Today was the last day on the field with Water For People. It was so amazing. We started off going to a municipality that was 12,000 feet in the high lands of Bolivia, where we met the mayor and heard about their successes. This specific community had 98% of house holds that had water in their home. This is really rare.
The second place we went was one of the best business success stories I have heard. This municipality called Via Victoria, they have used their waste to grow a specific type of pine trees that help grow a rare kind of shiitake mushrooms. They have figured out a way to grow the pine trees faster through fermenting their urine and watering the trees with 1 part urine and 7 parts water. They only have to do this 3 times in 4 months and the trees grow faster and stronger. They plant them and it helps grow these mushrooms that are in high demand here in Bolivia. It has been an amazing achievement for this community that has 89 families involved in this business and it provides a solid income for these families to live on.
After we heard about this amazing success story they cooked us a delicious feast that included their mushroom paella. It was our favorite meal of the entire trip so far.
We then went to one other municipality to hear about how water has changed their lives and only one family in the entire community doesn’t have water in their home. This community had the most success with their water program.
We drove 2 hours home after a long day showered and went to our last dinner with Water For People. We had a great time reminiscing about the trip and how fun our group was on this trip. The Bolivian staff handed out the most beautiful Bolivian paintings and a Water For People t-shirt “so we dont forget about Bolivia and we return one day”(they said). We all spoke about how this part of our trip has changed our lives in some way (with tears in most peoples eyes)
Thank you again Water For People for your generosity and hospitality! It was such a life changing experience that will never be forgotten!
