Concepción, La Chiquitania PHASE 2
BOLIVIA
June 2019
THIS EXTRAORDINARY GROUP OF STUDENTS ARE RECOGNIZED AS HEALTH CARE PROMOTERS BY THEIR COMMUNITY
Goal
To continue with the training program of the 38 Barefoot Medicine Health Care Promoters that was started in August 2018.
Duration
10 days
The Wu Project Team
Trainers
Acupuncture Physicians Alicia Villamarin and Maria Rosa Romero
Volunteers
Vanessa Caamano, Photographer: Lucas Leoni

Partners in Bolivia
In collaboration with Latin Angels Foundation
Donations
Lhasa Om, Acumarket, individual donations and Latin Angels Foundation
Logistics of the trip
Latin Angels Foundation coordinated with the local group and financed the trip.
Results
In this Phase 2 of the training, we continued teaching the program and holding supervised student clinics. Thirty-two of the thirty-eight original students returned, that is a high return number that speaks of the great impact that the training had in the community. The students had been using the techniques learned with neighbors and relatives, those that were health care professionals had been incorporating what they had learned very successfully into their therapies. They enjoyed learning and practicing the Sound Healing modality, the entire area of La Chiquitania is well known for their Music. They were thrilled to be able to use music and sound for healing. The clinics were well attended since the students had already been working extensively with their community. We worked on developing their clinical skills; from taking a medical history, to asking the proper questions to make a diagnosis and a treatment plan and of course, the application of the therapies. Let’s point out that the trainers do not treat the patients in the clinic, the students do all the treatments. The trainers supervise every single case, advise, correct, and use every case to teach. The idea is to give the students the skills and the confidence to be able to do the work on their own once the Wu Team is gone. The volunteers were exceptional. Along with Vanessa Caamano, from Miami, who helped us with logistics, preparation, and smooth running of the class, the photographer, Lucas Leoni was a 17 years old photography student, the son of one of our Health Care Promoter student. 3 other young adults unexpectedly joined us in Bolivia; relatives of our sponsor, they showed impressive compassionate behavior making our lives and the running of the class easier. We were very grateful for their spontaneous help. Since the creation of The Wu Project, one of our goals was to involve young generations in this service work. We are happy to say that it is happening. Our volunteers are overwhelmingly young adults that donate their time and work. In exchange, they learn and experience different cultures, they often get into adventurous situations and above all, they awaken their compassion and awareness, they give back. This second training also cemented our personal relationships with not only the students but with many other members of the community. They embraced us and made us feel at home. The ages of the students ranged from 20 to 80 years old. The formal education levels also widely ranged from the highly educated medical doctors and psychologist to illiterate. They too appreciated the value of the new skills learned and were looking forward to apply them with their patients. The traditional healing modalities of the participants also were varied; most were knowledgeable in local plants which they used orally and topically. Others were skilled in body work, bone setting and therapeutic massage. We encouraged the healers to present their style to the rest of the class and helped them incorporate the new techniques into their practice.That wide range in backgrounds and ages is a constant in our trainings. For us it is not a challenge or an obstacle but a enrichment for all participants including us, The Wu Project Team