Physiotherapy in Bolivia

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Pascale Baumann a Canadian physioterapist who worked in two of our volunteer posts in 2006-2007 has written an article for Physiotherapy Today about her time with us. below is a taste of the article and you can see the whole article by clicking on the link at the end of the article.

"In September 2006, I left Thunder Bay for Bolivia carrying only a backpack, Reciprocating Gait Orthosis, and other assorted physiotherapy tools. Before leaving, I could count the things I knew about Bolivia on one hand. I knew that it is landlocked, one of the poorest countries in Latin America, and that for the first time its people have recently elected an indigenous president. But Bolivia came to mean so much more to me. Over six months, I learned the language which opened many doors, lived with a Bolivian family, joined the local volleyball and swim teams, and explored the country from the high Andes to the Amazon jungle. The people along the way taught me about the difficulties they are faced with every day – such as having no drinkable water, the regressing jungle resulting in the loss of hunting grounds and the fight to grow coca. At the same time they also showed me their strong family bonds, culture, survival skills, and how to fish for piranhas! I felt privileged to visit and live in little communities that hadn’t seen many ‘white people and blue eyes’. Without a doubt, the six months in Bolivia were a roller coaster, emotionally and physically, and raised more questions than answers." To read more click here

News From Bolivia

Many of our volunteers, especially the long term ones, write asking how they can keep up on the political happenings in Bolivia larga distancia. There are a number of websites and blog out there which you should check out.

My favorite at the moment is http://boliviarising.blogspot.com/ where Fred Fuentes posts great information and analysis on the current government.

Another long time favorite is www.democracyctr.org with a humorous blog that covers both Bolivian and international issues.

For those who haven't forgotten their Spanish I recommend, checking out www.bolpress.com which carries great articles from a number of well-known Bolivian politicians and journalists.

Last but not least I would recommend Indymedia Bolivia the Bolivian part of the world wide Indymedia empire!!! www.bolivia.indymedia.org

Hope you find these sites a start in keeping up with the happenings here in the llajta.

Peace

Volunteer Bolivia