Helping a Helper in Villavicencio
Dr. Claudia Leguizamo Parra in the room that was a dream a year ago
We met Dr. Claudia Leguizamo Parra a little over a year ago. At that time she was spending about half of her professional life serving the counseling needs of wealthy families and their children. She had a vision of making her services available for free to those who could not afford to pay for them. The office she was using with a group of doctors was very small. She needed a place where she could meet with groups of mothers to teach them how to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Through Meal-a-Day you helped "Dr. Claudia" as she is lovingly called by her low income clients, realize the first steps in this vision by supporting the increased rent for an office with a room for group meetings.
These are a few of the women we talked to today who have benefitted from "Dr. Claudia's" services. We watched them in their group session and then visited with them in their homes. We were moved by the stories they shared with us (which we'll share with you in a longer video to come after we get home) about how their lives have been changed. Here's a tiny example...
Introducing One of Our Colombian Friends
Let me tell you a little about Mauricio today.
Since the days of Meal a Day UK’s involvement in South America, we have worked with Mauricio, a talented engineer with a heart for Colombia’s poor. Several projects have provided communities in the remote plains and also the remote Amazon regions with potable water and with basic electricity. Mauricio’s current project is to provide potable water to a remote community “El Viento”. He works with the local community and its leaders to understand how to organize and how to combine resources to fund the project. He then engineers it, orders materials, supervises the transport and local efforts at construction, manages technical installations and training, etc.
Our plan is to travel to El Viento and visit with the villagers about their community project. Weather permitting, Mauricio also plans to take us to a couple of other sites that are potential candidates for electrification or water purification systems.
Today, Sunday, Mauricio is picking us up at 7:30 am for breakfast. Then we're going to visit with Claudia, his wife about what she is doing to help people here in Villavicencio. Many more details (and hopefully some video) in Monday morning's blog. And we'll be visiting a blind Christadelphian who we are helping carry out an education program, teaching people how to prevent the kind of blindness he is afflicted with. So Monday morning's blog will introduce Luis to you.
Have a great day!
Steve
We Have Arrived
dark by 6:30 pm near the equator
Well, our Lord was willing. We arrived right on schedule in Bogota and were met as advertised by our friend Mauricio. Once we got to Villavicencio he exclaimed that the drive has never gone so smoothly before in all his experience. We arrived at our hotel nearly an hour ahead of the planned schedule.
hope he stays there when I turn off the light
Our accommodations are certainly more than adequate at a modest hotel that boasts free Wi-Fi and a salamander in every room!
salamander not gecko
Tomorrow will be a full day of visiting two projects, one in Villavicencio and one near here in Restrepo. You'll be able to read more on what we learn tomorrow on Monday morning while we take off in the 4x4 over the rain-soaked llanos.
It's been a long, good day. Time to turn out the light...and try to forget about the salamander.
Random Thoughts
One final word before we depart the U.S. : Bruce and Joanie had the above pictured 5 ton Spanish dictionary waiting for me when I got to their house last night. They were planning to slip it into my suitcase in a desperate attempt to win the “light weight traveler” contest. Mentiras! (Bruce tells me that is the equivalent of “Duh!” in Spanish)
Speaking of Duh moments, I found this sign at O’Hare both amusing and poignant. It's like one of those Mensa tests: which word doesn't go with the others.
grande bold with room
Speaking of poignant, Bruce just asked me how I felt about spending more on this cup of coffee than most people in the world spend on eating for the whole day, some for the whole week.
This could be a long trip.....
From Here To There
It's a long way...on Saturday
We'll be met by Mauricio. Pictured with him is his wife, Claudia. More about her project in a future blog.
Mauricio will drive us to Villavicencio, southeast of Bogota and at the edge of the Llanos
The road to Villavicencio has been improved in the last couple of years
View along the way from Bogota to Villvicencio
Today is our first big travel day to Latin America. We're going to be met in Bogota by our Electro-Mechanical Engineering partner, Mauricio. He'll drive us to Villavicencio...the jumping off point for the 4x4 "mudding" trip to see the electrification project he's been working on. The pictures above were taken on last year's field trip. This time we'll be in the dark. Colombia is near the equator so the sun rises and sets at six and six, every day of the year. We should be getting to our hotel in Villavicencio around 11:30, our good Lord willing.
Send ‘Em Packing! (the video)
Here's that video I wanted to show you. (Thanks, once again, to Chris W for bailing me out.)
If you're just joining us, please scroll down and at least read the first entry "Off We Go! An Introduction". And be sure to visit the Meal-a-Day website: mealaday.org. Thanks for clicking in! Make yourself at home!
Packing
Did I say that I'm learning a lot about blogging, computers, the internet, video on the internet, etc, etc? This is actually a cute little sped up video that you might be able to see once our Web guru has had a chance to figure out what I'm doing wrong. All I can show you right now are frames. Click on them to open them up a bit.
In any event, I was attempting to answer the question, "How do you pack for three weeks for a trip to South America?" I was also trying to win a competition. Bruce informed me that his bag totals 43 pounds. As you can see, my clothing bag on the right weighs in at only 25 pounds while the mostly technical gear bag weighs in at 21. I think the video guy gets a handicap. I declare myself the winner of the packing contest. In case you're interested, here's Bruce's "Road Warrior" packing list that he sent to me:
- Passport (with Bolivian “visa”)/ Ticket info*/ Itinerary and contact info* (use back of these for daily notes, etc)/ pen
- High energy snacks/ Water bottle (or use locally sourced pure water in bottles)
- Spanish Bible*/ exhortation & illustrations*/ light reading
- Insect repellant (best way to avoid malaria)/ Sun block and lip sun block/ Motion sick meds/ Ibuprofen/ Dietary supplements
- Cash (dollars & local currency), credit card and pin # (notify Credit Card company of planned travels)
- Hiking boots, running shoes, socks
- “Wicking” t-shirts (avoid cotton, if we get wet), light underpants, insulated long underwear pants & top,
- Guide pants (light weight (not cotton) with zippered legs, serve also as shorts) + one pair jeans
- Warm hat, mittens, “baseball” cap
- “Fleece” top, rain proof top & bottom
- Small backpack/ Small suitcase with wheels/ Liquids in carry-on go in 1-Liter clear plastic bag for x-ray, if not checked
- 1 Plug converter* (220v/ 50 Hz two prong to 120-220v/ 60 Hz 2-blade (USA standard)), use appliances that accept 220 v or bring small transformer if 120v needed
- Flashlight* & batteries*
- Personal care items- razor, toothbrush & paste, soap [& shampoo- not sure I need it any more)]
- Ear plugs/ eye cover/ inflatable pillow (avoid neck & back problems)
- Spare glasses, sun glasses, glasses repair kit*
- Wedding gift for Joanie’s dear friend in Quito/ house gift for the Cranes (we will stay with in Bogota)
- Secure money pouch, locks on luggage, short chain and lock (to secure luggage when not with us)
- International and US driver’s license
- Meal a Day “business” cards
Mud Teams?
I wasn't going to buy any new shoes for this trip. Even though Bruce's personal packing list said "hiking boots" and I knew we would be heading into the Andes mountains in Peru, I figured I could get by with my street shoes (and a pair of running shoes in case we get a chance to put in a few miles.) But then we got an email from Mauricio Gnecco (pronounced hen-a-co), an engineer friend in Colombia. CMaDFA is working with him to bring electricity to some remote villages in Colombia. Mauricio is arranging for a trip in a 4x4 vehicle so that we can see firsthand the work that's being done. In his email he first gives a break down of the trip costs and then ends with this: "...it depends if rains stop this week. We will go with my friend David Caicedo, because maybe the mud and bad conditions will push us off road during 100 km. David and I are a good "mud" team...driver+mud lines+machete wood finder+good orientation..."
Bruce's comment when forwarding this to me: "Sounds 'interesting'".
Yes, it does! And I figured that if it comes time to jump out and help push, something waterproof and tractiony might help. (Thanks, Susie, for the warnings about anacondas...)
Adios! (Can someone tell me how people end their letters in Spanish in a friendly way? "Adios" just doesn't sound right for print.)
Steve
Off We Go! (an introduction)
One small example of our work: this little girl, who lives high in the Andes mountains, is learning about personal hygiene. Meal-a-Day sponsored a hygiene education program in five Bolivian schools last year.
Starting next Thursday, September 10, I plan to post something fresh every day about our Meal-a-Day activities, at least for the next three weeks. Why? We want to generate some buzz about what Meal-a-Day is doing and get a lot of others involved. Of course, one of the reasons we want a lot of others involved is because we'd like to raise more money to distribute as a caring gift from the Christadelphians to those much less fortunate than we are in the developing world. But we feel that prayer is critical, too, and would ask that you remember this work in your prayers to the Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus, whether or not you're able to support it financially.
Starting Saturday, September 12, two of Meal-a-Day's directors, Bruce Parker and Steve Johnson (the newly minted blogster), are setting off on a three week trip to South America to visit many of the projects that we've been blessed to be able to support this last year. We'd like you to come along!!! We want you to be able to experience some of the excitement, discovery, positive energy and yes, probable fatigue, along with us (there's an overnight bus trip in store!) And we want you to get acquainted with the people we're going to meet who are either helping others or are being helped.
I'll probably say this in a lot of my blogs just to make sure the message gets through: Bruce and I are making this trip entirely at our own expense. NONE of the money for airfares, bus fares, taxicabs, mules or whatever or our living expenses is coming out of the Meal-a-Day treasury. This is because we are passionate about the work and because we want every dollar that YOU give to go toward the good projects that Meal-a-Day supports. Right now CMaDFA operating overhead is less than 1%! We plan to always keep it low.
One of the reasons we're actually going to visit people is for accountability… to be sure each partner is doing what they say they are doing, and on the schedule they state. Since we receive written and photo updates, we doubt a problem will exist, but we believe it's important to do this diligence on behalf of our supporters. We also get the privilege of visiting Brothers and Sisters in Christ, to encourage them and be encouraged by them.
You can help right now by getting the word out about this blog. Please share the blog address with as many people as you can, who you think might be interested in the work of Meal-a-Day. You'll find more information at mealaday.org. As you'll see there, Christadelphian Meal-a-Day Fund of the Americas is a sister organization to the original Meal-a-Day Fund of the UK. Be sure to click on "North America". (Duh!)
That's it for starters. By the way, this is my first foray into blogdom. If you have any suggestions (or words of encouragement!) be sure to send a comment. I want this to be interesting...for all of us!
Adios! (I've just begun Rosetta Stone Spanish...)
Steve Johnson