I spent the month of June as a student/volunteer with Sustainable Bolivia, an organization located in Cochabamba that offers Spanish and Quechua classes, and is partnered with many non-profits in Cochabamba and surrounding areas. Sustainable Bolivia hosts volunteers from all over the world. Throughout my trip I met volunteers from all over the U.S., as well as France, the UK, Norway, Australia, Italy, and Argentina.
Mano a Mano Bolivia ("Hand in Hand" Bolivia)
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| Photo taken from here |
I lived with a homestay family, took Spanish and Quechua classes, and volunteered for the non-profit Mano a Mano Bolivia (MMB). MMB is committed to serving marginal populations and improving conditions in the sectors of health, education and road infrastructure in Bolivia. Bolivia is the poorest country in South America with the highest rates of illiteracy, school dropouts, and maternal and infant mortality. There is also a shortage of doctors and nurses. In his book "Bolivia in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture", Robert Werner shares, “At 6.6 doctors and 3.4 nurses per 10,000 people, Bolivia’s health staff is about half the Latin American average....there is a geographical imbalance, with many urban areas having sufficient staff of doctors (but still a shortage of nurses) but too few of both in rural areas" (76). MMB’s efforts to address these issues are incredible. The picture below shows what MMB has accomplished thus far since they were founded in the early 1990s. I’ll give a few examples:
- 158 Centros de Salud (health centers/clinics) have been constructed and established
- 59 schools have been constructed and established
- Over 37,000 patients have been seen in day/mobile clinics (what they call "jornadas") across the country (this does not include the patients seen in the health centers)
- 45 disadvantaged Bolivian students have been awarded a scholarship through Proyecto Soñar (Project Dream) to continue their education in a career of their choosing
It has been an honor working with Mano a Mano this month. During my first week, I met the office staff (which includes physicians, architects, engineers, project coordinators, a photographer, and others). My primary role as a volunteer was to assist with a few different projects:
- I helped set up for and organize el “Curso de Enfermería” (a course that MMB hosts for nurses from all across Bolivia for continued certification). At the end of the course, participants were asked to complete a survey about their experience. I organized the survey responses into a spreadsheet, making it easily accessible for Mano a Mano to analyze responses for quality improvement of the course.
- I volunteered at one of Mano a Mano’s clinics in La Maica Central, a rural community located about 45 minutes away by trufi from the center of Cochabamba. I helped organize medications in the pharmacy, fetched a few things here and there for the doctors as they examined and consulted with their patients, checked some patients into the computer system, and assisted a couple of doctors on their trips to set up day clinics and visit homebound elderly in nearby communities (that are a bit more resource-poor than La Maica Central).
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| One of the odontologists attending to a Tsimane patient in TIPNIS, Beni Department |
- I joined three Bolivian doctors (one general physician and two odontologists, specialists in the structure and diseases of teeth) on a trip to TIPNIS (Territorio Indígena y Parque Nacional Isiboro Secure), an Amazonian Indigenous community located about an hour jet ride away from the center of Cochabamba. We were in the community for two days (6/17-6/18). On Saturday we arrived in the morning, set up clinic, and tended to about 60 patients throughout the day. On Sunday we continued seeing patients, and in the later morning the odontologists held an educational session with the community about proper tooth brushing. This session was translated to Tsimane by a member of the community.
- Upon returning home, I plan to continue a couple of small virtual projects for Mano a Mano, including translating a few documents and recording a voice-over for a publicity video for the organization.
I had a wonderful experience working with MMB, but I hope to return with more medical training under my belt. I have only completed my first year of medical school; needless to say, I don't know enough to properly tend to a patient. During my fourth year, I would like to return to Bolivia to continue working with the marginalized communities across the nation that Mano a Mano is committed to serving.
Common sicknesses
The most common conditions seen in the clinic (La Maica Central) were fevers, colds, diarrhea (due primarily to parasitic infections and the water), tuberculosis, and UTIs (urinary tract infections). In TIPNIS, all of these illnesses were seen as well, but there were more cases of parasitic infection. We also tended to many with severe teeth damage and children with fungal skin infections.
Things I didn't like about my immersion experience
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| Streets of Cochabamba. Photo taken from here |
I'll open up my reflection on this experience to general negative impressions, then I'll end on a good note and talk about what I loved. Okay, first thing that comes to mind: the aggressive driving and lack of adherence to safety regulations on the road. Many cars also do not even have seat belts. When I got into a taxi for the first time with one of my friends, I automatically searched for the seat belt. She watched me look around frantically for a while then asked with a laugh, "Is this the first time you've been to a developing country?" I laughed off her teasing and realized that a lot of vehicles I've been in during my previous trips to the developing world also lacked seat belts: Guatemala, Jamaica, Panama.... (or perhaps this was mainly the case just in the cars I'd been in. Still....very dangerous).
The crazy driving on the streets of these countries is also similar to what I've seen in Bolivia this past month, but the aggression of many drivers bothered me much more this time around because I almost died four times (seriously): twice I was almost run over by cars that did not yield for me as I crossed the street (I quickly learned that pedestrians do not get the right away), once in a taxi with a young driver who nearly hit another vehicle as he weaved in and out of lanes like a maniac, and once in a trufi (mini-bus) with an elderly driver who I was convinced had no peripheral vision. He too almost collided with another car. The lack of safety on the roads became infuriating to me after a few weeks. Needless to say, there have been tragic stories in the news about people who lost their lives because of the insane driving.
The crazy driving on the streets of these countries is also similar to what I've seen in Bolivia this past month, but the aggression of many drivers bothered me much more this time around because I almost died four times (seriously): twice I was almost run over by cars that did not yield for me as I crossed the street (I quickly learned that pedestrians do not get the right away), once in a taxi with a young driver who nearly hit another vehicle as he weaved in and out of lanes like a maniac, and once in a trufi (mini-bus) with an elderly driver who I was convinced had no peripheral vision. He too almost collided with another car. The lack of safety on the roads became infuriating to me after a few weeks. Needless to say, there have been tragic stories in the news about people who lost their lives because of the insane driving.
One other dislike that comes to mind is the audacity of some men to use the bathroom out in the open (in the bushes, by a tree, etc). I witnessed this one too many times and was disgusted. I remember seeing a man instruct his son (who was young, probably about 5 years old) to pee by a telephone pole in front of traffic! I couldn't help but give the father a searing glare. "Seriously?" I wanted to say to him. "You're teaching your son that public indecency is okay and that he can use the bathroom wherever he wants whenever he wants? That's what dogs do!" I just walked past them, silently judging the father, but mostly the culture surrounding this indecency because clearly, many men were not taught properly.
Lastly, I wouldn't say this is something I didn't like, but I certainly found it strange (because I don't do it myself): it is common to cook and eat every single part of an animal. Recently, my Spanish instructor explained that many Bolivians eat the intestines, liver, kidneys, tongue, feet, heart, testicles, and even BRAINS of certain animals (chickens, cows, pigs, etc). (This isn't a complete list). I was shocked. "En serio?" (Really?) was all I could say when she finished listing the different parts that are typically cooked. "Siii," she responded, and continued describing how "rico" (delicious) these parts taste when they're cooked well.
Things I loved about my immersion experience
Bolivia has a very interesting history and a beautiful culture. I'm very grateful I was afforded this opportunity to be immersed in it for a month.
Bolivia has a very interesting history and a beautiful culture. I'm very grateful I was afforded this opportunity to be immersed in it for a month.
- My homestay family. I lived with two parents, two sisters, and a grandfather. I grew close to everyone, especially one of my sisters who introduced me to her friends and invited me out with them. My family and I had conversations about everything under the sun - Bolivian culture (especially in Cochabamba), religion, my hair, previous volunteers who lived with them, Evo Morales (Bolivia's president), medical school, and much more. My homestay mom was an incredible cook.
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| Me and one of my homestay sisters out dancing |
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| Pique macho made by my homestay sister (who is on the right) |
- Talking to Bolivians about my hair. I found myself answering the same questions repeatedly about my braids, including, "Por cuánto tiempo te duran? Cuánto tiempo se tarda en hacerlas? Cómo las lavas? Cuánto te costó hacerlas? Cómo las mantienes? Cómo es tu pelo natural?" etc. (How long do they last? How long does it take to get them done? How do you wash them? How much did it cost you to get it done? How do you maintain them? What is your natural hair like?) I didn’t mind answering these questions. I really appreciated their interest in my hair, which is an important part of me. Whenever I’ve gone abroad to Latin America I have certainly experienced more curiosity and appreciation from people about my type of hair than I do from non-African Americans back home in the states, ironically.
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| This is a brief snapshot of what we learned in one of my Quechua classes. Here were went over a few common verbs (left of board) and how to say baby, boy/girl, man/woman, and elderly man/elderly woman. |
- Learning Quechua. I learned the basics of Quechua in private one-on-one classes during my short time here. Quechua is the most widely spoken Indigenous language in Bolivia, and it has had a strong influence on Bolivian Spanish, especially in Cochabamba. Many speak “Quechuañol”. Many primary schools in Cochabamba are also teaching kids the basics of this Indigenous language (I’m not sure about the rest of the country). Recent medical school graduates are even required by the government to serve and continue training in rural communities to learn the more commonly spoken Indigenous languages (Quechua, Aymara, and Guaraní, but mainly Quechua) before they begin practicing elsewhere.
As I'm returning home I’ve been worrying about losing a chunk of what I learned. After searching online I was only able to find a few Quechua speakers (native and non-native) in the Chicago area with whom I could continue practicing. While in Cochabamba, I wanted to learn the basics to communicate with some of the patients in the rural clinic I volunteered with. The physicians regularly encounter Quechua speaking patients who don't speak much Spanish (particularly the elderly). By the end of my trip I could only speak the very very basics. When I return to Bolivia I hope to be able to have full conversations with native Quechua speakers.
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There is much more that I loved about the trip, but I don't want to write a book on here. I hope to return to continue working with Sustainable Bolivia and Mano a Mano. There is so much more to learn and contribute. I'm beyond grateful for this opportunity.
Plans for the rest of my "last full" summer
For the remainder of my summer vacation in July, I'll be back in the Chicago area chilling and working on a few things here and there, including a mini-project with one of Loyola's neurologists, catching up with a bunch of friends and family on FT and Skype, hanging out with friends in the Chicago area, watching Netflix, and reading reading reading. I don't want to even think about starting second year at this moment. I'm not ready to get hit with a ton of bricks yet.
Thanks for reading! :)
