Reciprocity: UP CLOSE Bolivia

The first month has flown by and there is never a dull moment here in the la Valle de la Luna, working for UP CLOSE Bolivia!

Up Close is an initiative run by a Bolivian-British family based on the enthusiasm and passion of volunteers who live and work alongside the family on a variety of projects. These projects are all based in the local community, which is made up mostly of indigenous Aymara, whose language and rich culture survived the conquest of the Spaniards. They work with International Service and the International Citizen Service scheme but also accept volunteers who apply directly to work for Up Close Bolivia.

I am constantly in awe of the dramatic landscape of the red and green Andean mountains surrounding in the valley as well as the tranquility of the valley.  Attractions for tourists in the valley include a zoo and a guided walk around the dramatic rock formations of the valley. The valley is 30 minutes by car and regular public transport from the centre of La Paz but a world away from the hectic life of the city.

The vision of Up Close Bolivia as written on their website (http://upclosebolivia.org/) is : “Bolivia has taught us the true meaning of ‘’reciprocidad’’ which means reciprocity – a concept at the heart of Andean culture. It is all about giving back and contributing in a way that enriches both the person who is giving, and the person who is receiving, equally. We have welcomed many volunteers over the years to Bolivia and shared the joy of their discovery and growing sense of belonging.”

It is an amazing experience being part of this initiative with such strong links with the local community. The projects supported by Up Close include: The Valley of the Moon Children’s Centre, Strengthening local eco tourism through community-based English teaching and environmental work.

Helping with a fair stall for the nursery for the International Day for People with Disabilities, in the centre of La Paz

My responsibilities include teaching three 1.5 hour English evening classes a week. The students are aged between 14 and 74 so a very diverse range of people from different backgrounds and with different levels of English. One thing they have in common though, is a great enthusiasm for learning English! I am really enjoying the classes, getting to know my students, and working alongside new members of the Up Close teaching team, Ana from Australia and Lotta from Sweden. Teaching English is definitely more of a challenge than I expected - there are so many rules and irregular verbs which are difficult to explain! I´ve taught 6 English classes so far and I´ve learnt that planning is crucial, as well as being creative on the spot and making it up when things don´t go to plan! I´m planning an outdoor class in the local zoo so the students can put their new animal vocabulary to the test…

On Thursdays I help out in the zoo, helping with animal enrichment (using creative methods to hide food, giving the animals a challenge at feeding time to recreate hunting for food in nature), improving environments for the animals as well improving services for visitors and the local community.


Painting the fence of the Jaguar enclosure at the zoo

I am also responsible for communicating regular updates about our projects to give an insight in to the daily responsibilities of Up Close volunteers and what to expect if you come to work for Up Close: http://www.facebook.com/#!/UpCloseBolivia.

I am looking forward to the next two months and getting involved in more community projects with Up Close!