I left Totorani on July 18, and I have yet to go back for more than one night. It is now August 25, and the changes of job have finally begun to sink in. The last month has been interesting, frustrating, and a bit stressful.
Living in Totorani for about 3 months was enough time to become accustom to the way of life, but not enough time to learn the customs and culture (this might take a decade or more). I left knowing that I wouldn't be able to return for extended amounts of time like I did before; this was sad, but it couldn't be any other way. The problems that worked themselves into the minds of people in the community came about naturally, or maybe with a little help from government propaganda about the people of the US. This, combined with the upcoming elections set the stage for the development of the problems. Rumors started to spread around the I was giving large amounts of money to my host family; I do pay rent, but it is only about $22 per month. This is not a lot of money to them, just like it is not a lot of money to me. My host "dad" was constantly being annoyed by other people in the village about me supposedly giving money to him. st "dad", German, is the president of the agriculture association, so having these rumors being spread was affecting his image.
It doesn't help that there isn't very much work with the association, so I end up working with German most days. These rumors have not only reached the people in Totorani, but also the surrounding areas in Southern Ayopaya. I was told that someone at the regional meeting between communities announced that there is a Gringo living in Totorani giving lots of money to only a few people. This is particularly damaging to my image as a service worker that is trying to do development work without gifting.
Giving things to the people we are trying to help would only damage and further the problem that the people are so accustomed to. The government has recently backed away from giving, but there are still a few NGOs in the region that use this method which has been proved ineffective. Transforming the people's minds from "we need to be given things to improve are situation" to "we have the capacity to provide for ourselves and improve our lives" will take a long time to change, and is not a simple process. Sometimes people do need to be given things, but judging when is the right time is the tricky part.
Anyway, continuing with the problem. When I first arrived I said that I would help anyone, but the geography of the community and me not having transportation (motorcycle) put limitations on my ability to spread my help evenly. I couldn't just sit around and wait for people to ask for my help, so I worked with German the majority of the time. One of those projects being the trout ponds, which actually helps in the development of the community because the ponds represent another source of income that can be gained. With this project I didn't feel like I was benefiting one person, but others could have perceived it differently.
The result of this conflict within in the community and lack of work with the association, means I will be moving to Cochabamba. I will return to Totorani when more work is available. For example, in November the government is giving Totorani and other surrounding communities pine and eucalyptus seedlings for forestation. We are also looking for opportunities for me in Misque and Aiquile, mainly with the conservation of soils and egg production. I might also be helping develop a project in apiculture. I will be in the office a lot more than before; I feel somewhat indifferent about this. As of right now, I am studying apiculture, chicken egg production, and conservation of microcuencas. It is nice to be in Cochabamba (city of eternal spring), but I miss the calm life Totorani.
The last project I helped with before leaving Totorani was the construction of a greenhouse.
We then installed re-bar arcs for the frame, and then weaved some steel wire through the arcs to stabilize the arcs. The arcs were not preformed, so we bent them into shape as best as possible. We also installed two mini terraces to reduce erosion.
Before placing the plastic over the frame we installed a small sprinkler system inside. The main problem with many greenhouses is the lack of an irrigation system, but Edgar came up with the design to include an irrigation system. The plastic is the most expensive part of the project, costing around $80. You have to use a special kind of plastic to ensure that all of the suns light can penetrate through the plastic, and this plastic will also have a longer lifespan.
The plastic is rolled up during the hot periods of the day. You can see one of the micro sprinklers in the top left side of the photo.
The greenhouse is portable, so when the soil quality starts to diminish, you can move it!
The week after leaving Totorani we traveled to Mizque and Aiquile to inform the agriculture associations that there would be employees from my US organization coming to evaluate the projects that my Bolivian organization is doing. The evaluations are completed every three years. The project might undergo a name change, but the general goals will still be used. We are also visiting so I can be introduced to the communities and start forming relationships in hopes of being able to help them later. I will be staying at a Baptist church in Aiquile, as to avoid the same problem that developed in Aiquile.
The villages are actually outside of Mizque and Aiquile. Chaguarmayu and Chilicchi are the villages outside of Aiquile. The Bolivian organization has projects with the production of eggs, amaranth, and chia. The area is sub-tropical, the elevation is halfway between Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. It is much drier than Cochbamba, but water is collected in tanks or pools to be used throughout the year.
This structure is used to store corn. I don't know the name, but it is sort of like a mini organic silo.
Outside of Misque, we visited San Isidro. The organization also has projects with chia and amaranth. They also cultivate carrots and onions. This area has much more water than Aiquile, and the soils are also better. I was able to try some fresh chicha. Chicha is a fermented corn beverage.
On the way back to Cochabamba we started having problems with the truck. About an hour away from Cochabamba, the transmission quit. We ended up staying the night in the truck. Thankfully we were almost in the Cochabamba Valley, so it wasn't too cold.
I am excited to transition into a new position in my work, but for now I feel like I am floating and have no direction. I know this feeling will eventually be overcome once my new duties are put in place and direction is given. God is great!
