In Rurrenabaque
Well, I just finished my last two site visits before heading back Stateside. And I think these last two were both my favorites, and potentially the best candidates for Pidola. From La Paz, I flew to a town called Rurrenabaque (aka Rurre). Rurre is vastly different than La Paz. While you’re still in Bolivia, you’re going from the high Andian Mountains to the Amazon River Basin. Temperature, altitude, and culture are different between these two areas! Similar political conversations can be found in both, though.
Our first location we visited was a village called Carmen Florida, which is about a 40-minute boat ride from the town of Rurre. The community is small, with only about 13 school children and about 100 people total in the village. But, they would love both power and internet for their school room and would drastically help their educational resources. We had good conversations with the community leaders, started building those all-important relationships, and even started planning for their anniversary party in mid-July… Carmen Florida will be 85 years old!
The second community we visited during our trip to Rurrenabaque is called Torewa. This was a 2.5-hour boat ride from Rurre, with a 30-minute hike to the village. As with our pilot project Pampa Jasi, this village is very remote. It’s so remote, and so prone to being flooded by the Beni River, that the local government doesn’t even acknowledge the community exists. There are 45 school-aged children and over 50 families that would love Pidola’s assistance. They specifically spoke about improved healthcare and avenues of communication that our resources could provide. Amazing place, amazing people.
Keep an eye out for your July 25thinvite to Diebolt Brewery for a Pidola happy hour; I would love to see everyone!