ECHU Grassroots Solidarity in Bolivia By Stefano DeZerega Bolivia's high Andean plateau is home fo many small rural Quechua and Aymara comrimnities. Years ago, with the help of friends in the capital of La Paz, these indigenous peoples combined forces into the Kechuaymara Foundation, a successful, self-directed program for sustainable development. Built upon local knowledge and experience, Kechuaymara's projects are designed to meet the most pressing needs of its villages. With some support from solidarity groups in the US, such as the student-based Overseas Development Network (ODN) [see preceding story], they have reinforced local culture, strengthened community cooperation, and improved the nutrition and general health of their people. Kechuaymara has charted an independent course.for development in the altiplano region of Bolivia. Independence has been an issue throughout Latin America for centuries. Kechuaymara was inspired by the work of indigenoµs Bolivians like Toribio Miranda, Manuela Quevedo, Gregorio Titirico, and Andres Jachakollo, who struggled for the rights and liberty of native peoples in Bolivia during the first half of this , century. .Kechuaymara, committed to grassroots democracy, is controlled by a general assembly made up of representatives chosen by 39 member communities. Most of the members, who make a huge effort to get to meetings, are Page 34 RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 R engaged daily in subsistence agriculture and animal husbandry. It is no surprise that many of the foundation's efforts are aimed at improving production. Other programs promote appropriate technology to stabilize the precarious economic position of its members, while conserving natural resources. Since many of the representatives come from village women's organizations, many Kechuaymara programs target the participation and education of women in villages. Operating out of an office in La Paz, the small foundation staff ekes out a living with help from indigenous people who've moved to town and earned some money, and from various development programs. They are responsible for implementing the decisions,of the membership. They actively link the city with the altiplano. They also connect Kechuaymara to the rest of the international aid community, forging, for example, the alliance with ODN. In 1983 it was clear to both Kamal and Nazir Ahmad, the founders of ODN, that US universities we~e failing to educate students about tP.e challenges facing people around the globe. These Bangladeshi brothers, studying at Harvard, Stanford and Amherst, noted that where international development was discussed, few alternatives were presented. They organized ODN to get students involved in overseas grassroots development. Grassroots development emphasizes a participatory process, self-reliance, local knowledge, voluntary contribu- .. tions by the community, smallscale projects, appropriate technology, sustainability, and ·community-building. Nazir ex_plains that "this country has influence disproportionate to its knowledge. So what do you do? You try to increase that knowledge." At left, the harvest is sifted as part ofKechuaymara 's project for promoting indigenous grains. The project has set up a number ofcommunity seed revolving 'funds', which make loans of seed to villages and families. These loans must be paid back in seed, with interest also in · seed, at the end of the season.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz