My first pair of Sunglasses!

Conservation Areas

At the end of July I was off in the campo again and thought I would take
this opportunity to write about that trip while sat in the hammock in our
garden, listening to the men in the workshop across the road from us welding
something together.

The point of this trip was to go and work with our team in Ckara Ckara, and
collect data on different areas of conservation that FH has been working on
in the past and at present. There are two types of conservation areas.
Praderas (grasslands) and Bosque (woods, though for us in the UK it is more
low growing shrubs than tall trees). So why are we wanting to protect them.
Well life in the areas where we work is very hard. The land is not very
fertile and so it is easy to damage it. Because of this there is not much
food around for the livestock to eat and the praderas get easily overgrazed,
so FH has been working with the communities to fencing off areas to help the
praderas recover and then make a management plan for these areas as to how
many animals can be put on them at a given time of year, thus helping to
sustain the areas.

With the Bosques there are not that many around, with some of the species
being quite rare and the people using the wood for cooking. The aim for
these is to reforest parts as well as prevent and or reduce the cutting of
wood from these areas so to slow down the rate of their removal, and
realising they need wood to cook.

Conserving these two areas also help in reducing erosion and thus protecting
the soil and helping to keep nutrients there as well. FH is also doing other
work to reduce erosion like working with the people to build terraces, to
retain the soil when the rains come and provide better areas to plant crops
in rather than on very steep slopes. They are also working with the
communities to put in channels that collect the rain helping it to soak into
the ground and prevent it from running straight off the hills taking the
soil with it.

On the whole these seem to work well but there is always the constant
challenge helping the comunities see the benefit of these areas and changing
there mind set so they mantain the fences and manage how many livestock they
put in them.

We were in this area for two days and travelled around a lot to get to the
different areas and then walked a lot. Using the GPS to collect data for the
permeter of the area, collecting information of the different types of
vegetation that is present and drawing a map for the different zones of
vegetation so in the office I could make a map of the area to be put with
the report for how to help manage the area.

This is the highest area where we are working 3500m or more above sea level
so the air is thin with not much oxygen around. This made walking up some of
the hills a challenge but one which I enjoyed. For one of them it was only a
200m asent but it was enough to make my heart and lungs work hard and need
plenty of stops. But from the top of the hill the view was worth it as we
walked around the permeter of a pradera.

This is an area called Canchas Blancas where FH is working. I was standing on a hill 4177 metres above sea level.



It was also very cold and windy up there as it is winter here at present and we passed through a number of frozen or thrawing rivers, one of which I fell into and had a cold wet leg for the rest of the morning.

A herd of Llamas we passed on our way into the campo, with bright colourd wool on their ears!! Not sure why, may be to show ownership of the Llamas

Moulding Chronicle

July 2008
Letter No. 5

Dear Friends,
Another two months have passed since our last letter and we continue on our
roller coaster ride of emotions as we have faced new struggles, but praise
God there have also been new joys.

Since last writing Sarah has had more opportunities with getting involved
with the Child Development Program (CDP) which she has really enjoyed doing.
It has been mainly paper shuffling so far but has given her the opportunity
to meet with other FH staff and have something else to focus upon.

The pregnancy crisis training course has come to an end. It ended up being
rather disappointing as by the end we felt far from being equipped for what
we thought we would be, however it has not been a wasted experience, Sarah
knows more now than when she started so we wait to see what opportunities
God opens up through that.

Ed to has been given more responsibilities in his work and is gaining
confidence in his travels out to the campo to collect data and see new
areas.

At the end of last month we were fearing more violence and unrest with the
election of a new prefect (local government minister), however, praise God,
things passed relatively peacefully and there were no come backs after
results were announced. The results did however signify the loss of another
department for the president.

We also praise God for the forming of friendships. We have mentioned in
previous letters of friendships with other missionaries, however, now we are
starting to see some Bolivian friendships form, which include a work
colleague of Ed's and his family, another family who come to an English
speaking Bible study on Sunday evenings and a family who run one of the
small shops just up from where we live, whose daughter has just had a baby.

So join us in giving thanks for these different things, and for all your
love and support of us.

Family trip to Tomoyo

After half a dozen re-arrangements in true Bolivian style, we finally got to
visit the region of Tomoyo as a family.

This was an important trip to make in order for us to see a different side
of Bolivian life and to glimpse at the harsh reality of what life is like
for the Majority of Bolivian people living outside of the cities. As well
as to see first hand the positive influences that FH has had on the lives of
so many individual families. The irrigation project for example, a video
about which many of you saw whilst we were still in the UK-Water is life,
has improved the lives of over 500 families.

Through visiting this area we could begin to understand how Ed's role in
making maps helps in the following through of such projects. For more
information and pics take a look at our blog.

Praise God For:
* A positive and safe trip to Tomoyo
* More opportunities for Sarah
* His beautiful creation
* The forming of Bolivian friendships

Please pray for:
* Ciria, our house help who has recently faced many difficult family
issues
* A holiday, a time for rest and some fun together
* For FH Bolivia who later this year will be losing some major funding
and thus reducing their national staff numbers significantly

Ed, Sarah & Alana
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Family trip to Tomoyo

Despite plans being changed several times over in true Bolivian style we got to visit the area of Tomoyo as a family. What should have been both British families and the Snells visitor sadly resulted in just being Melissa, her two children and us. Their visitor had come down with Pneumonia and Simon felt he needed to be on hand for translating and such like.

But eventually after an early start we were off, and soon venturing further by road than I had ever been. Which wasn't really all that difficult to achieve. Just meters out of the city the roads change from smooth (ish) concrete to dusty trails with many rocks and the occasional pothole. The roads were actually in pretty good condition considering, but I think that's because they have to rebuild most of them each year after the rain has washed parts or entire roads away.

Alana coped remarkably well with the 2 and a half hour journey considering she had not been in a car for longer than 45 minutes in the last year or so. It was Matthew though who decided to revisit his breakfast and then his lunch on the return journey.

As we made our way along the twisty, windy roads, the scenery around us changed from grey barren rocks, to brick red dirt roads and a much lush greener look as we went lower. In the distance we could see amazing rock formations with a myriad of different colours forming wave patterns. One part of the journey took us through an area kind of like a moonscape; only way to describe it would be like sand dunes, but much smaller and more rounded and with a dirt red appearance.

We passed through one small community with a paved road and plaza, but outside of that civilisation was a scattering of dwellings spaced out along the landscape. After 2 and half hours we arrived at Tomoyo and made our way to the FH office for a short time to freshen up before meeting some of the families that FH was directly involved with.

The families we met and chatted with were individuals whom Simon was involved with in helping set up micro enterprise projects. These individuals had recognised the need for diversifying and trying something different, as survival for their families was getting more and more difficult. They weren't prepared to take on the fatalistic attitude of so many people here; they could see that they could change the future for their families.

The first of our visits was to a family who wanted to start baking bread to sell and to use. In a community so spread out and far from any great commercial areas, this would be a great project to run with. The second family we visited was a producer of Amaranti, a small grain cereal crop that is packed full of all sort of good things, he was seeking ways of popping the grain (much like you do popcorn) and then commercialising it. The third man we visited was involved in a project close to my own heart; he wanted to set up a dairy. He was in the process of building a cow shed, from mud bricks, then looking at ways in which to attain more cows by establishing a co operative with neighbours.

After lunch back at the office our visit took on a different form as we went to see the source of the Tomoyo irrigation canal, which we had heard so much about previous to coming to Bolivia. Since it was installed a few years back the canal has positively affected the lives of over 500 families in making their land much more productive from better access to water, and therefore improving nutrition.

From the office we took about a half hour drive along a narrow twisty road blasted into the side of the cliff until we arrived at a beautiful rugged valley, with high overpowering rock faces on either side. So this was where it all started, the water that travels down the canal giving life to the places it passes and life and hope to the families that make use of it.

After spending a bit of time there enjoying the scenery and the kids enjoying the sand we took the journey back to Sucre with three very sleepy children. It was good to actually see how in practice FH is involved in positively changing the lives of people whom eek out an existence in such a harsh place. It made us feel proud to be doing our small part in an organisation that doesn't just talk about making a difference but that actually gets on and does make a difference. What a witness about the practical love of God.

Having talked about it for so long I have finally seen it!

Many of you will have seen the video we showed before we left the UK called 'Water is Life,' about a 15km irrigation canal in Tomoyo that is improving the life's of over 500 families. Well on the 26th and 27th June I got to go and see this project for myself and it is indeed impressive. I was there to help my boss Sergio and an engineer from the office Pablo to check the main canal for any maintenance and repair work that was necessary.

Over the day and a half that we where there we walked the first 10km from the source of the canal set in a deep sided valley, following it along valley side, part of a road that FH has made (another part of FH's work helping to improve the infrastructure in the areas where we work), over aqueducts and out into a wide valley where the families that are benefiting from the canal live. It was also good to be able to give some advice that Sergio and Pablo took on board. I think this was helped by seeing things in a different way from them. At present there is not much growing in the fields as it is winter time here, but I'm told that if I return in October/November time then it will be a different story with green fields and the irrigation system in full flow.

This photo was taken standing by the month of the canal.

This is a bit further down river if you look on the right side of the valley you can is the road cut into the side of the hill that FH made.

Pablo and Ed on the main canal.

Another part of FH's work in Soil conservation building terrances to help reduce erosion.

On of the aquaducts we crossed as we followed the canal route

Sergio and Ed at a secondary canal that takes the water to the fields of some of the families benefiting from the project.

New Prefect

Sunday 29th May we were confined to our homes as the elections were taking place for the new Prefect of the departement of Chuquisaca - the equivalent to Welsh goverment elections.  There were two main runners for the election.  After much campaigning that has taken place over the last month or so, severe restrictions were put in place to ensure that everybody made their vote, restrictions which included the prohibition of buying any alcohol, or holding any public gatherings on voting day - which meant that all church services were cancelled.

 

From what we could tell the day passed peacefully and by early evening the preliminary results were through which showed Savina as the winner with 55% of the votes.  With the results through the celebrations and festivities began in the plaza, with the sounds drifting up towards our house.  We now watch and wait to see what changes happen with the newly elected prefecta.

F is for Food for the Hungry

Food for the Hungry (FH) is the organization we are working with here in Bolivia. FH has been in existence since 1971 when Dr Larry Ward felt led to start the organization to provide help and hope to the poorest and most needy survivors of disasters and calamities around the world. What started out as a compassionate response to a hurting world by one man has developed into a vibrant ministry composed of more than 2,000 staff members who walk alongside the poor in more than 26 developing countries.

 

FH started working in disaster and emergency relief, but over the years it has changed its primary emphasis to the long-term development of the extremely poor, recognizing their creativity and ability to resolve their own problems-, which is why over 90% of staff in the field are recruited locally. Through them FH work for any combination of the following: Food provision; Water provision for drinking; Sanitation and irrigation; Primary health care; Income enhancement / micro enterprise development; Education and Empowering indigenous peoples.

 

You can discover more about the work of FH by looking at the following websites including FH United Kingdom and FH Bolivia

 

FH                   http://www.fhi.net/aboutus-eng.html

FHUK             http://www.uk.fhi.net

FH Bolivia            http://www.fhi.net/fhibolivia/

 

Our work is with FH Bolivia, which has been in place since 1978.  The following link will show you the different programs that are running in Bolivia and how they are benefiting many different families and communities. http://www.fh.org/cdi_bolivia

 

E is for English lessons

A few weeks ago some of the Bolivian staff started having English lessons three mornings a week (starting at 7am!!) with a lecturer from the University. They all seem to have taken to it very seriously and are practising on Simon and myself in the office and asking all sorts of questions about English grammer, which I have not got much of an idea about. I just use the language. They come into the office or in when we are having our afternoon tea break and practise their new phases with us. Much to our amusment as they try to get their tongues around 'th' and other strange sounds that we use in English. Simon and myself are also sometimes a little unhelpful and teach them some of the different accents instead of just talking to them in 'Queens English'.

 

It does make you stop and think when they come up to you and ask you a question in English and you don't understand it, just how do I sound to them as I try and communicate in their language! It kind of makes you want them to stop speaking in English as you think how bad I must sound!

The British and the Weather

You don't realise how much we British go on about the weather until you go to another country. At present here in Bolivia we are in Autumn heading into winter. Everyday it is cold in the mornings usually with blue sunny skies, by lunchtime it is really hot outside and then by 6 or 7 pm it has gone cold once more with the buildings giving off all of the heat that they have absorbed during the day.

 

In Autum and winter there is no rain. The other week I realised that we have not had any rain possibly since February/March time and we are likely not to see it again until October!! For a Brit that is a long time to go without rain. It's good to have predictable weather however, I do miss the unpredictablity of the UK. On Wednesday in the Campo (rural areas here in Bolivia) we had a unusual short shower. Just enough to wet the stone floor of the courtyard and give of that lovely smell of fresh rain on a hot floor.

Second Campo Trip

Though I was a bit nervous before going it turned out to be an enjoyable trip. I thought that I would be taking the 3 hour journey on stone roads to Ravelo in the back of a lorry (which I thought was called a 'turno' in spanish) turned about it was in a bus with ok leg room. All the word 'turno' means is whos turn it is to take a vehicle on any given route, but this word is also used to refer to the vehicles as well! Very confusing.

A question for the walkers amoung you.

If you start walking at around 3500 metres above sea level is that called hill walking or mountain walking?

Well whichever you call it that was what this trip was about. Much walking to look at some of the areas of woods that FH has been helping the communities near them to conserve so they don't cut all the trees down at once.

On Wednesday we arrived at Ravelo at lunchtime, ate and then walked out of the town to some hills in the distance. When we got there we used GPS (Global Postioning Satilites) to accurately measure the area conserved. In all we walked for 2 1/2 hours. Not a lot but I'm still getting used to living at high altitude and it was only a warm up for the next day. In the evening we went to a community 1/2 an hour further on and stayed there for the night.

The woods (only low growing trees) we went to on Wednesday in the distance (pic below left) , and my boss Sergio (right) and David one of the technicians.

Thursday we started off on motorbikes and went to a community and found someone who knew the area we wanted to go and look at. Then we went to a high point on the bike and looked over the conservation area. We then started an hours desent to the river at the bottom of the conservation area. I had jelly legs by the end of all that down hill walking. We had lunch (sardine rolls and biscuits Sarah had made before I left) in a beautiful spot by a stream with pools.

Then set off along the river to record the missing information for this area. The techicians went off with the GPS and the camposino (what the country folk are called) and my boss and I took photos and drawings to record the different types of vegetation and to look for erosion. This was tiring enough, but we then had to get back to the community! The technician walked straight up a 60 or 70 percent slope to continue collecting the GPS data and to measure the area and my boss and I followed a path by the river back to the community. Unfortunately it was too good to be true and we had a steep climb back out of the valley to the community. By the end of it I felt that I had almost walked too much that day! I then got back on the motorbike for a 40 minute ride back to Ravelo, to catch the 3pm bus back to Surce, with less leg room and people standing in the isles all the way back to Surce.

See the bottom of the valley follow that along and around the corner some and thats where we started from and we still had a load of climbing to do!

Needless to say I slept well that night.

As I write this Alana is playing next to me with some bottle lids and keeps saying gras (her form of Gracias (Thank you)).