About four years ago we submitted a proposal to CIDA partnership branch, entitled “Small Animals, Big Changes”. In the preceding years, we had carried out research in which we identified and quantified the numerous weaknesses in the diet of the farming communities of highland Bolivia (see this link - let me know if you would like to see the full paper). In brief, they have low intakes of various vitamins and minerals, and extremely low intakes of dietary fat. Based on what is needed in the diet, what seems possible given the local resources and what the people themselves would like, we proposed to work on small animal husbandry to increase the availability and consumption of “animal-source foods” (meat, eggs, milk and cheese).

A short three and a half years later, after numerous reviews and revisions, CIDA approved the proposal. Fortunately (?) change is slow in these communities, and what made sense four years ago still makes sense today and so we are now going to try to facilitate these “Big Changes”. We will be working with the Cochabamba-based NGO CENDA, who have many years of experience working in agroecology in the Bolivian Andes. Lisa Macdonald and I visited them in the first half of September, meeting them for the first time, and were very impressed with the team. They are smart, hard working and so dedicated. Their general way of working is to live with the farmers, working side by side with whatever the farmers are doing, helping with their chores, observing how they live, and then doing interviews or pilot studies or other data collection during the few breaks in the day. The living conditions in the project area are harsh, but the CENDA team recognize that it is by living side by side with the families that they can (1) establish a relationship were an intervention is possible and welcome and (2) understand what the challenges and opportunities are in agriculture and in health. The project will take place in four provinces of the Department of Cochabamba, Bolivar, Arque, Tapacarí, and Ayopaya.

This CIDA-funded project will continue for the next three years, but we view our relationship with CENDA as the “beginning of abeautiful friendship” that we hope will continue for many years, as we work together to facilitate positive changes in the Bolivian Andes.

I invite you support our work in Bolivia. Your contribution will be matched 3-fold by CIDA.

I unfortunately don’t have any good photos of the project area to share. Next time. So for now, I will just share this photo – the oxygen masks came down on the flight from La Paz to Cochabamba. A first for me! But it was a mistake and not really a depressurization in the plane. Still, good for a scare!