A British volunteer , Michaela, looks back at her 3 months of living in Bolivia and working at Proyecto Horizonte

After being recommended Proyecto Horizonte by a family friend who volunteered for the organisation a couple of years ago and loved it, I decided that I was going to complete the next four months of my year abroad volunteering for the project. I started off staying in a homestay with a wonderful host mum, however I had planned to stay in a flat with other volunteers but unfortunately the flats owned by the project were not ready to move into straight away. Luckily there was a girl from Alaska staying in the same house who was also in the same situation so we decided to go searching in the city for a flat to rent out together. After just two days of looking we moved in, it was really easy to find somewhere.

Having traveled for almost 30 hours from London to Cochabamba at the beginning of March 2015, I headed straight into the project the next day.  On my first day I was shown around the whole place and was amazed to see for myself all the different ways in which they help the community, having read about it online.  I started working in the medical center for my first month and now work with the children aged 3-4 at the nursery in Inicial 2.  All of the children are so sweet and I love being greeted in the morning by the kids coming up and hugging me saying, ‘Hola profe Mica’ it really is the sweetest and the best way to start the day.

It is not all work and no play, I have been fortunate enough to visit the beach city of Iquique in Chile for five days, the beautiful city Sucre (another city in Bolivia) and Villa Tunari, which I can best describe as a tropical jungle.  I am also planning to take a trip to the Salt Flats (Salar de Uyuni) and hopefully La Paz and many other places.  I have now finished my third month here and cannot believe just how quickly the time has gone, with just one month left I know how quickly it will fly by and I am not ready to leave.  I have really enjoyed my time here, everyone who works at Proyecto Horizonte are so lovely and welcoming, I definitely want to come back. Cochabamba is one of my favourite places I have visited, there is so much culture and diversity here that I will never get bored of this amazing city. 

- Michaela, UK

Don´t come back without having seen the salt flats of Uyuni!

Katia, a volunteer from Canada, writes about her travels in Bolivia, a weekend getaway with the Bolivian girls of Proyecto Horizonte:

Before coming to Bolivia I was told by one of my friends not to come back to Canada without having seen the famous salt flats of Uyuni (Salar de Uyuni). When I got here I quickly realized that this beautiful, geographically diverse country has lots more to offer. I then made it my goal to see Bolivia's key cities and travel destinations before I leave. I came to Cochabamba alone but quickly made friends with my coworkers because everyone at Proyecto Horizonte is very friendly and easy to talk to. I was very happy to find out that some of the girls were also interested in exploring their country. And this was how Claudia from Human Orientation and Training, Lidy that works in communications, Mabel, the kindergarten principal, and I planned our weekend getaway to Bolivia's Altiplano around mid-May. 

 

Early on Friday morning we took a bus from Cochabamba to go to the city of Oruro. The city is famous for its carnival that takes places every February. The bus ride offered one of the most magical landscapes I have ever seen. We were so high up in the mountains that I had the impression that we could litteraly touch the sky. It was a mesmerizing view. We got to Oruro about midday and went up to the very beautiful statue of the Virgin of Socavon, the patron saint of Oruro. We enjoyed a very nice view of the growing city from the top of the mountain. At about 3 in the afternoon we took a train to Uyuni. The train ride was also very picturesque. We passed by a beautiful lake just as flamingos were flying over it!!! We got to Uyuni late at night but had no problem finding a hostel and booking a tour of the salt flats for the next day. It gets pretty cold in Uyuni at night so to anyone traveling there I would recommend bringing warm clothes.

As soon as we got to the salt flats the next day I quickly understood why this travel destination is so famous worldwide. The view is truly hypnotic; all you see is the vast white never ending salt desert and the bright blue sky. It is almost impossible to tell where sky ends and ground begins. Then as you continue driving an island of huge cactuses where lamas wonder around, Isla Incahuasi, appears out of nowhere in the middle of this desert. It was truly incredible. We saw a lot of tourists taking creative pictures with optical illusions. Our group of girls wasn't as creative so we had to let these unique landscapes speak for themselves in our pictures.

Salar left a very strong impression on all of the four of us but it was time for us to head to the city of Potosi. I was very excited to get to Potosi because I had read a lot about its history. It was one of the largest cities in the world in the colonial times due to the fabulous wealth its silver mines were producing for the Spanish. We really enjoyed walking in the streets of this beautiful colonial city and visiting the museum of the Casa de las Monedas. However, for all of us, the highlight of our day in Potosi was entering one of the mines of the famous Rich Hill (Cerro Rico). Dressed as miners, we were bravely following our guide through the dark, narrow and just plain scary mine as he was telling us about the challenges and the dangers the miners face in these mines every single day. It was very sad to hear; it was an eye-opening experience.

What an incredible weekend getaway! We were able to see so many special places in just three days. I loved traveling with the local Bolivian girls who are now not just coworkers but really good friends that I am going to keep in touch with when I get back to Canada! 

Celebrating Proyecto Horizonte through Food, Film, Friends & Art

Last weekend, I co-hosted my first Proyecto Horizonte charity event.  One of my friends in Seattle started the Charity Film & Food group, where he encourages his friends to do what they love once a month while sharing their passion for a cause.  This month, seventeen of us celebrated and contributed to Proyecto Horizonte.  Our small group gathered to enjoy delicious food with everything from burritos, to homemade empanadas (salteñas) to chips, salsa and more.  We also shared our happiness through art and watched a movie.  I provided watercolor paper and a variety of pens, pencils, and paints for anyone to use.  The goal was to illustrate, “what makes you happy” and share it with Proyecto Horizonte as a part of the organization’s 10-year anniversary campaign.

After we had eaten, conversed, and the majority of friends had arrived, I gave everyone an overview of Proyecto Horizonte.  To begin, I explained why Proyecto Horizonte is my charity of choice and shared my experience onsite in 2012 during my backpacking trip throughout South America, as well as my continued remote support.  In Bolivia, I tutored in the school and helped with marketing materials for Tantakuna women’s group.  Since then, I’ve provided event support, translation, and editing.  I then explained Proyecto Horizonte’s holistic approach and goals of community sustainability and showed them a short video presented at Latin Finance Awards in January, “What Do You Think of Proyecto Horizonte?”, a video which showcases students, parents, and volunteers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QsBB8avzvE).  

We then settled in to watched “Once”, a contemplative film that emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities to fulfill your dreams, while supporting others’ dreams.  Then, we talked more about Proyecto Horizonte, discussed my and others’ adventures in South America, and made room for dessert.  At the end of the event, we posed for a few photos, highlighting the remainder of the group and the “Share You Happiness” art bulletin.  We plan to share this expression of our happiness with Proyecto Horizonte as a part of the 10-year anniversary and happiness campaign.

By the end of the evening, we felt more united and were satisfied with our small, but impactful event.  Together, we raised $280 for Proyecto Horizonte - enough to cover a teacher’s salary for a month. Just think of what a difference we could make if all friends joined each month to support a cause like Proyecto Horizonte!

Ashley Lacy, Volunteer

Seattle, USA