Blogs from Tarija, Tarija Department, Bolivia, South America

Today was a great learning day at the Center. In the morning we dealt with an issue related to some children who live at the center. Recently the center became aware of a small (elementary aged) boy who was living on the streets alone in a dog house. They brought him into the center to live. But as to be expected, he has received no parenting or guidance. He encouraged other children at the center to do things they should not. The center now has the hard task of figuring out how to discipline each child involved. It reminds me how lucky we are that this is not an issue we deal with on a regular basis. After that, we did a home visit to a family that used to live close to the center and ... read more

I spent the weekend exploring a new area of Bolivia, specifically where the Andean Condors live. These are massive birds, some of the largest birds in the world that are able to fly. The males can weight 35 lbs and have a 12 ft wing span. Because of their size, they prefer to live in windy areas to assist their flying. Before heading out, I spent a bit of time downtown. I went to the indoor market because I heard about the amazing food made on the second floor. In the very back of the stalls I found a woman making only fish, which I was very excited to see. I have been surprised at the quantity of meat here. As I have always said, I could give up meat well before I could give up ... read more

A combination of indigenous tradition and Catholic beliefs, November 1st marks Todos Santos (All Saints’ Day), a day in which Bolivian families gather to welcome the returning dead. The ceremony begins at 12:00pm on November 1st and continues until noon on November 2nd. It is believed that their loved ones return from their mountains to live for 24 hours with their family and friends. In the Aymara culture (Andean culture) natural death is not tragic, but part of the cycle of life. It is believed that when the souls return they bring fecundity and fertilely for the whole year. This is important timing as November begins the planting season. Celebrations begin with an Almuerzo (big feast) held by families to honor the departed. A place is set for the deceased and they are believed to be ... read more

I spent the day in the bakery learning how they make their cereal bars. They recently obtained a contract with the local township to produce cereal bars for the schools. While this required them to purchase more equipment it also allowed them to hire additional staff. They employee women and men with disabilities, both of which have a hard time finding steady work. They have two shifts a day: 6:00am to 2:00pm and 2:00pm to 10:00pm, 5 days a week. The morning shift has 7 people and the afternoon shift has 4 people. They can produce 8000 bars in the morning and around 6000 in the afternoon. I was able to use my translation earbuds to sit down with the kitchen manager and start to talk to her about what the bakery is currently doing, what ... read more

I am writing this post as I sip on some wine made just down the street from us and listening to Bolivian top 100 which apparently includes a song from Taylor Swift. I had my first full day here! Last night I arrived around 7:30pm so I had time to get unpacked, showered, and into bed to catch up on some sleep. I was feeling really good about my progress: I had local currency (if you remember from Uganda I had a very hard time getting money), a local SIM card, and a bottle of water in the freezer. But I awoke with one eye almost completely swollen shut. The best I can guess is that something bit me in the night on my forehead causing one eye to almost completely swell shut and the other ... read more