Bolivia - Zion Mennonite Church

2007 Report
2007 Slide Show
small medium large

VIDA FELIZ Senior Center

The Senior Center in El Torno, Bolivia, "Vida Feliz" began in 1997 when the social concerns ministry of the Baptist church where Wendell and Karen were members, took interest in the elderly of the church and community. The initial interest of the elderly was documentation for themselves. Many didn't have birth certificates or id cards and therefore could not vote. They were asking for better public services in healthcare, public transportation, and pension that was due to them from the government.

In 2001 The 12 disciples from Pacific Covenant, Zion, Calvary and Roca de Salvacion came to start building the Casa del Anciano. ( Bob and Darlene Kauffman, Ashely Handrich, Lloyd Nisly, Doug Gingerich, Rick Regier, Martha Hernandez, Gilberto Cortez, Ben Gingerich, Ken Berkey, Craig Gingerich, Brooks Gingerich). What a beautiful opportunity for all of us. The Casa was financed by these 3 congregations along with the township of El Torno. It’s a place where the elderly of El Torno
can come for fellowship, for teachings, occupational therapy, healthcare, and rest. If you have a chance to go, check out the hand hued beams that the 12 disciples worked on sweat and tears. The old folk will want to give you hugs and kisses in gratitude, so just hug them back as well. A hug and a smile is much more important than words.

The Center is run by a committee of the elderly, 2 young volunteers as consultants, and a group of professionals from the community that have volunteered their time in giving assessment. They continue to work to develop a project that will be recognized by government and other non government organizations where they can reach their goals as an association and get stable support. Zion Mennonite has given them a donation to help them with this project and hopefully there will be a continual relationship with Oregon and the Center.

2007 Update of the VIDA FELIZ Senior Center

El Torno, Bolivia

We would like to share with members of Zion about the progress and activities of the Senior Center in El Torno, Bolivia, during this year 2007.

The program for the Center continues to be directed by Sulma Becerra and Willan Villagomez. Both are graduates in psychology, working half time for the Center, teaching in a local high school, and private counseling in the city of Santa Cruz. . At the end of November, Sulma’s father passed away, forcing her to postpone her wedding until several weeks later in December. Willan and his wife Queen recently had a baby daughter Susan Karen.

Much of Sulma and Willan’s work at the Center is coordinating volunteer involvement from the community and resources from outside. Here are this year’s highlights:

In Jan.-Feb. 2007, Karen and Wendell visited the project for 3 weeks. They carried a $5000 gift from Zion for Bolivia. This fund has been used this year to pay the 3 monthly salaries (a total of $350 monthly) for Willan, Sulma, and the president of the senior’s organization. Other donations were given to buy a motor cycle for pastor Ruben of the Baptist church, $200 for buying materials to build a small house for Favian and his wife (an elderly couple), and support for Walter and Elisa, a family who is giving their time to the disabled children of El Torno.
In September Sulma was given a grant to attend a week-long seminar in Uruguay on leadership and training in administration presented by PORTIKUS, a non governmental organization. The Center has hopes of receiving a grant thru this organization.
A group of youth from the local Catholic parish comes to each Saturday meeting to assist in setting up, serving meals and cleaning.
Over 1000 local students have visited the center during the year for different educational events about the life of the elderly.
A group of committed business and professional persons from the community continue to support the Center. It includes Flora a pharmacist, Alain a communications consultant and wife Elizabeth (our adopted daughter) who lends costumes for holiday festivities from her rental shop, Jose Camacho an architect who is assisting in planning the use of the land, Señoras Tita and Yolanda who finance the weekly doctor visits.
Elisabeth Moret, an owner of an up-scale restaurant up the hill from the Center, continues to provide the food for one meal a month and milk for each Saturdays breakfast. Her cooks are now donating their time for this occasion. She has shared her knowledge as a dietician with the Center introducing nutritious new dishes to the menu.
Dr. Sandy a local dentist started volunteering her time for dental care.
Youth from “Alalay”, a nearby home for girls and boys, come as volunteers to maintain the building, clean, cut hair, give manicures, and assist in art projects.
Two Swiss volunteers living in the area are doing continual home visits along with Sulma. They assist with at-home health care, help administer medicines, get persons to the hospital to get special help, provide donated clothes, blankets, and groceries for those in need.
The Center had a visit from several young doctors from Spain who did home visits. Cuban eye doctors also gave free cataract surgery and care to elderly patients through a program of the Cuban and Bolivian governments.
A traditional brick oven was built on the grounds, so every Friday a group gets together to bake bread for the Saturday meetings.
Gardening is one of the most active occupations at the center. With a new plot of land purchased last year, they now have more room for planting vegetables, raising chickens and ducks and even produce for sale at the local market. This is the trade that is most familiar to many members and brings the most participation from the center’s member volunteers.

We receive a monthly report and we have gleaned these pictures to give you a glimpse of the faces that made the Vida Feliz center a Happy Life in 2007.