Everyone from parents to neighbors to my dental hygienist (truth!) has been asking, "So, what exactly are you doing in Bolivia?". A week and a half ago Daniel & I got the opportunity to share at our church- West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship about just that. Sharing our story in person was an uplifting (and slightly nerve wracking) experience. For all of you that weren't there this post is an attempt at summarizing what we shared...
The Basics
We got married on August 20th- Adventure #1.
We leave for Bolivia on October 9th- Adventure #2. :)
We hope to stay until the end of May (more on that later).
We will be living and working in a small rural town outside of Cochabamba, Bolivia called Chilimarca.
We will be working as unpaid volunteers with MAP International.
MAP International in Bolivia
To understand what we are doing n Bolivia you should get to know the organization we're working with. As we learn more about them we will be sure to pass the info on to you as well.
MAP stands for Medical Assistance Program and that is where MAP's roots lie. MAP began as a Christian NGO focusing on the health needs of those in poverty. Since its beginning (almost 20 years ago) MAP has progressed into a holistic development organization that meets many needs of the community.
Three programs we want to highlight are:
The Why
Most people know that I (Rachel) am getting my MA in International Development from Eastern University. The last portion of the program requires me to take two classes online and to complete a three month field practicum. Therefore, one of the main purposes of this trip is for me to finish my degree.
But, for Daniel & I, this trip is much more than an academic requirement. We have desired to do development work for a long time and see this as the beginning of our career as development workers. We see ourselves spending much of our lives doing this type of work. I have been itching to get back to "the field" since I did my SALT term in Guatemala (2008-2009) and I am so excited to be going back. This time I will be with my life partner and very best friend. :)
The What
Ok so finally, WHAT ARE WE DOING in Bolivia? We have one main project with MAP and that is to assist them with an evaluation. The first part of it will include reading a bunch of written documents about MAP's work. Things like their mission, purpose, guiding principles, etc. Then, Daniel & I will write a summary document.
The next step of the evaluation will entail visiting MAP's programs and analyzing their fieldwork. Basically, we will be comparing the written documents with how their programs are conducted.
Other than this project (which I think will take a lot of time and energy) we will be working at the school & CUBE. We will help document MAP's programs for donors and assist with project proposals and grants. I will be taking my classes online. Daniel will be attending language classes and I will be working on improving my Spanish. It seems like we will be pretty busy!
I will write another post soon with details about how you can be praying for us!
Abrazos,
Rachel
The Basics
We got married on August 20th- Adventure #1.
We leave for Bolivia on October 9th- Adventure #2. :)
We hope to stay until the end of May (more on that later).
We will be living and working in a small rural town outside of Cochabamba, Bolivia called Chilimarca.
We will be working as unpaid volunteers with MAP International.
MAP International in Bolivia
To understand what we are doing n Bolivia you should get to know the organization we're working with. As we learn more about them we will be sure to pass the info on to you as well.
MAP stands for Medical Assistance Program and that is where MAP's roots lie. MAP began as a Christian NGO focusing on the health needs of those in poverty. Since its beginning (almost 20 years ago) MAP has progressed into a holistic development organization that meets many needs of the community.
Three programs we want to highlight are:
- Health Clinic- Provides primary health care to the community of Chilimarca, treats diseases and illnesses.
- School- An elementary school providing formal education in Chilimarca. This is the only school in the community.
- Centro Una Brisa de Esperanza (CUBE)- Spanish for "A Breeze of Hope Center". A center entirely devoted to fighting child sexual abuse in Bolivia. CUBE provides many services including free psychological, medical, and legal support to children and adolescents that have been abused. Also, CUBE advocates for public policy and judicial system reforms.
The Why
Most people know that I (Rachel) am getting my MA in International Development from Eastern University. The last portion of the program requires me to take two classes online and to complete a three month field practicum. Therefore, one of the main purposes of this trip is for me to finish my degree.
But, for Daniel & I, this trip is much more than an academic requirement. We have desired to do development work for a long time and see this as the beginning of our career as development workers. We see ourselves spending much of our lives doing this type of work. I have been itching to get back to "the field" since I did my SALT term in Guatemala (2008-2009) and I am so excited to be going back. This time I will be with my life partner and very best friend. :)
The What
Ok so finally, WHAT ARE WE DOING in Bolivia? We have one main project with MAP and that is to assist them with an evaluation. The first part of it will include reading a bunch of written documents about MAP's work. Things like their mission, purpose, guiding principles, etc. Then, Daniel & I will write a summary document.
The next step of the evaluation will entail visiting MAP's programs and analyzing their fieldwork. Basically, we will be comparing the written documents with how their programs are conducted.
Other than this project (which I think will take a lot of time and energy) we will be working at the school & CUBE. We will help document MAP's programs for donors and assist with project proposals and grants. I will be taking my classes online. Daniel will be attending language classes and I will be working on improving my Spanish. It seems like we will be pretty busy!
I will write another post soon with details about how you can be praying for us!
Abrazos,
Rachel
WOO HOO Program monitoring + evaluation! it's always great to know that class work is applicable to real life :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic Rach. Best wishes to you and Daniel. :)
ReplyDeleteThis post was so informative!! Love it. Love you. Can't wait to read more.
ReplyDelete