Walking through the streets of Cochabamba, Bolivia you may be surprised to find some things that you might not expect. First of all, there is graffiti at every turn that is more like a giant art piece then what some people may call “vandalism”. There is this one piece of graffiti around the corner from the host families house that Andrea and I are staying at that is completely symbolic of the things that we are trying to accomplish in regards to the environment and sustainability in Bolivia. As you can see a Bolivian woman is riding what looks like a leopard or cougar and the animal is grabbing the truck that is destroying the environment with its claws. I feel it is symbolic of our mission, there is already the drive by Bolivians to want to better the environment and now it is our job to figure out the different ways we can help them achieve what they seek. There is youth everywhere in Cochabamba, most likely because there is a huge university that is in the middle of town. Unfortunately, the university has been closed for quite some time because of protests against the teachers and their qualifications. Like much of Latin America as well as other parts of the world, they are not shy about voicing their opinions when they are unhappy with how their governments are going about doing things. Bolivia is no exception to that rule. There is a culture here in Bolivia, however, that is completely infectious. People are friendly, loving, and full of life. They radiate personality and charisma even if some of their situations are not the most ideal. I often wonder what it must have been like growing up in Cochabamba surrounded by the mountains. How different would ones life be? It would still be full of love, sunshine, friends, familiar places, the same moon and stars, and even the same time zone as the east coast. I think you learn more and more everywhere you go that people are people and even with a different language in a different part of the world you still laugh, cry, feel fear and loss most of the time the same way. Happiness and pain are universal and it bonds us.

Our first days in Cochabamba have been packed with tours of the city by Sustainable Bolivia staff members, becoming accustomed to the our new host families, learning that toilet paper does not go in to the toilet, and that when taking a shower it’s normal that the toilet will get soaked in the process because there is no division between the two. We are also at our second day working with CECAM Cochabamba Pedal Project. It is located in this remote part of the city where you go up a long dirt road until you hit a small gate, which you unlatch and there you are. It feels like we are part of a family working with CECAM. We sit out in the garden researching how to make organic soap or creating projects with trash to both create and show kids the effects of pollution on their environment, while surrounded by the three dogs they have as well as the stray cats that wonder on the rooftops. This is an example of my “office” for the day. Looks pretty rough, right? Freddy, Rocio, and Louise (the main workers at CECAM) are all incredibly dedicated to the project. Alongside Andrea, Keara, Carrie, and I there are three others Olivia, Erin, and Dan working on the project. On Monday we are going to the school up the street to try to teach the kids about making soap and the bicimaquinas. Once the project is up and running we will have more of a sense of what we hope to accomplish by the end of these 6 weeks. Honestly, everything has been wonderful. None of us have gotten sick, our host families are dulce beyond belief, and we are just incredibly excited about the adventures to come. Keara and I are planning a trip to Macchu picchu and this weekend we are all going to explore Cochabamba to get a feel for our new home. It won’t be hard considering this place already feels like somewhere we are going to miss.

Here’s to the first weekend and the escapades ahead!

Salut!

The BU/BC Bolivia Nourish team