Hardest Hike of My Life!

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On my last day off I decided to hike the second highest peak of the Condoriri Range of Mountains about three hours north of La Paz. While this was not the longest hike I have done it was certainly the hardest. The hike began at about 4600 meters (15,000 feet) and finished at over 5500 meters (18,000 feet). When we were nearing the top I had to stop every 10 steps just to catch my breath. I saw several other hikers turn back, but I think the time I have spent at altitude helped me cope with the lack of oxygen. I was very proud to have reached the top and the views did not disappoint. We were above most of the other mountains so we could look down on them. We could also see Lake Titicaca in the distance which borders Peru.

Yesterday, I had a productive day at the Center. The translator I have been working with decided to come to the center in person which was a wonderful surprise. She shared with me that she has a violent past herself when her husband tried to kill her on more than one occasion. The last being when she was in the street with her three year old daughter. He stabbed her 5 times and thought she was dead, leaving the child alone in the street. Fortunately, she did not die, but said she could have greatly benefited from the support of an organization like this since she had no family of her own in the area.

We had a meeting with the director, Ms. Milly, and several staff members to start discussing the financial literacy aspect of the training. I shared what we found effective in Uganda, but I asked them to work with me to make the training appropriate to their economy and culture. We discussed the importance of encouraging the women to save money. I shared that I saw a lot of pride in the women in Uganda as they started to save just a few dollars as that is most financial freedom that had experienced. It gave them the motivation to save more and encourage each other to do the same. I also shared that after some of the women had their savings taken by men we started to have the women save their money at the Center. The money was not great enough to put the center at risk, but it took it out of easy reach of the men. They agreed that that would be a good idea for the women here as well. Next step is to work on lesson plans that will be appropriate for the women they serve.

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Comments

[Beth]

Thanksgiving
Wonderful to see the country with you and hear of your experiences. Hope you can share a meals with friends tomorrow. Please take care, prayers for you each day. Be safe