…………….Bolivia and its people know how to create moments of pure joy and giving..…..……
There are moments in life that come as unexpected gifts and one has the choice of ignoring them
or just living them with gratitude, regardless of how long they last.
6:00 am: Lea, is waiting for me and Victor to catch the bus.
On the road, the gravity of sleepiness challenges my eyes, but my curiosity is resisting I manage to keep them open and collect hilly and colourful images.
Our destination: Totora, a village which its precolonial and colonial past are present in a mysterious way. A gem quietly hidden and enjoyed by its people.
Totora is a plant - but since I can't escape my greek self - For me Totora is really Το Τώρα, which means in my language, The present, The now…
I have no choice but to disassociate myself from time, for now.
We arrived right on time for the meeting. Representatives of the local Parroquia (The Director which is the priest of the village and Pedro) and the executive team of the organization Agrecolandes, one of the local partners of Crossroads International, the Canadian NGO I am working for.
I have been in various meetings in my life, but this is one, although long and full of new concepts and realities for me and regardless of my accumulated tiredness, it kept me awake and interested. The egos low, the team spirit active, open for feedback and the ideas flowing. In the air dedication for sustainable social change and on paper a contract of cooperation, an alliance between the Parroquia and AgrecolAndes. Their joint program has as an objective the sustainability of agricultural practices in the area of Totora. It entails food sovereignty, political incidence, organic production, capacity building of local know-hows, commercialization of local produce locally and regionally. It is financed from SOS FAIM and other international NGOS, and the goal is to reach 900 families within 3 years.
The challenges-
how to incentivize participation of the local associations and farmers's families involved?
how to select the families, based on their interest solely or make the extra effort to reach the most vulnerable ones?
is there a market to commercialize the Totora's farmers products and if yes how can sufficient supply be assured to respond to the demand?
how do we enable and empower leaders from the local community?
What about women's empowerment? Do they have the same power of decision as men? Obviously and unfortunately not-Does the program need a gender strategy?
and finally can we measure the impact that is generated through this joint program between the Parroquia and Agrecolandes?
This is where my presence is of value. I am here to identify and analyze the program's context, discuss and choose the relevant strategic indicators and based on them design instruments that will facilitate measurable data of the program's true impact on the families.
I have been in various meetings in my life, but this is one, although long and full of new concepts and realities for me and regardless of my accumulated tiredness, it kept me awake and interested. The egos low, the team spirit active, open for feedback and the ideas flowing. In the air dedication for sustainable social change and on paper a contract of cooperation, an alliance between the Parroquia and AgrecolAndes. Their joint program has as an objective the sustainability of agricultural practices in the area of Totora. It entails food sovereignty, political incidence, organic production, capacity building of local know-hows, commercialization of local produce locally and regionally. It is financed from SOS FAIM and other international NGOS, and the goal is to reach 900 families within 3 years.
The challenges-
how to incentivize participation of the local associations and farmers's families involved?
how to select the families, based on their interest solely or make the extra effort to reach the most vulnerable ones?
is there a market to commercialize the Totora's farmers products and if yes how can sufficient supply be assured to respond to the demand?
how do we enable and empower leaders from the local community?
What about women's empowerment? Do they have the same power of decision as men? Obviously and unfortunately not-Does the program need a gender strategy?
and finally can we measure the impact that is generated through this joint program between the Parroquia and Agrecolandes?
This is where my presence is of value. I am here to identify and analyze the program's context, discuss and choose the relevant strategic indicators and based on them design instruments that will facilitate measurable data of the program's true impact on the families.
"We don't want to duplicate efforts anymore, this is why we need alliances between all local actors. I am a priest, I am not an expert but I have a responsibility while I am here"
Reflecting now on the meeting and while being critical on international aid and cooperation, I am more and more convinced that sustainable change comes through a mix of active grassroots participation and the dedication of local actors. The money come from "above", and often paternalistic interventions are generated but I trust that this alliance will keep its humble approach giving voice and improving the life of the families.
We worked till late…We slept at a surreal colonial hotel under the gaze of the rich family owners on the walls's paintings. The locals proudly told us that each family in the village used to own a piano. Nowadays, a piano festival is organized yearly.
4 hours of innocent dreams. I could not predict what the following day would bring.
Soon I would be converted in the daughter of Zeus and sister of Hercules and I would be drinking ambrosia during sunrise.
No kidding…
To be continued…
Χριστίνα
Reflecting now on the meeting and while being critical on international aid and cooperation, I am more and more convinced that sustainable change comes through a mix of active grassroots participation and the dedication of local actors. The money come from "above", and often paternalistic interventions are generated but I trust that this alliance will keep its humble approach giving voice and improving the life of the families.
We worked till late…We slept at a surreal colonial hotel under the gaze of the rich family owners on the walls's paintings. The locals proudly told us that each family in the village used to own a piano. Nowadays, a piano festival is organized yearly.
4 hours of innocent dreams. I could not predict what the following day would bring.
Soon I would be converted in the daughter of Zeus and sister of Hercules and I would be drinking ambrosia during sunrise.
No kidding…
To be continued…
Χριστίνα