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It’s not hard to find women in Bolivia that inspire me and who are inspiring others in their community. MCC is brimming with partners around the world who put women to the forefront and create spaces for women leaders to thrive. What I didn’t expect when I spoke with with various women across the country was the joy that persists through their emotionally intense work. These women hold tension between complex cultural realities while daily offering their unique gifts to serve vulnerable people.
Of the many conversations I had, I’d like to share five stories of inspiring women around the time of International Women’s Day: from crafty psychologists to classroom educators, garden tenders to baking masters.
Carla Bottani – Casa de la Amistad, Cochabamba
You don’t get the sense from Carla Bottani that she’s clocking in and out, looking to fill hours in a day. The reason she shows up to work is because of a deeper calling to care for the most vulnerable.
Carla is a welcoming face to kids who have parents living in the prison next to Casa de la Amistad. Alongside other staff, Carla provides children with education, emotional support and nutritious meals every day. She also assists mothers of the children as they flee situations of domestic violence. Through skill-building programs like sewing groups and emotional-resilience workshops, women begin to imagine a new life for themselves and their children.
“Emotionally and economically, we support women to make them strong and courageous,” she says. “We want mothers to improve their self-esteem so they can move forward to avoid more violence.”
Carla has arms wide open for the children, the mothers and the complex family structures that they come from. Casa de La Amistad is a family, and the love she has for them goes beyond any job title.
Victoria Mamani Sirpa – Fundación Comunidad y Axión (FCA), El Alto
I’ve seen Victoria’s smile before, used in promotional campaigns for MCC over the years. It wasn’t just her smile but her spirit that catches me by surprise. Why does she seem so … joyful?
Meeting her in person, I realize it isn’t just the photos. Victoria draws people into her joy-filled circle through her work with Fundación Comunidad y Axión (FCA), educating and inspiring other women in her community to start their own greenhouse gardens.
In the beginning she found that any textbooks on growing plants didn’t apply to where she was living—a cold, dry climate at a high altitude.
She began learning the nuances of what each plant needs in this climate. Now, she’s an expert in growing just about anything and shares her knowledge with other women. She noticed that men have gotten involved too, now interested in what was previously seen as women’s work.
To be part of Victoria’s circle means that there will be laughter, skill-sharing, community and abundant freshly grown food to share. “I share my experience not in a cut in dry way with the women, we laugh a lot. The garden is something we share; it brings the family together.”
Angela Opimi – Talita Cumi, Santa Cruz
Angela Opimi is a psychologist but wouldn’t call herself that with the children she accompanies at Talita Cumi, a home for orphaned and at-risk youth.
She explains that waiting for kids to book appointments with her won’t lead to much deep relationship-building. She recalls a time when a new child learned of Angela’s job title and could barely look her in the eyes. One day, Angela found the girl folding laundry and asked if she could join. As they worked together, they began chatting about daily life. Slowly and over many piles of folded laundry later, the girl opened up.
If kids do come into her office, Angela always has craft materials on hand, like the painting of tulips she shows me. She explains that “drawing together is a non-confrontational and softer way to talk about things that are difficult to understand. They can use colors, other techniques or a combination of colors. It helps them to concentrate, especially when there’s trauma.”
Maybe “painter,” “laundry-helper,” “kitchen assistant,” or simply “friend” would be better titles to describe the heart of Angela’s work. She embodies “coming alongside” in a literal sense, knowing that doing work side-by-side can often lead to greater connection.
Claudia Arauz – Etta Dining Room, Montero
Claudia describes a chaotic nature of a typical day at Etta Dining room, a center that provides additional learning for children. Some of her students are keen, taking notes and finishing their homework quickly. Others are staring at the ceiling, lost. But what strikes me about Claudia Arauz is her ability to notice and to pay attention to what’s happening around her.
She describes her process as if tending to seedlings: “We have to observe each one and see what each person needs to grow. Every person is different and has their own essence.” Claudia is the hand that reaches through to pull out children who would otherwise fall through the cracks of another institutional school system.
Claudia advocates for a shared learning across the spectrum of abilities. While she used to think the advanced students should be secluded to their own table of learning, she now believes that each one can learn from each other, herself included.
“I always consider myself as a guide. I’m not the person who can give them everything, but I can guide them,” she explains. “I love working with kids because they can absorb so much. They are learning to live better with other people and our world. That is my motivation. To pass on my knowledge, and to learn from them too. ”
Martha Ruiz Rodríguez – Mother Teresa Dining Room, Montero
Martha Ruiz Rodríguez opens the door into the spacious kitchen of Mother Teresa’s dining room, a community center that provides after school learning, nutritious meals and skill-building workshops for children and mothers. As we talk, we peel dried beans from their stalks so they’re ready to be boiled for an upcoming meal. The kitchen is tidy, the pantry is full, and she moves around the kitchen so effortlessly. But it didn’t always used to be this easy.
Martha remembers the time when she first found Mother Teresa’s dining room. She was in an abusive relationship and looking for a way out. The owner asked if she’d like to help with the cleaning, which she did. She became interested in the workshops that they offered like cooking, baking, sewing and hairdressing.
Martha took every workshop she could—learning and building skills along the way. She fell in love with cooking and became a master at making things like empanadas and rice in large quantities. Now, she feds up to 100 kids that come into Mother Teresa’s each day.
While I visit other parts of the center that day, Martha continues in the kitchen preparing a simple banana cake. For the next hour, the open-aired hallways waft a sweet scent, building anticipation. After the children leave for the day, the staff congregate around the table to share in the fluffy cake with sticky pieces of caramelized bananas on top. What I didn’t realize was that the cake she made was to celebrate her own birthday that day. There is laughter, chatter, and quiet “mmms,” appreciating something sweet after a long day.
As I reflect on these five women, sharing that cake together reflects the community-oriented, joyful and sometimes unpraised work that women have done and are doing in Bolivia. International Women’s Day offers the chance to put into focus the women who are quietly holding the “thing” (the education, the daycare, the garden, the family) together. Who, despite pushing against a Bolivian culture dominated by a male-hierarchy, continue in their work. They do it full of love and inspire others to join in.
To Carla, Vicky, Angela, Claudia, Martha and the many other women I could have written about, we celebrate you today.
Rachel Watson is the Communications Coordinator for MCC Bolivia.