OUR MOUNTAINS ARE MELTING

From time to time news say that El Alto within 10 years there may have serious problems of water supply. ¿More shortage? ¿How can it be? El Alto is located about 4100 over sea level and it has around 1.000.000 inhabitants most of which are from aymara indigenous origen. It has a growing population and according to statistical data it is the second biggest city in Bolivia. Now it has 11 districts, 8 urban and 3 rural. According to Fejuve, there are 600 registered neighborhoods distributed in this city. A high porcentaje of its population is young since families tend to have more than two children. Unfortunately, many people doesn´t have yet access to drinkable water.

El Alto is supplied by water that comes from mountains. However, mountains through the years have been losing their white layer and it is said that in some years they will have lost all the ice and snow they have. Up to now, this is the main source of drinkable water, which after processed by Epsas is distributed to the neighborhoods in El Alto. Chacaltaya was one of the most well-known snow-covered mountains. Local and foreign people used to go there to sky, but now an important part of it doesn´t exist any more. Only rocky mountains stay as remembrance of what 10, 20 and 30 yeas ago was completely white.

Additional conditions difficult access to water. A lot of people arrive from rural area to El Alto and establish wherever they can. Because of lack of money, they live in neighborhoods where there is neither drinkable water nor sewer system. Some of them dig a hole which should be about three metres deep until they find water. More or less in November, it starts rainy time and it is other possibility for neighbors to collect water. At the end, lack of water added to existent levels of poverty many times result in illnesses.

There is an heterogeinity of situations. I have water at home but some of my neighbors don´t. This is a serious problem for the families. In my case, I share water with other family. Basilio and Juana have four children. They are renters. The house where they live doesn´t have drinkable water. Whenever they need, they use a hose to collect water from my house and at end of the month we divide the cost of water invoice to pay.

It is important that all the families could have water at home but it is not always posible. In August 16th. neighborhood there are only public places from where, people can collect water. Generally, children carry water to their houses.

La Paz is also supplied by water that comes from the mountains. For example, many small towns sorrounding Illimani mountain benefit from its waters for domestic use. Illimani is one of the most visible mountain. Local researchers say that it is also losing its snow. Part of the State Constitution says that “Hidric resources in all their states are strategic, vulnerable, finite resources and have a social, cultural and environmental role”. Mountains are considered Achachilas by indigenous peoples here. Achachila is a spiritual guide to which rituals are made in certain dates.

Bolivian Constitution, says that “Water is a fundamental right for life. The State will promote use and access to water based on the principles of solidarity, reciprocity, equity, diversity and sustaintability”. State will protect and guarantee the prioritarian water use for life. Although it is being installed water nets, it seems that population grows quicker and a combination of factors: lack of the proper technology, human and economical resources complicates the situation. So, it is probably that when all citizens may have drinkable water system at home, there won´t be water because all the snowed-covered mountains would have melted. El Alto has water problems now and nature doesn´t wait.. Please, stop warming the planet: ¡We need water!.

Picture 1: Part of Chacaltaya mountain with a view of Illimani mountain.

Pictures 2 and 3: Parts of Chacaltaya mountain.

EL ALTO ANNIVERSARY

Last March 6th. El Alto celebrated its 24th. anniversary. As it happens every year all the social organizations participated in this important event.

MY BLOG´S BIRTHDAY

It is my 85th. post since last year. Last February 28th. Indigenous Bolivia was born far from the place where I live now. Thanks a lot to the people that pushed me to start blogging in English.

From the beginning, I had one idea in my mind, to write about my indigenous origen and my culture. It is very important for me to continue writing about the different events, life, music, dance, etc.

I start a new year, a second year. I feel really happy.

Thank you very much for visiting this blog and you are always welcome.


¡Jallalla Indigenous Bolivia!

CARNIVAL HAS STARED

Carnival has started in Bolivia. Today there was a ch´alla. A ch´alla is a kind of ceremony where people thanks about what he or she has. Today public and most private offices worked only until two or tree in the afternoon. It was because, it it usual thay employes maka ch´alla in their offices or factories. They ch´allan their desks, their computers and all the instruments they use in the work. All the celebration during theses times, is accompanied by music, better ch´utas as we see in the video and tarqueadas.

Eyes of hope

About 51% of El Alto population are women, mostly indigenous aymaras. As it has happened for long time, most of them don´t finish school, so when they come to urban areas there are not many opportunities to work. It is worse when there are small children. That´s why, a high percentage of women in El Alto work as sellers in the markets or on the streets. This type of activity allow women to earn some money and, at the same time, to take care of their children.

It can be anyday but during occasions as festivals or other big public events, there is a hope, the hope to sell, to earn something to feed her children.

During February 7th. in El Alto

The song "Viva mi patria Bolivia" is a song that bolivians sing during special occasions. This time it was played by a famous bolivian folk group named Tupay, as part of the celebration for the new bolivian Constitution in El Alto, Bolivia.

PRESIDENT EVO MORALES IN EL ALTO

Last January 25th. bolivians voted for a New Constitution. According to official results option Yes to this New Constitution won with more than 60% of support from the population. So, last Saturday President Evo Morales promulgated this Constitution in El Alto in the middle of a huge quantity of people who came from the indigenous communities and from other cities of Bolivia.

Last Constitution was made in 1967 and a partial reform was made in the 90' s. So, it was important to have a new document that includes indigenous peoples for the first time in the history of Bolivia.

There has been a long process to arrive to this moment in the history of this country. Silvia Lazarte, a woman from indigenous quechua origin, had an important role as President of Constituent Assembly where about more than 100 members elected by population worked to built a new Constitution.

JANUARY 25th, A "D" DAY IN BOLIVIA

When I returned to the school at 16:30, people in charge of the voting process were counting them. I stayed until about 18:00 and option Yes to the New Political Constitution won in all the suffrage tables in this school in El Alto.

I followed the news through a radio. Mass media says that option Yes won with more than 50%, and results will be presented officially in 25 days.

VOTING IN THE REFERENDUM

It was about 13:30 when I went to vote in my neighbourhood´s school in El Alto, La Paz. Fortunately, as I supposed it was not crowded as it used to be earlier in the morning for example. I approached the table where I had to vote, once checked my ID I had to sign in a kind of book. I was given the voting paper with a pen and I entered to one of the classrooms to vote. I came out of the classroom and put the voting paper on a box, after that my finger was marked with a violet ink and I was returned my ID and my suffrage certificate.

Voting in Bolivia is always on Sunday. Voting here is cumpolsory and one needs to present the certificate in banks and to make other transactions. During voting day there is no transportation, only, authorized cars can circulate, so, it is also an opportunity for families to be together, to speak with friends and neighbors.

Voting generally lasts 8 hours. So, more or at 16:30, the counting process begins. Votes are counted and verified one by one and they are registered on a blackboard.

This time, we voted for a new Political Constitution. It is the first time since 1825 that all the bolivian citizenship had the possibility to vote for a Constitution. This a change, a big change leaded by President Evo Morales.

Election Day in the neighborhood

Last Sunday, it was developed a meeting at August 16th. neighborhood. As it happens every year, this time it was elected the new Directory which will lead the neighborhood during 2009. Among the candidates we elected the President, Vicepresident and the Secretaries. It was a bit difficult to elect them, because some neighbors didn´t want to accept the nomination because to be a member of the directory means to spend a lot of time doing administrative procedures in the official channels.

Surviving on El Alto streets

El Alto is said to be the youngest city in Bolivia. Its inhabitants are mostly young people, lots of children and adolescents. Many of the families are leaded only by mothers. So, sometimes there is no other possibility than to sit on one of the streests or stairs and sell something or ask for money.

With our ancestors

Last November 2nd. a lot of families went to the graveyard at Santiago I in El Alto in order to make a celebration with music.

WELCOME TO OUR ANCESTORS

These days are very important for us. November 1 at midday arrive our died relatives. This is a belief within indigenous cultures kept during long time ago. To receive them, we set a table with different types of bread baked by us. Bread may have different shapes as human shapes or the the shape of stairs. We also include a variety of fruits, flowers, sweets, a glass of purple maiz liquour, a glass of water, a dish of food. This table is adorned with coulorful sweets and ornaments to receive our relatives. At midday, a candle is lighted on to welcome them.

The belief says that they will return the next day, so November 2, we take all the things and we go to the graveyard. There, we put the table again and as there are a lot of prayers known as risiris, one by one they pray for our relatives. In order to thank them for that, we give a dish with bread, fruits and the things we prepared. This a is way to share what we have made for our relatives with people we don´t know.

At the graveyard, there is always music and dance as it was practiced more than 500 years ago by our cultures. A family stays at the graveyard about four, five or more hours. This is very important for the families because in this way the link with our ancestors is kept.

FLOWERS FAIR

Last October 1st. it started a Flowers Fair in El Alto. This is an opportunity for people to sell their products but also to contribute to better the environment.

QUECHUA ARTISAN AT EL ALTO FAIR

Pastor Mamani is an artisan that participated at the Artisan National Fair. He and his wife live in a small rural town far from La Paz. They knit mainly colorfoul hats, ornaments for hands and hats, tiny alpaca and lama bags and other products. I met them when the Fair started and I was very happy last Thursday because they received the first prize this year.

CLOSING CEREMONY AT EL ALTO FAIR

Artisan Association in El Alto, Cocedal, organized the Annual National Fair with the participation of artisans that work in different areas: jewels in silver, knitted products in different materials, furniture, ornaments, etc.

During the closing ceremony last Thursday some of the participants received some prices and certificates for the quality of their products.

SHOESHINERS IN EL ALTO

Walking along the streets in El Alto, one finds a lot of people doing different activities. For example, there a lot of young people working as shoeshiners. They are generally on the main streets of Ceja which is the central part of El Alto. Ceja is the place where people changes buses, to go to La Paz city , so it is the perfect place to offer a shoeshining service.

Shoeshiners are divided in groups, each one has twenty of thirthy members. These are formed generally by young men although there are adults too. I asked one of them about girls or women and he told me that they don´t accept women as part of their organization and probably it is the same in the other groups too. It is mainly a male activitiy although in La Paz, there are some women working in this activity.

AUGUST 10, REFERENDUM DAY

August 10 was important for the bolivian people. We had the first Referendum in the history of Bolivia. It was to answer whether we agreed or not with the policies of Presidente Evo Morales Ayma and Vicepresidente Alvaro Linera. In my neighborhood in District 1 in El Alto, this voting process was very quiet. I voted in a school two blocks from my house. We generally vote in schools and in each one there is a different number of Voting tables. Each voting table is numbered and it has a variable number of voters registered. Voting process starts 8:00 and lasts eight hours. When a voting table opens later, it should complete the hours indicated.

Once the voting process ends, members of the electoral jury start counting the votes manually in presence of the public. Each vote is registered on the blackboard so that everybody can see it as shown in the picture.

In this case, President Morales, won. It is said that he received about 61% of approval in the country which is a percentage better than the one he received in 2005, when he was elected as President.

WATCHING FILMS ON EL ALTO STREETS

I am between Street 2 and Kilometer 7 Avenue in El Alto. All this area is also known as Ceja and here we can find a lot of things. Small businesses of any kind, orange juice sellers, fruit sellers, bread sellers, food sellers, etc.

Among these, there is this small shop that sells Cd´s, Dvd´s. All this material is known as "pirata", because they are non authorized copies of the original, and due to that they are sold at low prices. To increase its sales, owners of this type of business, install a Tv and show films or material that may be attractive as in this case. If it is very interesting, a crowd of people use to stand from the beginning until the end of the film.

MOUNTAINS IN LA PAZ