35 Years in Bolivia

In 2007 ACDI/VOCA celebrated its 35th anniversary in Bolivia. ACDI/VOCA-Bolivia marked the milestone with a reception on December 10th. Numerous beneficiaries, representatives from ACDI/VOCA’s hundreds of institutional partnerships throughout the country, officials from the government of Bolivia, and members of the donor community attended the event.

In his welcoming remarks, 10-year veteran Country Representative Glenn Blumhorst summarized the history of ACDI/VOCA in Bolivia. He highlighted the organization’s emergence during the last decade from a volunteer-based technical assistance provider to a flagship USAID implementing partner for integrated alternative development (IAD) programs. Acknowledging USAID as ACDI/VOCA’s principal donor in Bolivia, Blumhorst remarked, "I take this opportunity to express our gratitude to USAID for having demonstrated the confidence in ACDI/VOCA as a strategic partner to implement programs of such significant scope and scale."

ACDI/VOCA currently implements the $32-million Integrated Community Development Fund and previously ran the $20-million Yungas Community Alternative Development Fund, both funded by USAID/Bolivia. ACDI/VOCA also runs USAID/Bolivia's high-profile, immediate-impact Special Development Activities Fund, and the VOAGRO technical assistance program funded by Agrocapital Foundation. Bolivia is also a focus country for the USAID worldwide Cooperative Development Program which ACDI/VOCA implements in Bolivia. During its 35-year presence ACDI/VOCA's volunteer consultants have completed more than 500 short-term technical assistance assignments through a variety of programs around the country, enabling ACDI/VOCA to maximize cost-effectiveness and program impact.

USAID Mission Director Michael Yates congratulated ACDI/VOCA, recognizing its history in Bolivia as very special and emphasizing the impressive capacity of the nonprofit organization to achieve results.

"For USAID, experience, capacity, sensitivity and commitment are basic institutional qualities that we seek in our implementing partners. Without a doubt, ACDI/VOCA possesses these qualities and demonstrates them every day through the sound implementation of some of our most significant development initiatives. USAID is strongly supporting the government of Bolivia, and within this framework ACDI/VOCA is a highly efficient and effective implementer."

Representing the government of Bolivia, Vice-Ministry of Coca and Integrated Development official Romulo Marasa extolled ACDI/VOCA and its response to Bolivia’s needs during 35 years of development assistance, expressing his particular appreciation for the organization’s many projects in the Yungas and Tropics of Cochabamba regions.

Providing a beneficiary perspective, Ms. Juana de Dios Pozo, manager of the Integrated Services Cooperative in Cochabamba, commended ACDI/VOCA's long-term support of cooperatives in Bolivia through the Cooperative Development Program. She expressed her appreciation to USAID for helping to establish the cooperative many years ago and for providing support through VOCA (ACDI and VOCA merged in 1997) from 1985 to 1990. On behalf of the more than 3,500 dairy producers of the high valleys of Cochabamba, Ms. Pozo extended her appreciation for the vital technical assistance the cooperative received from ACDI/VOCA.

Dr. Cynthia Ugarte, head of the Carita Feliz (Happy Face) Project in La Paz, paid tribute to the U.S. government for support provided through the Special Development Activities Fund. The Fund enabled 32 children from low-income families to benefit from corrective surgery for facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. Dr. Ugarte noted "What was a dream for many children became reality with positive results, not only in facial appearance but also in self-esteem."

Community members have benefited from the multiple projects implemented by ACDI/VOCA in areas of community development, agricultural development, and small enterprise development. Mrs. Salomé Hilario, an entrepreneur of Aymara descent, spoke about this on behalf of the Yungas communities whose quality of life has improved from the construction and improvement of health and education infrastructure, agricultural production, processing and marketing support, and technical and financial assistance for small business initiatives. Mrs. Hilario received support for her fruit juice and sandwich shop, which became a highly successful venture.

Mr. Walter Nuñez, a long-time institutional friend and associate of ACDI/VOCA's programs in Bolivia, summed up the significance of the multiple programs that have helped the entire country. A former minister of agriculture and past manager of the Eastern Chamber of Agriculture (CAO), Nuñez reminisced about ACDI/VOCA's many volunteer consultants who provided key contributions to the country's productive development. He focused his remarks on four key elements that characterized the support of ACDI/VOCA's volunteer consultants: their professional expertise, sense of commitment, volunteer spirit and enduring friendships. He said, "In addition to their valuable experience, they gave us their friendship. In the same sense that my ACDI/VOCA colleagues have introduced me as a grand friend, I return the same affection to you. ACDI/VOCA's efforts are evident throughout Bolivia; they are reflected in the words of the women and the vice-ministry official who have preceded me in speaking, and are the epitome of cooperation well beyond speeches."