my life.

Here at the UAC-CP, the dorms are a stark contrast to the now seemingly luxurious facilities I had as a college student. In fact, here our students live in dorms that exemplify "close quarters." In the Pre-University dorm, for example, 38 women share one giant room packed with 20 bunk beds (an overflow of 15 additional female students live in old offices that were transformed to dorm space to meet the growing demand). Each student has a "caja" (a box) and a shelf next to her bed for personal belongings. A bathroom with five toilets, five cold water showers, and a sink for both hand washing and laundry serves as their communal facilities.

But while the amenities and comforts at the UAC-CP are lacking, it was neat for me to see on Wednesday night how our students are having an experience very similar to the one I remember and cherish--close friendships and good fun. As I walked around visiting different bunks throughout the evening, I found young women were working on homework, listening to music, talking, and laughing/giggling.

Many Pre-University students arrived at the UAC-CP last February as strangers and now consider each other best friends.

The women insist that the close quarters and limited facilities don't bother them. In fact, they claimed, they like living together as one giant group. "One of the great things is that we get to know each other so well," one student explained. "The beauty of this College is that we live together* and that gives us the opportunity to share in each other's lives--our joys, fears, sadness, and success! This experience is just as much a part of our academic and human formation as our classes are."

Some students admitted that it is difficult living with so many people in the room--especially when it comes time to sleep (this, I was soon to discover for myself). While some people (me, for instance) like to go to bed around 11 pm or earlier, others stay up with the overhead lights turned on. And others like to lay in bed and chat with their "neighbor."

Between the lights, the chatting, the giggling, and the paper thin mattress, I'll admit: I didn't sleep too well on Wednesday night. But I tried to make the best of the situation as I laid on the bottom bunk under my sleeping bag listening to conversations and laughter and remembering a long-lost, but beloved time when dorm life was my reality--when sleepless nights were the norm.

*The UAC-CP is very unique in that it provides housing and a food program. Most all universities/colleges in Bolivia do not provide opportunities for room and board which is part of why costs at other institutions of higher learning are prohibitive for many students from the rural area.

creating change...poco a poco

2009-10-13T10:30:00.021-04:00

Remote. Isolated. Far. Uphill.

Those are the words that kept running through my head yesterday as I made my way to Villa Copacabana--a community of about 40 families perched high in a tucked away corner of the Nor Yungas mountains that is accessible only on foot.

I was part of a four-person contingent that set out from Coroico at 6am. The purpose of our visit to Villa Copacabana was two fold: I was going to visit UAC-CP Education student Ruben Pari who recently founded a one-room schoolhouse in the community. My companions (Sr. Carmen and Fr. Israel) were going because Ruben had asked representatives of the parish in Coroico to celebrate a mass and offer the sacrament of baptism to community members.

A 9-year-old girl hauls provisions up the trail to Villa Copacabana...with her piglet in tow.

After a two hour drive along the road between Coroico and Caranavi, we arrived at the sad little river town of San Pedro. From there, our driver Salvador parked the jeep and we set out to finish our commute on foot. Slow but steady we made the 1 1/2 hour hike upward to Villa Copacabana.

Sometimes, even though I know the answer, I ask the question anyway so I can hear someone else say it aloud. "How do they get all their belongings to their community?" I asked Sr. Carmen, a native of Peru of who comes from a poor, rural family. "They carry everything on their backs," she responded. "Incredible, isn't it?" Incredible, if not almost unbelievable.

But not entirely unbelievable as all the way up we passed (and were passed) by members of the community carrying large loads on their back. We met one woman with a week's supply of food (rice, potatoes, etc.,) for her family of nine strapped to her shoulders. In her hands she carried a thermos of water and a giant 2-liter bottle of cooking oil. Her oldest daughter, age 14, also carried a load on her back in addition to carrying the family's newest member, 4-month-old Ana, in her arms. They make the trip down and up at least once-a-week for food, they told me. I promised myself right then and there: no more circling the lot on beautiful summer days looking for the closest parking spot to the door of the grocery store.

Ruben Pari, far left, stands at the head of the class. The dirt floor, he said, often turns to mud when it rains and water leaks through the roof. The community recently stuccoed the inside walls.

When we finally arrived to Villa Copacabana we were welcomed by Ruben and his flock of little wide-eyed pupils. Sweating profusely from our final ascent under the hot sun, I was happy to find shade inside the one-room, adobe schoolhouse. As I caught my breath and re-hydrated, I started quizzing Ruben about his work. Question number one: "How did you ever end up in this remote village?"

Thirty-year-old Ruben, who hails from a small community near Carmen Pampa, said he learned about the need for a school in Villa Copacabana through the mayor's office in Coroico. A young man whose vocation to be a teacher is, I think, both unique and inspiring, Ruben said he chose to live and work in Villa Copacabana about seven months ago because he believes in the power of education to transform and improve lives.

Ruben outside the home the community built for him. He is one of four siblings to study at the UAC-CP. His sister Karin is a graduate of the Veterinary Science Department.

"I want to be a part of making change. And these kids," Ruben said, gesturing to his students, "are the future of their community, the future of my country." Ruben explained that many children from the countryside grow up and leave for the city because they don't learn to value what they have and are unable to appreciate who they are. That's why Ruben's goal is to empower children with not only the basic reading, writing, and arithmetic abilities, but to provide them with technical training and human formation.

Shy at first, this young student took to calling me "tia" (auntie) by the end of our 6-hour visit.

Ruben admitted that living in a remote area isn't easy. There is no water, for example, which means a 25-minute hike to retrieve and carry buckets home. And a few weeks ago when Ruben became severely ill, he had to rely on community members to carry him down the mountain in search of immediate medical attention. Funding for the school itself, Ruben said, is also in peril which means his salary has no long-term guarantee. Currently, his students work a communal plot of land where they harvest and sell coca in order to purchase basic school supplies such as paper, chalk, etc.

But despite the difficulties, challenges, and uncertain future, Ruben remains positive and optimistic. He has to, he told me--the kids need a place to learn and he feels called to educate them. "Do you like what you do?" I asked Ruben, who has a tendency to look and act rather serious. A smile immediately consumed his face. "I love it."

Under a makeshift tarp, Fr. Israel celebrated mass (in Spanish and Aymara). "Today, we are here to share and celebrate our gratitude for all that we have; to give thanks for our lives, our families, our health, and the addition of your new little school."

Again, I didn't have to ask. I already knew the answer; it's obvious that Ruben loves his work. Though he's paid for teaching 8:30 am - 12:30 pm every day, his students and community members tell me he often works until 6 or 7 pm. It's also obvious that everyone loves having him there. "He's so dedicated to his work," the village leader told me at lunch (the second of two lunches the community fed us). "We hope he stays with us regardless of what happens with school funding."

In addition to working as a teacher, Ruben also finds himself in the role of community organizer and student. He's using part of his teaching experience at the school for the basis of his thesis project--a graduation requirement at the UAC-CP. And he said he's gaining important experience as he helps the community learn to determine how they want to structure the school and what vision they have for themselves as a group. They want to grow; their hope is to provide education for students through the eighth grade. (The nearest high school is a four hour round-trip walk each day which one student in the community currently makes).

Me, Sr. Carmen, Fr. Israel, and the community leader of Villa Copacabana pose with Ruben (in the doorway) and seven of his 11 students.

By the time lunch was served at 1 pm I had had a few hours to observe and interact with Ruben, his students, and Villa Copacabana community members. I had a better understanding of why the addition of the little school was so significant.

As I looked at the plate of food set before me, feeling very conscious of the fact that everything on it--the potatoes, the hard boiled egg, the cheese, the lettuce, even the plate itself--had been carried up to this place on some one's back, the same words from earlier that morning came to mind: Remote. Isolated. Far. Uphill. But as I started to feed my growling stomach, I noted in my notebook a new segment of words that rushed over me: Gratitude. Value. Inspiration. Human spirit.

The ability of people to survive with so little. The appreciation for education in its rawest and purest form. And the passion and determination of young people like Ruben who are committed to making the world a better place...poco a poco. "You have to start making a difference somewhere," a community member told me soon thereafter, "why not here?"

Additional photos of the visit to Villa Copacabana can be viewed here on my picasa site.

dance nation

2009-10-09T22:33:00.002-04:00

As much as I enjoy it, I will never be able to fully appreciate the relationship Bolivians have with dance. It's one that, while common throughout Latin America, completely fails to exist in the culture I come from.

Education students danced Tobas at the College's recent Intercarreras festival.

During any first round of get-to-know-you questions, I'm often asked by Bolivians about my preference for dance. What's your favorite Bolivian dance or music? Have you been to Carnaval in Oruro? Have you seen La Paz's Grand Poder? I've lived here long enough that I can hold my own in these conversations; I have the verbiage to impress Bolivians with my ability to rattle off the names and hum the music of a variety of traditional dances. But, it's when they ask: "What are the folkloric dances you do in your country?" that I stumble over choosing the proper way to respond. "Mmmm... The Polka? The Twist? The Electric Slide?"

Really, in the U.S. we have nothing that compares to the overwhelming number of folkloric dances here in Bolivia--the ones that are celebrated at community festivals, school events, and city celebrations. Each dance tells an important story and expresses deep sentiments about Bolivian culture. Some dances tell the story of Bolivia's history--its struggle for liberation from Spain. Some dances tell the story of the indigenous belief in Pachamama (Mother Earth)--their reverence for the land as they ask for blessings upon the harvest. Some dances represent modern day life--backbreaking work in the field to make sure bread arrives at the table.

Pre-University students waiting to dance Tinku. They went on to win second place.

Me pictured with UAC-CP Director Fr. Freddy dressed up and ready to dance Pujllay with the other UAC-CP administrators.

Visitors and volunteers here are always amazed that everyone here dances. Men, women, and children all spend hours committed to learning the proper steps, moving their bodies in the same rhythmic motion. Their love and passion for the dance is something that I am unable to equate to anything that we have in our melting pot culture in the U.S.

Agronomy students sit in the shade waiting for their turn to dance El Chacarero--a cowboy dance that comes from Bolivia's Chaco region. It's characterized by the male part which involves high kicks and fierce boot stomps.

Last Sunday as part of the College's four-day festival, the entire day was dedicated to traditional, group dances. Seven groups participated, each representing one of each of the College's five major academic departments as well as the Pre-University Program and the College's administrators (with whom I danced Pujllay). Each group paraded onto Carmen Pampa's soccer field and dancing in front of a panel of judges and an enormous crowd of locals who flocked to see the major attraction--as events of this magnitude don't generally happen in the countryside.

In the end, the Veterinary Science Department took home the first place win for their interpretation of the Cocalero. Wearing homemade costumes and using a local band of Carmen Pampa area farmers on pan flutes, the Veterinary Science students simulated all of the many parts that compose the reality of coca growers in a very political, social, and cultural way. The last group to dance, they were for every one of us watching, I think, the obvious winner.

Veterinary Science students won first place with their dance of Cocalero. Their unique interpretation, which included all homemade costumes (like the paper machete mask of Bolivian president Evo Morales), paid tribute to the local people who make a living by growing coca.

the godmother

2009-10-07T07:01:00.000-04:00

Padrinos y madrinas (godfathers and godmothers) are to Bolivia what baseball and apple pie are to the U.S.

Unlike what most people may think of the traditional godparents who are elected at the birth of a child to participate in the Christian rites of baptism, confirmation, etc., godparents in Bolivia are named for most any occasion.

Here, for example, I have been the godmother of a good variety of things, like: Coca-Cola, soccer jerseys, Christmas toys, bridal clothing, flowers, hair cuts, sports tournaments, cakes, graduation parties, and live animals--to name a few.

Baptism in Carmen Pampa officiated by UAC-CP director Fr. Freddy del Villar.

Just as asking someone to be the godparent of a child at baptism is an official form of taking on responsibility for that child during his/her life, Bolivians invite people to be godparents of things as a way to fund/sponsor all or part of an event or things. Some things, like weddings, might be entirely unaffordable if left to the host/ess. That's why bits and pieces are farmed out to people who are named godparents. At weddings there are always godparents of the rings, invitations, cake, decorations, reception hall, etc. "You mean you the couple and their family pays for the whole thing?" Bolivians ask me increduously when I explain our godparent-less custom in the U.S.

Of course there are the traditional godmothers and godfathers in the way most people probably interpret the word. In fact, being named a godparent of baptism is, as they say, kind of a big deal. It's a serious commitment; a promise of sorts to be part of someone's life...forever. Which is why I take this request most seriously and I don't always accept the offer.

But a couple weeks ago, Agronomy student Alex Aguilera gave me the thumb to forefinger hand gesture that means: "Can we talk for just a second?" And, as expected (thanks to Hugh tipping me off), Alex made the pitch. "Will you be my madrina?" he asked.

I told 25-year-old Alex what I tell any UAC-CP student who asks me to be their godmother. "If I accept, that gives me every right to make your personal life my business. Are you sure you want to invite me into your life?" Albeit briefly, he considered this. "Okay," he replied. And so it was during mass this past Sunday that I became, yet again, a godmother.* Now begins the custom of Alex calling me madrina (godmother) and me calling him aijado (godson); of both of us always having some kind of unique connection to the other.

Of all the times I've been madrina of Coke, cake, and t-shirts, I've most enjoyed being madrina for Daniel Carrizales.

...

"Madrina!" my 6-year-old godson Daniel Carrizales called out to me last night as he dug around in a pile of odds and ends under the stairwell of the Volunteer House. "What is this!?" he asked, walking into the living room holding a bat and ball. "Que es esto!?" I repeated, mocking his emphasis on the word "this." "That," I said, "is a ball and a bat. It's called baseball; it's a game we play in my country." Baseball. One more lesson to teach my godson. Right after we bake an apple pie!

*Hugh, by a long shot, holds the record for most godchildren. People are pretty sure every child in the neighboring community of Chovacollo are his aijados.

the grand fiesta

2009-10-01T11:24:00.008-04:00

With all the noise going on, you may have already heard: today marks the first of four full days of festivities here at the UAC-CP.

The annual fiesta, which grows bigger and bigger every year, celebrates the anniversary of the founding of the College. This year we celebrate 16 years of serving Bolivia's rural sector through higher education!

Ecotourism classmates wait for the relay runners to arrive at Campus Leahy. The festival starts Wednesday evening with a relay run from the Puerta del Viento--a well-recognized notch in the mountain above the College.

The olympic-esque tradition dates back to the day when the College had just barely enough people to make one or two soccer teams. They competed in the Inter-UACs--fending off against their peers at the other four UACs* located on Bolivia's high plain. But as the UAC-Carmen Pampa started to grow rapidly and successfully, it was decided that there were plenty of talented athletes, musicians, dancers, actors, etc. right here in Carmen Pampa.

An Education student watches a futsal game.

Today, with an average student body population of 700 students, there are plenty of willing and able competitors. Identified by the color of their t-shirts, the name on their flag, and the rhythm of their cheer, students in Nursing, Agronomy, Ecotourism, Veterinary Science, Education, and Pre-University participate in a variety of events: sports, dancing, poetry, chess, singing, etc.

While students busy themselves with events, UAC-CP administrators work behind the scenes--preparing lunch for everyone. When I walked down to the 25 de Mayo food cooperative this morning, faculty and staff were busy toasting rice, peeling carrots, and cutting potatoes. "We have 800 potatoes to prepare," I overheard someone call out. It takes a lot of potatoes to feed 700 active young people!

Andres Pardo, Director of the UAC-CP's Education Department, and Jose Luis Beltran, Director of the UAC-CP's Agronomy Department, prepare peas for today's lunch.

The festival will end on Sunday with the entrada--a parade of traditional, large-group dances that will weave its way down to the village of Carmen Pampa and finish on the College's soccer field. Administrators, students, and graduates will all be on hand to celebrate together!

By the time Sunday evening arrives, the winners will have been awarded, the cheering will have died down, and the flags and banners and costumes will have been put away. Students will be exhausted from multiple days of giving it their all. And on Monday we'll go back to "normal" as we continue on with our mission and work to serve through higher education.

*There are four other Unidad Académica Campesina colleges. They are financed and managed entirely independent of the UAC-Carmen Pampa.