sister theresa merwin, mfic

On Saturday, January 17th, Sr. Theresa Merwin, mfic, slipped away from this world. Tomorrow her community of Franciscan Sisters, family, and dear friends gather in Boston to mourn her passing and celebrate her incredible life--a life that was wholly dedicated to education and social justice and peace.

Anyone who met Theresa, remembers her as the kindest and most gentle and patient person they've ever known. Her trademark was her ability to take your hands in hers and stroke them ever so tenderly while she conversed with you.  In that moment, all was right in the world.  

In nearly every photo I found of Theresa she is holding someone's hand or giving them a hug.

You could feel that same emotion in the letters she wrote, too. They were filled with lots of underlined words and capital letters and exclamation points, all there to drive home the central point that: "YOU are SPECIAL!!!" (She had a litany of words like "Marvelous!" and "Wonderful!" and "AMEN!" in her vocabulary. Those were the words she would underline many times in her letters or jubilantly exclaim during conversation.) Other people could say or write those things, but when they came from her it was with such sincerity that you truly believed it. 

Theresa was a force when it came to the power of prayer. Whether you needed just a good thought sent your way or a miracle for an impossible situation, Sr. Theresa was your woman. A couple years ago when I was scheduled to have surgery in La Paz, she called me the day before to ask what time the operation would begin. Theresa then assured me that at 9 am the next morning she and her steadfast friend Sr. Damon would light a candle in the chapel and pray for me. Laying on the operating table the following day, I immediately felt stronger, braver when the clock on the wall struck 9 am. I knew at that exact moment they were thinking of me.

On some level, her over-the-top kindness and goodness made her a bit naive about other things. The Sisters' good friends Nancy Murphy and Kimberly Lane, who visited the College often, would have all of us--Theresa included--roaring of laughter with stories of things Theresa had innocently said or done or misunderstood.  (Plus, it's hard to be much of a card shark when you're too busy fawning over your opponents in a game of "May I" to make sure their glass is full of Coke and their popcorn supply has been sufficiently replenished.) And yet, as one person pointed out in a Facebook post, Theresa had a very sly wit (one example was the "decoy purse" that she carried around the  streets of La Paz to fend off potential pick pockets). Like all the Franciscan Sisters I know, Theresa was a quick thinker and doer. 

Sr. Theresa pictured with her old friend Don José, a community member of Carmen Pampa.

Despite her incredibly kind demeanor, she was no pushover. I wouldn't say she was "strict" with students at the UAC, but she definitely held them to high standards. She knew very well when they were trying to sweet talk their way out of homework or getting permission for an excused absence. She stood firm on the College's attendance policy and class start times, which in Bolivian culture was often pushed to the limits. Sr. Damon, who was director of the College at the time, always used Theresa as an example for the volunteers who were hesitant to reprimand UAC students for poor attendance by reminding us that despite Theresa taking a hard line, students consistently gave her exceptionally high reviews in teacher evaluations. That's because students knew that whatever decisions she made, she made them fairly and out of love.  (To this day, most UAC graduates can recite the mission of the UAC word for word because Theresa taught it in a sing-song way. I have a clear picture of walking past her classroom and hearing them sing: "La misión de la UAC es hacer llegar la educación superior...." Theresa would be weaving her way around desks with her hands in the air as if she were conducting an orchestra.)

I have lots of fond memories of Theresa, but when I remember her, I see her wearing her brown Birkenstocks with dark socks, a long blue apron with her Tao dangling from a cord around her neck, and lots of thin colorful rubber bands around her wrists (her system for remembering things). I would often walk in the small kitchen of the convent in Carmen Pampa to find her shuffling around while she prepared a meal or dessert. As most visitors and volunteers know, Theresa was famous for her "Julia's Never Fail Chocolate Cake" with homemade mocha frosting. It was always on the table for newly arrived guests or birthday celebrations....along with a glass of Coca-Cola. (She prescribed Coca-Cola for headaches, stomachaches, altitude sickness, bad days, and just a chance to sit down and take a break. Every single person that came to the door was invited to sit down and have a class of Coke. I think the convent almost went broke at one point due to her Coke purchases!)

Sr. Theresa's last visit to Carmen Pampa for the College's 20th anniversary celebration in 2013.
Theresa, my son and I are pictured with Sr. Damon, Sr. Chris, and a UAC Nursing graduate

Hands down, my favorite story that Theresa told was about the time she hungrily ate two hard-boiled eggs that were place before her after a long ride on horseback in rural Peru, only to discover that the eggs were meant to be shared among four people. (It's the same story that Carmen Pampa Fund included for the first reading of the first week of Advent in our recent reflection and meditation booklet.) The first time I heard it I was sitting at the dining room table in the Sisters' house after our regular Sunday brunch. The profound lesson of her simple, yet powerful experience: "We are not here to teach people. We are here to learn from them." She kept that lesson in humility close to her heart in all that she did as a Franciscan Missionary Sister.

Of course I only knew Theresa for a relatively brief period of her incredibly full and long life. (Her obituary didn't even begin to sum up all of her many accomplishments--all of the remarkable trailblazing things she did and all of the lives she blessed as an educator and friend.) But I'm incredibly grateful to have been touched and influenced by her beautiful spirit. 

Theresa had the ability to recognize and appreciate the amazing gifts in every person she met. May we always be able to see that same goodness in others...and in ourselves. That, I believe, is the marvelous gift she left for all of us.

Paz y bien, Hermana.

*Photo credit: Steve Lukas

long journey home

UAC-CP students always have a way of putting things into perspective for me.  The other day, for instance, I was a bit homesick; I was feeling particularly far away from my Minnesota/South Dakota friends and family. Then, I chatted with Soledad.

Twenty-three-year-old UAC-CP Education student Soledad Carcasi is from a community named San Fermin in the province of Apolo located in northern Bolivia near the border with Peru. When she travels home to visit her family during summer and winter breaks, the two day trip home takes her through the capital city of La Paz, over Bolivia's high plain, across part of Lake Titicaca, and past the border into Peru. One of the final legs of her journey home takes Soledad across a river back into Bolivia on a balsa boat.  From there, she walks even farther before reaching her family's home.

That sound's exhausting, I think, and insist that there must be another way that doesn't require travel through another country. "There is another route," she admits, "but transportation isn't frequent." After a 17 hour ride on a bus from La Paz to the town of Apolo, this way home requires that she walk for 4 -5 days through the jungle.  I ask if she's ever walked it and she admits that she has "various times."

Like many UAC-CP students, her home community of San Fermín offers no educational opportunities past the eighth grade. Determined that she graduate from high school, Soledad's parents took her and her sister to the "nearby" town of Apolo.  There, the two girls shared a room and were looked after by a friend of their parents.

"During vacation [from high school], I was supposed to stay in Apolo," Soledad explained. "But I was only 14 or 15 -years-old and I always wanted to go home. So I would make the 4-5 day journey on foot--along with 2 or 3 other friends, including my sister."

Knowing what I know of rural Bolivia, I try to imagine the logistics of young teens making this trek.  I ask where they would sleep at night.  "En el monte," she tells me laughing. Essentially, they would just lay down in the middle of nowhere in the jungle and sleep until the sun came up. "Then, we'd get up and start walking for another day."

This August, Soledad will yet again travel across international borders to arrive at a place she will call "home." As one of two young women chosen from the UAC-CP Education Department to participate in a 10-month long teaching exchange program through Amity Institute, the UAC-CP student body president will travel from the College in Carmen Pampa to Adams Spanish Immersion School in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Though obviously thousands of miles farther away, it will take less than half the amount of time for Soledad to be greeted by her host family at the MSP airport than it does for her to visit her family in San Fermín.

Considering, I'm sure Soledad won't mind the things that cause most of us to complain: security checks, cramped seats, and airline food.  I wonder if she'll find it curious that in a journey of more than 1,000 miles, the only signifant amount of walking she will probably do will be on moving walkways between gates in Miami.

Always welcoming a new perspective, I'm excited to hear about her journey.

cpf board member brings unique experience

When Becky Monnens joined Carmen Pampa Fund's Board of Directors in 2013, she was no stranger to the cause.

As a volunteer at the College in Carmen Pampa from 2000-2003, Becky played an integral part of day to day operations. "I worked on development of projects and proposals with college staff and faculty, organized and coordinated visits from donors, partners (South Dakota State University, St. Catherine University, etc.) and others. I also was the staff advisor for the student-run food cooperative, occasionally taught English classes, managed the computer lab and other various tasks."

Becky pictured in 2001 with UAC-CP founder Sr. Damon Nolan. She volunteered at the College for three years.

The experience of volunteering at the College gave her a clear sense of self. "I learned so much about myself in those years that has continued to influence how I work and play in my life now."

In addition to sharing her time and talents with the College and Carmen Pampa Fund over the years, Becky has consistently been a generous donor.  "It's easy to donate to CPF because I know how incredibly useful my funds are in Carmen Pampa. I know how hard everyone at the College works to make good use of the funds. I've kept in touch with a number of students (now graduates) from the time I lived there. I know what a huge difference their education has made for not only them and their family, but also their communities. The effects of my funds multiply rapidly and for many years to come. You can't make a better investment than that."

Becky, Program Officer at The McKnight Foundation, makes one extra "easy" step to ensure that her employer matches her donations and volunteer time.

Becky gets an extra big return for her investment thanks to her employer, The McKnight Foundation. "My company matches both monetary donations and volunteer time.  I fill out a form that my company provides. This form is then verified and signed by CPF and returned to my company and a matching donation is made. It's a very easy process." Becky encourages other CPF donors to verify whether their employers provide matching gift options.

Why has Becky dedicated nearly half of her life to supporting the College and Carmen Pampa Fund? "The students," she said.  "It is rare that you experience the kind of dedication and hard work in a college student that is so common in UAC-CP students. Their drive to overcome poverty and a multitude of other obstacles is inspiring."

prevention, detection, and diagnosis: addressing tuberculosis and leishmaniasis

One of the many things that makes the UAC-CP unique is its emphasis on practical learning. Students in all five major areas of study at the College are required to participate in extension activities that not only provide applicable professional experiences, but also offer important services to marginalized populations.

Third semester UAC-CP Nursing students and Public Health Program Coordinator Angelica Quisbert.

One example of this focus on social service extension activities is a new public health project launched this year in the Nursing Department. “Prevention, Detection, and Diagnosis: Addressing Tuberculosis and Leishmaniasis in Yungas, Bolivia” responds to the needs of people infected with or at risk of being infected with leishmaniasis and tuberculosis. Both leishmaniasis and tuberculosis are relatively common and potentially fatal diseases within the College’s service area.* In addition to preventing and diagnosing the diseases, the project also serves as a model for other regional public health centers and provides UAC-CP Nursing students with practical experience as public health educators.

For the first semester of 2013, 25 students from the UAC-CP Nursing Department worked to implement the first phase of the project, which included a comprehensive public health survey of households in 14 communities, two K-12 schools, and the College (a population of approximately 3,500 people).

Before they could implement the survey, all third semester Nursing students participated in multiple training sessions that covered topics such as: introduction to tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, dengue, and chagas disease; identification of symptoms of leishmaniasis and tuberculosis, collection of sputum samples, surveying, social interaction, etc.

Once they were trained and organized logistically, they went out in groups of two to visit communities and do an “active search” of people with tuberculosis and leishmaniasis. In order to find people at home before they left to work in their fields, students had to start walking at 5am in the morning. (The farthest community was located three hours away.) “With a hand drawn map we walked on narrow trails through what you could call the forest to visit people house by house,” said third semester Nursing student Beto David Mamani.

A UAC-CP Nursing student talks to a local family about proper waste management.

At each household, students gathered information for the public health survey, looked for people with potential signs of tuberculosis and leishmaniasis, took samples of people with obvious symptoms of the diseases, and provided educational talks to promote healthy lifestyles, including ways to prevent and treat tuberculosis and lesihmaniasis.  “Our job is to not only diagnose people, but to educate them and advise them,” Beto said. The students are often the only medical professionals for miles around.

In addition to identifying cases of tuberculosis and leishmaniasis and helping people get the proper treatment, Nursing students also attended to special medical emergencies. “We’ve seen some pretty bad things,” Beto said recalling one particular situation in which students treated a little girl suffering from a dog bite on her face. “The family hadn’t taken the girl to the hospital, so we treated her. We walked to their home three mornings in a row to help the girl’s parents clean the wound and make sure it wasn’t infected,” Beto said. Grateful for their help, the family “paid” Beto and his classmate with bags of homegrown fruit.

Students told me that they were well received by community members. “It was really cool,” said Nursing student Roger Tapia. “We would stay and converse with community members for a long while. Often they would invite us to eat breakfast with them.” Beto agreed. “It has been a beautiful experience to work with the community members.”

The next steps for the project include expanding the active search and public health survey to include other communities within the Municipality of Coroico. Project coordinator Angelica Quisbert said she also wants students to stat processing the samples, rather than sending them to the Coroico Hospital for diagnosis. In order to do that, the College needs a better laboratory with more sophisticated equipment. “I want our students to leave [the UAC-CP] with the experience of working in a lab and processing samples.” If UAC-CP students will be working in understaffed rural clinics some day, they need to have multiple skill sets.  Currently, the only obstacles to growing the program are financial limitations.

Roger said he is grateful to everyone who has made a financial contribution to make this project a reality.  "There are many people in my country who need health care assistance" he said, "and that’s why I’m proud to be part of a project that is making a real difference for people. If we all just give a little, together we can make a big difference. In just five months we are already seeing positive results of our work. Thanks to this project, we are helping to prevent disease and, in some cases, death.”

20th anniversary tour

Unless you've been there and experienced it, it's really hard to fully understand the College and the significance of its success during the past 20 years. That is why Carmen Pampa Fund is organizing a tour to visit the College. We invite people to join us for a trip to Carmen Pampa, Bolivia, October 4-14th. 

This special 20th anniversary tour will focus on the role of the College and its impact during the past two decades on development in Bolivia's rural sector, especially with regard to agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism, education, and health care. Participants will also learn about the College's vision for the future.

Examples of trip activities include: 

• Conversations with students, staff, and faculty at the College. 

•  Cultural evening, including traditional Bolivian food, music, and dance. 

• Visits to local extension projects managed by the College to help serve rural farmers and their families. 

•  Visits with UAC-CP graduates to learn about their post-graduate work.

Click on the image of the brochure on the right for details about the trip. For more specific information, contact Sarah Mechtenberg at sarah@carmenpampafund.org or call our office at 651.641.1588.

We hope to see you in Bolivia!

twenty years later

This year, on October 4th, 2013, the College will celebrate its 20th anniversary of the founding of the UAC-CP.  It's been nearly two decades that the College has provided higher education and services to the people of Bolivia's rural area.

Sr. Damon Nolan literally built the College with students.

Planning for the College dates back to 1990 when Sr. Damon Nolan, a Franciscan missionary, who had been living and working in the area of alternative adult education in the Yungas and later served as director of the Carmen Pampa high school, started talking with local people about the need to train young people from the rural area at the college level.


A college education, everyone believed, would not only help empower the families and communities of Bolivia's poor, rural area, but it would also give aspiring men and women control over their own destiny.

The initial planning for the College was a joint effort that involved the Cathlic University of Bolivia (which, to this day, provides academic accreditation for the UAC-CP), the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception based in Boston, the Diocese of Coroico, and the Villa Nilo Sub-Central (a local governing body of the indigenous Aymaran people).  The four groups were united over their shared concern about the lack of job opportunities for recent high school graduates and a need to have professionals from the rural area trained to seek solutions and address the problems of their people living in poverty. Building a college, everyone agreed, would be a way to dismantle barriers to education and lift people out of poverty. 

Pictured of initial construction of dormitories on Campus Manning.

When the College first opened its doors for classes in January 1994, 54 students were enrolled for basic technical training. Now, nearly 20 years later, the College has a current enrollment of approximately 700 students per year and offers five degrees--four of which are undergraduate degrees: Nursing, Agronomy, Veterinary Science, and Education. (Ecotourism is a 3-year technical degree). The College boasts more than 500 graduates and thesis students, approximately 20% of whom go on for continuing studies and about half of whom are women.

In less than 20 years, the College has become a vibrant catalyst for social and economic development. More than any awards or recognition, the work of UAC-CP graduates is proof of the College's success in implementing its mission.

The desks and periodic table have remained the same, but many different faces have come and gone.

This year, we look forward to looking back on the past. Recalling stories and news events and looking at old photos, we hope to both reminded and inspired of all that has been accomplished in 20 years. This kind of exercise will be important, as it can help us evaluate the mission, vision, and  outcomes of the College's work. As a result, it will serve as a foundation to help us dream and make plans for the College's future.

If you supported the beginning years of the College in some way (a volunteer, visitor, donor, etc.,) and have pictures and/or stories to share, please send them to sarah@carmenpampafund.org.

public health in carmen pampa

The College has been fortunate to have help from Dr. Pilar Hernández. Dr. Hernández, a native of Spain and now living in Bolivia specializes in public health and infectious diseases, helped to develop a public health project for the College's Nursing Department and Public Health Center. The three-year project, "Prevention, Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment: Addressing Leishmaniasis and Tuberculosis in Yungas, Bolivia," will start this February at the College.

Dr. Hernández writes a blog about health issues in Bolivia--many of which people assume have been eradicated from the world, but still exist and prey upon people in developing countries, like Bolivia.  On her blog she also writes about her work, including the UAC-CP project.

Dr. Hernández writes on her blog:

Dr. Reynaldo Mendoza, Director of the UAC-CP's Health Clinic.

The Unidad Académica Campesina de Carmen Pampa (UAC-CP) is a university located in the Yungas subtropical region of the Department of La Paz, Bolivia. It provides access to higher education and community service for Bolivia’s poorest and most marginalized population. The UAC-CP’s Nursing Department and Public Health Program prepare young Bolivian women and men to understand and respond to health care needs and improve the quality of life for people, especially those living in the rural area.

The project I’m working in: Prevention, Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment: Addressing Leishmaniasis and Tuberculosis in Yungas, Bolivia will provide services for populations at high risk for tuberculosis and leishmaniasis, which are highly endemic in the Yungas area, as well as provide UAC-CP Nursing students with hands-on training in public health and laboratory work. The project aims at detecting tuberculosis and leishmaniasis cases in the service area of the UAC-CP, taking samples for diagnosis and provide treatment to patients.

For this project, there is a current collaboration with the Public Health Faculty of the St. Catherine’s University in Minnesota for the construction of the data base of the project. In addition, another collaboration with the Parasitology Department of the Pharmacy Faculty at the University of Barcelona on the test of topical treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis has been also established. Since the current treatment for leishmaniasis in Bolivia consists of injected Glucantime®, the use of an external treatment that can be applied by the same patients represents a big advantage.
.....
This project has received partial funding for the first year of the three-year project, but the College and Carmen Pampa Fund continue to look for financial support. If you have suggestions for funding or questions about the project, please contact Sarah Mechtenberg or Dr. Pilar Hernández.

alasitas

Today is the kick-off of one of my favorite Bolivian celebrations: Alasitas.

To explain Alasitas, I take a paragraph from the Lonely Planet guide book:  "During Inca times the Alasitas Fair ("buy from me" in Aymara) coincided with the spring equinox (September 21), and was intended to demonstrate the abundance of the fields.  The date underwent some shifts during the Spanish colonial period, which the campesinos weren't too happy about.  In effect they decided to turn the celebration into a kitschy mockery of the original.  'Abundance' was redefined to apply not only to crops, but also homes, tools, cash, clothing, and lately, cars, trucks, airplanes and even 12-story buildings.  The little god of abundance, Ekeko ("dwarf" in Aymara), made his appearance and modern Alasitas traditions are now celebrated every January 24th"...and for a couple weeks following."

A vendor displays the Ekeko, the keeper and distributor of material possessions, surrounded by tiny replicas of the things that the person wants.  The Ekeko's mouth is black from smoking too many cigarettes.

Public parks and plazas throughout major Bolivian cities and municipalities (like the town of Coroico) were crowded today with people looking to buy small versions of nearly anything you can imagine: cars, hats, dolls, candy, furniture, appliances, airline tickets, diplomas, food, and money--lots of tiny Bolivian bills and US dollars. "Buy the money, Señorita," one man told me. "And it will bring you more money!"

That, in essence, is the idea of Alasitas. All of the tiny items represent things that people either aspire to own or want to achieve/accomplish.  If you want to own a car or truck, for example, you buy a small car/truck.  If you want to travel in the coming year, you would buy a tiny passport. Once you make your purchase, you have a yatiri, or shaman, bless your purchased goods. Then, you wait for the "wish" to come true within the year.

a dream not deferred

When Pedro Argani arrived at the UAC-CP in 2004 he chose to major in Education because he wanted to support the development of Bolivia. Today, the 2011 graduate is actively executing that dream.

UAC-CP Education graduate Pedro Argani.

For the past three years, Pedro has worked as a youth educator and advocate for a non-profit organization that serves children who live on the streets of the city of El Alto. The mission of the organization is to help young people live lives of dignity. "We believe in change; we believe in the whole person," Pedro explains.

An important part of his work is taking the time to get to know young people first--asking their names, their likes, their interests, and their dreams. "I can tell you their stories; I know who each of them are." Once Pedro develops relationships with the children, his job is to focus on finding them resources, like safe shelter and schools; hoping those he works with also will gain the benefits of education.

Pedro estimates that he and his team of four eductors support approximately 500 girls and boys per year (average ages 8-16). "The children are living on the streets most often because of violence at home--physical, emotional, and sexual. In some cases, the children are abandoned by their parents or they are victims of human trafficking."

While he loves his job and is very proud of his role to support children, Pedro admits that the work can be physically demanding and emotionally exhausting. He recalls a recent instance when a 16-year-old boy died of an overdose. "We had a very close relationship," Pedro recalls solemnly.

A native of Coroico, the mountain town located just 45 minutes from the College, Pedro says the UAC-CP was his only opportunity to study at the college level. Because of his family's very limited economic situation (his mother is a street vendor and his father is a carpenter by trade), the cost of tuition, room, board, transportation, and books in the capital city of La Paz was out of the question.

Thankfully, he was awarded a half-scholarship to pay for tuition. With good grades and behavior, he maintained his scholarship for all five years of study; financial support that Pedro says was a "huge help."

Pedro believes the UAC-CP prepared him both professionally and personally. "More than anything, the UAC-CP is where I developed as a person. The mission of the College...that is what instilled me with the values of working together and supporting the greater good. In my life and in my work," he said, "I'm committed to helping other people."

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This article is part of Carmen Pampa Fund's Annual Appeal.  If you have already made a donation to Carmen Pampa Fund this year: THANK YOU! If you haven't, please take the time to give the gift of education to other young Bolivians like Pedro.  Give today.

sister chris

I first heard of the legendary Sr. Chris Cullen nearly 10 years ago when I arrived to Carmen Pampa. Local high school graduates, UAC-CP students, Carmen Pampa community members, former visitors and volunteers, and members of the Franciscan community often told stories of a tough Irish nun who was a mainstay in Carmen Pampa. She contributed in many ways to education in Bolivia's rural area several years before the College existed. She loved sports, driving her tractor, and putting students to work.  She was tenacious and sharp, they said.

Sr. Chris pictured with UAC-CP Veterinary Science thesis student Raymundo Semo.

Though I officially met Sr. Chris (or Hermana Christina, as locals call her) for the first time a couple years ago when she briefly visited Carmen Pampa, I didn't really get to know her until she returned to the College last November 2011 and ended up staying for a year...nine months longer than she originally planned.

In the past 12 months, Sr. Chris dug in deep and took on some big projects at the College.  In fact, the same morning she arrived to Carmen Pampa (after an overnight flight from Miami and 6 am arrival to La Paz), Chris had a quick cup of coffee and was off to do repairs on the church.  Her knowledge of plumbing and electricity and general maintenance--not to mention her ability to manage student workers--launched her into a position of welcome authority at the Campus Manning physical plant. (Sr. Chris even helped move along a couple construction projects in the nearby town of Coroico--organizing UAC-CP students to complete road work that was severely behind schedule).  She also quickly became a member of the UAC-CP team--helping with dorm checks, participating in staff meetings, etc.

Sr. Chris managed students doing community service work around campus.

Observing her and her interactions with other people throughout the past year, I can confirm that the things I had always heard about Chris were true: she is tough and she does love to drive (her infamous yellow tractor has since been retired, but she gladly manuevered the Toyota Landcruiser pick-up truck around the mountainous country roads of the Yungas). She is also a sports fanatic (this past Saturday she somehow got out of the group Thanksgiving photo because she had already snuck up to see the soccer game).

But what I had never gleaned from the stories before is that Chris is unassuming and more quiet than loud--she never yells; she respectfully disagrees; she listens closely--even when you think she isn't.  Never quick to make a decision, it's obvious that she mulls things over in her head. She may seem serious and stern--and can hide smiles well--but she has a fabulous sense of humor and a gregarious laugh.  And based on the stories she told of the days when she lived through Bolivian dictatorship in the early 1980s, I also think she is brave. Her commitment to social justice and her ability to work with people is inspiring to me.

Last Friday night students and staff hosted a surprise farewell party for Sr. Chris on the College's lower campus.  Words of appreciation and admiration were shared from all sides. The College's Veterinary Department presented Chris with a vest that was signed with messages from all of her students. The most common messages? "May God bless you, Sister." and "I will miss you." I think the goodbye party was just as important for Sr. Chris as is was for the students; it allowed students to show their gratitude and admiration for a woman they dearly respect... precisely because she loves and respects them.

This morning Sr. Chris boarded American Airlines 922 bound for the U.S. unsure if she will return to Carmen Pampa sooner or later. The only certainty we have for the moment is that she will be truly missed. "Sr Chris left," a UAC-CP volunteer texted me, "I feel like the campus is empty without her voice and truck engine sound. So sad."

the great give together

What has been dubbed the Great Minnesota Give Together is the fourth annual Give to the Max Day. But it's not just for Minnesotans; it's 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 our goal is to raise $20,000 – the amount required to provide 10 full scholarships to students at the College in Carmen Pampa who demonstrate outstanding academic acheivement and extreme financial need. One full scholarship, which covers the cost of tuition, housing, and membership in the Food Cooperative Program, is $2,000 per year (or, approximately $6.50 per student per day). When you consider the cost of higher education in the U.S., the UAC-CP is providing an amazing investment in the life of a young person....and their family, community, and country.

And yet, the price is far beyond the reach of many UAC-CP students who come from subsistence farming families who struggle to meet basic needs and have no access to student loans.  For many aspiring young people, even the College's heavily subsidized tuition and food costs prohibit them from studying in Carmen Pampa...or at any other university. "If it wasn't for my scholarship," graduates frequently tell me, "I would not have been able to stay in school and graduate."

Unfortunately, the demand is great and scholarships are too few. That is why this year we decided to dedicate our Give to the Max Day to our Scholarship Partners Program Fund. All funds raised on Thursday, November 15, will be used to fund student scholarships at the College. 

Please take the time to make a donation to our Scholarship Partners Program. Gifts of any size help students--who eventually become graduates--succeed! (We have LOTS of examples--I've written about a handful of them on my blog:  Concepción Huanca, Germán Miranda, Gabriel Paco, etc...)

For more information about our Scholarship Partners Program, please read our most recent newsletter available online.

welcome back paco

It's always fun when graduates return to Carmen Pampa for a visit. But it's an extra special treat when UAC-CP graduates return on a professional basis to share experiences with current students.

Gabriel Paco is a 2007 Agronomy graduate.

Gabriel Paco, a 2007 Agronomy graduate, is back at the College this week as part of a special workshop about biodigesters. Gabriel said he's expecting more than 100 people (students, faculty, and local community members) to participate in the 3-day course, which is sponsored by CARITAS, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and the German Agency for Development (GTZ).


The workshop is part of an on-going project, which Gabriel has been contracted by CRS to design. He will also oversee the building of the biodigesters and train people how to construct, manage, and use them.  

Gabriel explained that the biodigesters are something that can be constructed for a total cost of approximately 2,000 Bolivianos each ($300 US), which is a sizeable up-front investment for many Bolivians, but over time is a money saver.  Gabriel set up an outdoor learning lab at the College, where he constructed a model biodigester for the workshop and future use. Nestled in the ground, the giant plastic pouch measures approximately 13 feet long and, according to Gabriel, has the capacity to process approximately 20 kilos (44 pounds) per day of organic waste, which in turn will produce 2-4 hours worth of gas. The sample biodigester is currently being fed kitchen scraps from the College's food cooperative and three additional food kiosks where students, faculty, and staff on Campus Leahy eat. (An additional biodigester on the College's lower campus is being constructed that will process waste from the UAC-CP's hog farm.)

Gabriel demonstrates how the biodigester produces gas. The gas can be stored for later use.

As part of the project, Gabriel has also been contracted to revive the College's recycling center, which he originally helped to develop in 2002. (He laughed when I reminded him that people called him Mister Garbage--a nickname he was proud to have, he admitted.)  His vision is for the College to have a recycling program that serves as a regional center for education on the topic of waste management and recycling.

Gabriel originally left his position at the UAC-CP as coordinator of the recycling center six years ago. "I always said, since the very beginning, I have to learn more things in order to be able to teach students here. I would have loved to have graduated from the UAC-CP and immediately come back to teach here, but with what kind of experience?"

A sign for the biodigester workshop that was posted on campus.

Since he left, Gabriel has had a lot of different professional experiences. He's worked with the Italian Development Agency and later he did consulting work for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on a project for Lake Titicaca (both Gabriel and his brother Juan Carlos, who is also a UAC-CP graduate, are originally from a small community near the world-famous lake). For the past five years, Gabriel has worked primarily with the German Development Agency (GTZ).  Most recently, Gabriel has been teaching classes at the public university in El Alto and colleges on the Altiplano. He also does consulting work for smaller NGOs. "Next year," Gabriel said laughing, but with all seriousness, "I want to return to teach here!"

For now, the married father of three who lives with his family in La Paz, works as a consultant; he is primarily focused on projects related to water and the environment, like composting and biogesters.  Currently, he is working in the Department of Potosi, south of La Paz, with the GTZ as a technical advisor on projects related to maintenance of water use and the installation of water pumps. "I go around on a motorcycle to all areas to be able to reach communities that need our help." It is, Gabriel said, a great way to learn about and get to know his country and the people who live in Bolivia. He's happy, he said, to have the experience.

As always, we're happy to have Gabriel back at the UAC-CP to share his experience. "I come here with so much love and care for this place," Gabriel said of his alma mater. "As a graduate, I'm proud to be here; I'm here to help the UAC-CP move forward."

uac-cp graduates: promoting rural development

Rachel Satterlee, a graduate student in Sustainable International Development at Brandeis University in Boston who is completing a 6-month field study at the College in Carmen Pampa, published an articled in the October 2012 edition of Global South Development Magazine featuring the College's work to promote rural development through higher education. Rachel's work at the College is focused on developing and implementing an alumni survey and interviewing UAC-CP graduates about their post-graduate work and lives--her article provides an example of the types of stories she hopes to collect.

Published on page 20 under the heading "Development Inspirations 2012", Rachel's article focuses on the work of UAC-CP Agronomy graduate Rene Villca (the College's first graduate) who is executive director of a honey processing association called FUNDACOM. As Rachel notes in her article, FUNDACOM was founded in 2005 by a group of UAC-CP graduates who continue to serve on the budding association's board of directors. And five of the six full-time FUNDACOM employees are UAC-CP alumni.

Rachel writes that FUNDACOM: "is able to provide 98 percent of its supply of honey to the Subsidio Prenatal y Lactancia program of Bolivia, which is the equivalent of WIC (Women, Infants and Children) food assistance in the United States. FONADAL [a European Union financial assistance program] pays FUNDACOM a market rate for the honey that they provide for free to poor families in Bolivia. The remaining two percent of their honey is sold to the general market.

"FUNDACOM provides technical support to beekeepers that work with them, helping farmers solve problems, and giving advice about how to increase production. In this way, Villca hopes the association can contribute 'con un grano de arena'' [with a grain of sand], helping to fulfill the mission of the College, to empower the neediest of people.'"

To read Rachel's two-page story in full and learn more about FUNDACOM's work, visit Global South Development Magazine online and scroll to page 20. It's well worth the read!

intercarreras

Yesterday was the final day of the week-long Intercarreras celebration at the College. Intercarreras, an olympic-like celebration that pits students in the five different academic departments and the Pre-University Program against one another in a series of different competitions, is celebrated every year around October 4th, which is the Feast of St. Francis and the day the College was founded. This year, the College celebrated 19 years. 

Education students preparing to dance on Sunday afternoon.

The days are filled with mostly sporting events:  soccer, futsol, volleyball, races, chess, etc. Every evening there are cultural nights in which students participate in poetry readings, lip synching, theater, partner dancing, etc.  Points are awarded for each event and, in the end, the academic department with the most points wins.

Angelica Quisbert, Director of the UAC-CP's Nursing Department, serves rice during the campus-wide barbeque on Saturday. The College served more than 400 people.

The event also serves as a type of informal homecoming gathering; graduates return to "home" to Carmen Pampa to visit...and even participate in some of the events. I ran into several graduates on Saturday at the all-school barbeque and again on Sunday at the parade of dances.

The festivites ended yesterday with groups (including a group of administrators and volunteers) dancing traditional Bolivian dances. For hours, spectators watched as seven different groups took to the soccer field in their uniform costumes and choreographed motion.

The final winner? The Agronomy Department took home the grand prize: a giant trophy that will now be on display in the main office.

To view more pictures, visit: https://picasaweb.google.com/fundaciondecarmenpampa/IntercarreraDances

newest graduate: maria elena alejo

It is a big day for Maria Elena Alejo. Today the 27-year-old UAC-CP Education major becomes a college graduate!

In order to arrive at this momentous landmark in her life, Maria Elena was required to develop, research, write and defended a thesis project--a process that often requires at least 12 months of hard work, dedication, and patience for all the revisions along the way. Her thesis project focused on the role of parents in their children's academic success at the primary school level. Based in her home community of Miraflores, Maria Elena considered three major factors: financial support, moral support, and educational support (helping with homework, etc.) of parents.

You can hear Maria Elena talk about her project in her own words on this short youtube clip.

"I chose this thesis topic," she explained, "because in the rural area they always say that parents don't provide a lot of support for their children. One, is because parents work. The other is because parents often have very little education themselves. The majority of parents, for example, studied up to just middle school. So, they aren't able to provide a lot of homework help for their children."

Financially, she said, most parents can provide the basic supplies for their children: pencils, notebooks, etc. But parents, Maria Elena found, are not as likely to provide a lot of moral support and encouragement nor much help with homework.

As a result, most academic achievement really depends on each child. "It's the children with a lot of self-determination who are able to succeed on their own and 'go forward.'"  Her thesis findings indicated that most young students don't receive the moral and academic support they need to be successful.

Though Maria Elena believes that it's not because parents don't value education. In most cases parents just don't know how to be helpful. In fact, the most frequent response Maria Elena received from parents is the exact same message I hear from parents of UAC-CP students: "I want my children to go places, to be someone. I don't want them to be like me, to have the same life as me.'" (That said, of the 22 parents that she interviewed in Miraflores, two "older" parents did indicate that they did not believe education was that important, particularly for girls.) It's clear to Maria Elena that the perception of education is changing and, in her opinion, improving with each generation. Younger parents, she said, want more resources to help their children do better in school.

Curious, I asked Maria Elena about her own experience as a primary school student raised in a single-parent household. She smiled and laughed. "I was fortunate," she said, "I had a lot of support from my mom. She didn't necessarily help me with my homework [Maria Elena's mother studied to the 7th grade], but she was able to provide a lot of moral support. My mom always told me things like, 'You can do it.' 'You know this.' For me, her support is what motivated me."

Based on her thesis, her personal experience growing up in Bolivia, and her year-long internship as a teacher at Adams Spanish Immersion School in St. Paul, Minnesota, Maria Elena believes she has some solutions to help parents take a more active and supportive role in education.  First, she wants to offer workshops for parents that would discuss the role they need to play in their children's academic success.  Second, she believes a facilitator is necessary to help improve relationship and communication between parents and teachers.  Teachers need to be more open and encouraging of meeting with parents and sharing information about the students, and parents need to be more actively engaged and interested in their children's school work.  Finally, Maria Elena says parents need to know--and be reminded--that they must set the example and the expectations at home. Parents must read with children or, for those unable to read, ask their children to read with them.  (Reading is not part of Bolivian culture. Just last night on the news, I heard a statistic that 80% of Bolivians don't read even one book per year).

Maria Elena plans to write up a proposal to the mayor's office in the Municipality of Coroico that would organize these workshops for local communities and schools and she would like to facilitate them.

I asked her if she thinks perceptions of education and the role of parents in their children's education will change in Bolivia.  She took a deep breath and sighed as she considered that challenge. "I hope it will change," she said sincerely. "I want it to change."

One thing is for sure, things are changing in Maria Elena's life...thanks to education. She has already obtained her "diplomado en educación superior" (a type of certificate program for teaching) and now, with her college degree in hand, plans to get her master's degree.

Maria Elena still gives a big nod to the role her mother has played in her academic achievement. "My mother has made all the difference. All the goals I've ever set for myself, I have always achieved them. As my mom says, everything is possible...it just depends on me." 

graduate feature: concepción huanca

It was her experience growing up in an isolated farming community with no access to medical professionals that made 27-year-old Concepción Huanca decide to study Nursing. "It was, and still is, difficult for people in rural Bolivia to get medical attention," Concepción explained.

Today, the 2009 UAC-CP Nursing graduate and former CPF scholarship recipient is helping to make sure people in the rural area have access to medical treatment and preventative education. Concepción works for CARITAS Coroico, a branch of the international Catholic development organization that assists poor and marginalized populations. Though her work is based in the town of Coroico (45 minutes from her home village), Concepción and her co-worker Estela Mollo (UAC-CP Nursing 2009) are responsible for managing a project that serves 16 rural communities.

The project has two objectives: 1. To reduce the stigma that exists around people, primarily children, with disabilities; 2. To promote healthy living habits both at home and at school.

Concepción and her colleagues provide regular workshops for families, teachers, and community members about common disabilities and how to best help people with special needs. "Before we started this project," Concepción explained, "there was a lot of shame for a family to have a member with a physical or mental disability. We found there were even cases of families hiding their children with disabilities at home because they were embarrassed." Her role is to help people with disabilities be recognized and accepted at home, at school, and in the community, as required by law.

Concepción is also responsible for training a group of 25 people, identified leaders in the rural villages, who help their neighbors to develop healthy living skills, specifically with regard to safe drinking water and hygiene. Concepción explained that simply through education, participants can prevent the spread of disease. Their goal is to reduce the number of cases of diarrhea, the leading cause of death among children under 5-years-old in the Municipality of Coroico.

Concepción is proud that she is able to fulfill the mission of the UAC-CP. Apart from her responsibilities as a project coordinator, she also uses her background in public health nursing to provide health care services. "Just today," she said, "we were at an elementary school giving a workshop and a woman came to find me because her husband was in pain and needed attention. I met with him and found that he was suffering from chronic arthritis." As a trusted professional, Concepción was able to get the man the help he needed and arrange for transportation to the Coroico Hospital.

Like other UAC-CP graduates who received Carmen Pampa Fund scholarships, Concepción said that it's very possible she might not have been able to finish her studies without financial assistance. "My scholarship is what carried me through to graduation. I will always be grateful to the people who made my scholarship possible because that is what allowed me to be a professional; that is what allows me to serve the people of Bolivia who are most in need."

featured donor: mary murphy

Many thanks to Mary Murphy, a math professor at Smith College who is a regular volunteer at the College and a faithful donor to our Scholarship Partners Program, for sharing her unique perspective and for giving so much of her time, insight, and financial resources to help students in Carmen Pampa.

How did you become involved with the College in Bolivia?

Mary Murphy with students in the College's Education Dept.

I first learned about the UAC-CP through an article about the University that appeared in the National Catholic Reporter in 2003. I was intrigued and inspired: I teach mathematics and also speak Spanish, but I had never done both at the same time. It wasn't until 2005 that I was able to visit Carmen Pampa to find out whether or not I could handle living there (yes) and whether I could be of use to the UAC-CP (yes).

I arranged to take a leave from my job during the fall semester of 2006 so that I could volunteer in Carmen Pampa. I won't say that my experience was an easy one; teaching in Spanish with terribly inadequate resources was a challenge, and I often found myself counting the days to the end of the semester, but ultimately it was satisfying and rewarding, especially because of the beautiful people I had come to know. By December, I was already figuring out how to soon I could come back. I returned the following May as soon as my semester at Smith [College] ended, and have done so every year since 2007. In 2008, in fact, I managed to stay in Carmen Pampa for a another whole semester.

Why do you choose to donate to CPF's Scholarship Program?

I want to support a student like so many of those I've taught at the College, young men and women of promise who sincerely want to become educated in order to work effectively to help their own people. For the most part, these students wouldn't have advanced beyond secondary school were it not for the UAC. Their parents have few economic resources, and they come to the University with little more than a few changes of clothing and a pencil or two. Some have to spend their weekends elsewhere picking coca leaves, instead of studying, to earn money for food. I want to make it possible for a student to focus on his or her learning.

Why do you think other people should be interested in the College's work?

It's good to realize that the things most of us in the U.S. take for granted, universal public education, sufficient food, adequate health care, high-speed internet, and free public libraries are little more than a dream for billions of people in other parts of the world. The UAC-CP is one grass-roots effort to redress this imbalance, one graduate at a time.

honoring a vision: sr. damon nolan

On Friday, June 15th, the community of Carmen Pampa--along with 12 of the neighboring communities in the Villa Nilo Sub-Central who were part of the original founding and building of the College--gathered with students, faculty and graduates of the UAC-CP and special visitors from Carmen Pampa Fund to celebrate Sr. Damon Nolan and her vision to bring educational opportunities to the area. She was celebrated with the unveiling of a bust sculpted in her likeness.

The official ceremony was hosted by UAC-CP graduate David Uria, who works for the mayor's office in Coroico. Special invited speakers included: Gregorio Chamiso, representing the local communities; Ann Leahy and Tara Nolan of Carmen Pampa Fund; Miguel Monrroy and Rosemary Mayda Vidal, former students of Sr. Damon who sang a song and recited poetry; representatives from the UAC-CP alumni association; and a representative to the mayor's office in Coroico. The marching band from the local high school, where Sr. Damon first served as director, provided music for the Bolivian national anthem and the anthem for the high school.

Throughout the event, people talked about the importance and power of Sr. Damon's vision--first, to include girls in education (when she took over as director of the local high school in the early 80s, she insisted that girls be allowed to study at the high school level) and later to offer young people from the rural area with the opportunity to study at the college level. "For us," a community member told me, "she was a beacon of light who showed us the way to make education possible for our children...and future generations."

Adults and children from Carmen Pampa, members of the Leahy family, Tara Nolan, and Pablo Eduardo are pictured with the bust of UAC-CP founder Sr. Damon Nolan.

Fr. Freddy del Villar, who is President of the College in Carmen Pampa, said he hopes Sr. Damon is proud that her work didn't end when she left unexpectedly in 2006. Rather, he said, it has grown. Today, the College doesn't just exist to educate the people in the area of Carmen Pampa, it attracts men and women from all parts of the country who are looking for quality education at an affordable cost. 

Additional photos of the ceremony, along with comments from former students and graduates of the high school and the College, can be viewed here online.


The bust was made possible by Bolivian artist and sculptor Pablo Eduardo and Tara Nolan, Sr. Damon's niece and Acting Executive Director of Carmen Pampa Fund. Many thanks to them for making this day possible and for keeping the vision of Sr. Damon alive!

graduate returns to teach

The timing couldn't have been any more perfect. In 1994, when Coroico native Claudia Cerruto was ready to go to college and interested in studying Veterinary Science, she learned that the UAC-CP was open and offering classes. "It was really good for me," she said, "because I could stay close to my family."

UAC-CP Veterinary graduate Dr. Claudio Cerruto is now a professor at the College.

So, off she went to live and study in Carmen Pampa--just 45 minutes by public transport from her hometown. "I studied there for almost six years!" she said. "Carmen Pampa was a great experience; I have learned so much not only about medicine, but also about life, sharing, friendships, working, etc. Those six years in Carmen Pampa were awesome." She explained that she and her classmates in the Veterinary Science major were very close. They were good friends, Claudia said, who were happy to be together.

Claudia was the first graduate of the Veterinary Science Department. After finishing her studies at the College in 1999 she left to work on her thesis in the town of Viacha on Bolivia's high plain. "It was a hard experience," Claudia remembered, "I didn't like the cold weather and people did not like to talk with a woman, especially a young woman." But she worked to get the data necessary to finish her thesis and graduate from the UAC-CP.

Following graduation, Claudia found work as a technician with the government of La Paz. "Again, it wasn't easy," Claudia explained, "people in Bolivia don't like to work with young women, so I worked so hard to be respected as a veterinarian." Her work paid off. In 2001 she was promoted to coordinate and supervise 23 agricultural projects.

Though she had full-time work, she continued studying at night--English and Portuguese. It was essentially her language skills that helped her get a scholarship to study in Japan, where she received an 11 monthly training in high molecular protozoan diseases. "I loved it!" she said about her experience in Japan.

Dr. Claudia Cerruto pictured with her Biochemistry class at the UAC-CP. Together, they are holding up a sign to thank Carmen Pampa Fund's 2012 Spirit of Ayni Award recipient Ed Flahavan.

Back in Bolivia, she applied for a Fulbright Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. government, and after a grueling application process, became the first person from the country's rural area to be awarded the prestigious scholarship to study for her master's degree in the U.S.  Claudia was awarded her MS in Food Science from the Oklahoma State University. She continued studying and in 2011 Claudia received her PhD in Food Science (food microbiology).  Following graduation, she and her family (she also met her husband John and had a little girl while she was in the States) moved to Bolivia.

Currently, Claudia is back at Carmen Pampa where she teaches Thesis I and Biochemistry classes. "It's been a wonderful experience," Claudia said. "I love my students! I can see in their faces the same attitude that I had more than 15 years ago when I started just like them." Claudia strongly believes that education makes a difference and that is why, she explained, she's dedicated to teaching students at the College in Carmen Pampa.

While Claudia is happy to be able to give back to the College where she first got her start, she wants to eventually work more in her field of expertise and, to do that, she needs more training. She and her family plan to return to the U.S. within the next year so she can gain work experience in the food industry.

spirit of ayni

Once a year, Carmen Pampa Fund celebrates the spirit of ayni--the indigenous custom in Bolivia of working together to accomplish a goal for the common good. Our ¡La Fiesta de Ayni! celebrates the work of Carmen Pampa Fund, the College, and the hundreds of volunteers and donors and friends who help make higher education accessible for Bolivian women and men.

This year ¡La Fiesta de Ayni! will be Wednesday, May 23rd at 6pm at St. Catherine University, St. Paul, Minnesota. (The official program will begin at 7pm). We invite our friends, donors, and anyone who is interested in learning more about our work to support the College in Bolivia to attend.

We are thrilled to welcome special guests: Dr. Hugh Smeltekop, Vice Director of the UAC-CP, and Lucia Cuno and Edgar Miranda, UAC-CP Education graduates. In addition, CPF will present the annual Spirit of Ayni award.

As always, it promises to be an inspiring and heart-warming evening. Please join us! For more information about ticket costs or to RSVP, please send an e-mail to: info@carmenpampafund.org or call CPF's office at: 651/641-1588. Space is limited.