Submitted by: Karl Everett, Harbortown Rotary Duluth International CommitteeIn September, 2018, a team of six Rotarians from District 5580 and St. Paul District visited Rotary projects in the Real Cordillera Mountains and Amazon Rain Forest in Bolivia. District 5580 representatives Karl Everett, Stacey Ackerman, and Alena Pringle had a very successful twelve day journey to Bolivia visiting numerous Rotary funded medical clinics, water projects, schools and road projects. We thank Segundo Velasquez of Mano a Mano International and Dr. Jose Velasquez of Mano a Mano Bolivia for working with Rotary on current and future Bolivia Rotary projects, and for support on our Bolivia tour and tours of the Mano a Mano Headquarters and Agricultural Center.
After a long all day trip on dusty, windy roads from Sucre, Bolivia high up (14,000 foot elevation) in the Real Cordillera Mountains we visited numerous Rotary funded medical clinics, Guitarrani School and Sumala .jpg)
Road Project, the team of representatives of the NGO Mano a Mano Bolivia including Dr. Jose Velasquez, and District 5580 representatives Stacey Ackerman, Alena Pringle and Karl Everett, arrived at the Municipal Capital of Icla and then went to the community of Jatun Mayu (Translated from Quechua means Rio Grande). We stayed overnight at the facility (1000 star hotel) and were received by the representatives of the community and those in charge of health care facility and attended the ribbon cutting and grand celebration with food, music and dancing.
Road Project, the team of representatives of the NGO Mano a Mano Bolivia including Dr. Jose Velasquez, and District 5580 representatives Stacey Ackerman, Alena Pringle and Karl Everett, arrived at the Municipal Capital of Icla and then went to the community of Jatun Mayu (Translated from Quechua means Rio Grande). We stayed overnight at the facility (1000 star hotel) and were received by the representatives of the community and those in charge of health care facility and attended the ribbon cutting and grand celebration with food, music and dancing.High in the thin air of the Andes Mountains of Bolivia, our Rotarians were welcomed by remote villagers with songs, dancing and celebration. In the tiny communities in 
Icla Region the team was led with much ceremony, celebration and fanfare, by the Quechua people, to the small Rotary sponsored medical clinics for which they were so grateful. Bolivian medical staff now provide medical services to the community which has made an enormous impact on decreasing child mortality and improving the health of all those living in the area. When viewing the dedication plaque on the front of the Jatun Mayu Medical Clinic, we were delighted to see the names of contributors to the project. We want to thank FM AM Rotary, Harbortown Rotary, Detroit Lakes Noon Rotary, Nipigon Rotary, International Falls Rotary, Thunder Bay Fort William, Duluth Club 25, Duluth Skyline Rotary with a matching grant from the District 5580 WCS fund, and construction management and funding provided by Mano a Mano Bolivia, Mano a Mano International, the Municipality of Icla, and the Jatun Mayu Community, plus some additional funding from the Chanhassen Rotary Club, Segundo & Joan Velasquez, and Karl and Kerry Everett.
Icla Region the team was led with much ceremony, celebration and fanfare, by the Quechua people, to the small Rotary sponsored medical clinics for which they were so grateful. Bolivian medical staff now provide medical services to the community which has made an enormous impact on decreasing child mortality and improving the health of all those living in the area. When viewing the dedication plaque on the front of the Jatun Mayu Medical Clinic, we were delighted to see the names of contributors to the project. We want to thank FM AM Rotary, Harbortown Rotary, Detroit Lakes Noon Rotary, Nipigon Rotary, International Falls Rotary, Thunder Bay Fort William, Duluth Club 25, Duluth Skyline Rotary with a matching grant from the District 5580 WCS fund, and construction management and funding provided by Mano a Mano Bolivia, Mano a Mano International, the Municipality of Icla, and the Jatun Mayu Community, plus some additional funding from the Chanhassen Rotary Club, Segundo & Joan Velasquez, and Karl and Kerry Everett.
We also participated in the distribution of medical supplies at Mano a Mano facility in Cochabamba, along with Rotary members from the St Paul and Cochabamba Norte Rotary Club, which Mano a Mano International collects from donations in the United States and ships to Bolivia to provide to needy communities.
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We took a side trip adventure touring the steamy Bolivian Amazon Rainforest crossing rivers and swamps and traveling on muddy and dusty roads looking for jaguars, caiman, sloths, anacondas, parrots, and capybaras, and also visiting a Jesuit Mission near Trinidad, Bolivia.
Karl Everett, Harbortown Rotary Duluth, meets with the Mayor and members of the Tocopilla community in the Bolivia Amazon Rainforest. The Tocopilla community is in desperate need of a medical facility and Karl applied for and received approval from District 5580 for a World Community Service (WCS) Grant for construction on a new medical facility. We are looking for partnering opportunities with other Rotary Clubs to participate and share in the adventure to provide funds for the construction of this medical clinic to help this distressed community. Please contact Karl Everett at karle@q.com if your club is interested in supporting this important project that has the potential to save lives in the Tocopilla Bolivia community.
Rotary Bolivia 2018 team. L to R: Karl Everett, Francis Luikart, Alena Pringle, Stacey Ackerman, Paul Meekin, Valdi Stefanson