Tocana

During the summer of 2009 I had the opportunity to visit Tocana, a very small village in the high jungles of Bolivia. The villagers are Afro-Bolivianos, a group which is rumored to include a combination of enslaved Africans who escaped from the silver mines and slaves who were freed after slavery was declared illegal. The first photo shows the cultural center, which was built in the style of an African hut with funds from USAID.

The villagers are very poor and in need of much help. The Afro-Bolivianos are the poorest of the poor in Bolivia and were not even a recognized group until early 2009, after Evo Morales, an indigenous Indian, became president. This photo is the church, which is one of maybe five buildings that compose the communal area of the village.

The people of the village often work communally. These two sisters were cooking in the community center kitchen on the day we visited. After working in the fields, the villagers gather at the community center for dinner. We donated six books to the center that were African story tales and informational books about Africa written in Spanish.

The children go to school in a one room cement building. Most of them are barefoot and have ragged clothing. The teacher instructs all grade levels, from kindergarten to 4th grade in the same room, all at the same time. When we handed out pencils, crayons, and paper to the children, the teacher, who also had holes in his clothing, was very grateful. We asked him what supplies the school needed, then purchased the items when we went back to LaPaz and sent them to the school by bus.

Going to Bolivia always reminds me how blessed we are in the United States. We have electricity, running water, decent homes or apartments, nice clothing, medical access, and many more amenities that make our lives easier. In honor of that privilege, I have decided to "adopt" the Tocana school and send them supplies every year. My goal this year is to raise one hundred dollars, which I will match, to purchase school supplies in LaPaz and send to the school. I ask you to join me in this small effort to change the world, one person at a time.