LAMF update July 23 2011

We’re Official

In June 2011 LAMF was officially registered by the Charity Commission. We are now a properly constituted and regulated charity, and we can take advantage of Gift Aid in enhancing the benefit of donations from supporters.

Monica in Bolivia

In November 2010, Monica went to Bolivia. She visited the Centro Lola, and met with the women’s organisation Sartasinyani, which is becoming properly constituted as a channel for funds to the women of the Altiplano. Monica also met two Government ministers to explore further possible developments to support the women’s economic independence. Save the Children, through which we supported the construction of Centro Lola, has had some major changes in Bolivia, and Monica was able to discuss their new funding priorities, and to make links with other NGOs who may be able to help us. Monica and Patrick Vannier, a respected French film maker, filmed the Todos Santos ritual held for Lola.

In June 2011, Monica spent a month in Bolivia. She saw the new furniture at Centro Lola which LAMF had provided, and she was introduced to vermiculture. This is a new venture to help improve diet and health through growing green vegetables in the desert of the Altiplano, which LAMF plans to support in future. She helped the knitters at Choritotora to find a new channel for training through a collective (Spirit of the Andes). She was also able to begin researching the possibility of a water project for the future.

The Intercambio

Monica set up the Bolivian end of the Intercambio, the young journalist exchange project, which LAMF is doing with the BBC in 2011/2012. The Fundacion para el Periodismo in La Paz will host the 3-month Bolivian placement of an aspiring UK journalist, and the BBC will host a corresponding exchange of an Aymaran woman journalist in the UK in April next year.

The interviews were held this week, and Omari Ecclestone-Brown was selected from a very high quality field of 54 applications. The Bolivian end was launched by Monica with a press conference in La Paz. Interviews will be held in October.

LAMF is enabling a lecture series at the Fundacion in Lola’s name which will also be launched in La Paz in October, with an opening lecture by Nick Caistor.