Distribute Donated Medical Supplies to Bolivia and Save Lives

Mano a Mano works in Bolivia creating sustainable infrastructure projects that improve health and increase economic well-being. In a short time span, we have completed hundreds of projects that have a huge impact in the rural communities in which they are built, including 120 healthcare clinics that had over 737,000 patient visits in 2010, 145 small water retention ponds, 3 large-scale water reservoirs, 41 schools, more than 1,100 kilometers of roads, and many others.

With where we are now, it’s easy to forget that Mano a Mano was started in 1994 with the goal of saving medical supplies in the US that were destined for the landfill, and sending them to Bolivia where co-founders Joan and Segundo Velasquez knew they could save lives. For the first 10 years, there was no paid staff in the US, only Joan and Segundo and a dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom were friends and family, sorting supplies in the Velasquez’ basement and storing them under tents in the backyard. Using the Denton program through USAID, which provides free shipment of humanitarian supplies on US military planes, Mano a Mano was able to ship these supplies to Bolivia at zero cost. More than 2 million pounds of supplies were shipped through these free USAID programs, allowing Mano a Mano to allocate its funds for its other projects.

Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, for the past 3 years we have been unable to use these free shipment programs. We now have to pay for shipments ourselves, and shipping to Bolivia from Minnesota is not cheap; to ship one container with around 15,000 pounds of supplies costs between $12,000-$15,000.

Ensuring that our network of clinics is well-supplied is extremely important. Part of our agreement with each community in which a clinic is built is to ensure that there are adequate supplies and equipment; without these supplies it’s impossible to provide adequate patient care. As one example, in one of our busier clinics another organization decided to fund construction of a second story to accommodate more people. On a recent visit, the first floor of the clinic (which was built by Mano a Mano, and was fully equipped) was bustling; there were dozens of community members waiting to be seen. On the second floor there was nothing but empty rooms. All that was funded was the construction; there was no money for equipment or supplies. There are many cases throughout the developing world of clinics and schools sitting vacant because all that was funded was 4 walls and a roof. To ensure sustainability it’s a necessity to provide for maintenance, staffing, and equipment/supplies. Our integrated approach in our clinic program is part of the reason that in Mano a Mano clinics, maternal and infant mortality rates are drastically reduced from the average (infant mortality is 8% in rural areas in Bolivia, while in our clinics the rate is 0.5%).

Even with the additional cost of shipping, it is well worth it to continue to send supplies. The contents of each container, if they were purchased in the US, would cost at least $100,000. Although it costs $15,000 to ship, this is still a real value. Many of these supplies are of higher quality than what is available locally in Bolivia, and in many cases the supplies can’t even be purchased in-country. In addition, being able to equip our clinics with donated items allows us to stretch our limited budget and save money that can be used elsewhere.

This month we are shipping two containers – over 40,000 pounds of medical supplies and equipment, orthopedic items (walkers, wheelchairs, canes, and crutches), school supplies, and office supplies. These items will be distributed to our network of 120 healthcare clinics, as well as other nonprofit organizations throughout Bolivia that make a request. Your support allows us to send these much-needed supplies to our clinics and save lives.