Climate
• Work
• Food •
Livestock
• Housing
• Water •
Electricity
• Sewage
• Churches
• Schools
• Health
• Biggest Hurdles
• Best Aspects
Climate:
Confital is located in the Andes mountains at an altitude over
14,000ft (4300 meters). For most of the year, Confital has an
average temperature below 60° (15°C). During the winter
months, snow sometimes puts a thin blanket on the ground and ice
makes the ground hard and unusable.
Work:
Most families in the area own small plots of land and a few animals.
Potato farming is by far the most common activity. Due to the
cold, only certain animals can be found in Confital. Most families
own a few sheep. Some own burros, and a few own llamas. Animal
care is generally delegated to the children while fathers spend
most of their time in the fields during the months conducive to
farming and in the city or surrounding areas doing temporary labor
for construction projects or other types of general labor. The
women of Confital have organized themselves with specific days
for each woman to sell food at the tollbooth which brings all
vehicle traffic between Cochabamba and La Paz.
Food:
Potatoes and chuño (a potato variant) are by far the most
common crops planted and food eaten. Other food staples include
rice, pasta, quinua, and llama or sheep meat.
Livestock:
Sheep, burros, dogs, llamas, and a few cows and chickens
Typical
housing:
Most homes in the area are made of adobe bricks with straw roofs.
The bricks are hand made by mixing mud and straw and drying the
molded brick in the sun. Houses generally have either one or two
rooms. When there are two, one is used for sleeping and the other
for cooking.
Water:
Four of six communities have a water system but these are often
not very dependable. Generally the system will carry water to
a tap available to the community. Water is very rarely piped directly
into a home. Freezing weather can disable a system for long periods
of time. In Karpani and Pasto Grande where there are no water
systems, water is drawn from nearby rivers.
Electricity:
Five of the six communities have electricity available. In Confital
and Challa Grande around 40% of the population have electricity
in their homes. The cost is prohibitive to other families. Electricity
became available in Confital and Challa Grande in 1998. Electricity
became available in Tallija in January of 2004. Currently eight
families are able to afford it. In Kusillire, ten families have
electricity. There is still no electricity available in the community
of Pasto Grande.
Sewage:
There are very few latrines available in the communities and no
sewage systems. UNICEF constructed bathrooms in Confital and Challa
Grande. In the other four communities there are no bathrooms available.
No showers exist in any of the communities. The residents of Tallija
have undertaken a project to construct solar heated showers using
adobe brick and plastic bottles.
Churches:
Each of the communities has at least one church. Tallija has two
church buildings with no attendance. One is a Bahai church and
the other Catholic. A small group of evangelical Christians meets
in a home. There is a Bahai church and Evangelical church in Pasto
Grande. In Challa Grande 80% of the population is Catholic and
20% are evangelical. There are three evangelical churches and
one Catholic church in Confital.
Schools:
Kusilliri and Carpani have classes up to third grade. Tallija
and Pasto Grande have classes up to fourth grade. Students who
wish to continue usually walk to Confital or Challa Grande. Challa
Grande currently has up to the sixth grade. Confital has up to
the eighth grade and is hoping to begin adding high school levels
in the coming years. The walk from Tallija to Confital is at least
three hours. The other communities are even furthur. Most students
who continue their studies live in Confital for the week with
another family. Those who have no contacts with families in Confital
have a much harder time as there is no boarding house available.
Health
problems:
Colds, malnutrition, cavities, and skin infections
Biggest hurdles to overcome:
1.) The leadership of these communities is assigned. Every man
takes their turn with the obligations that come with leadership.
There is no financial compensation for being a leader. This leaves
the leadership very disorganized and inactive. Most of the leaders
would prefer not to be in leadership.
2.)
While many of the cultural traditions in these areas are beautiful
aspects of life in the communities preserved since the Incan years,
some can be devestating to the economic and social prosperity
of the people. Festivals are frequent and last for three or four
days. Drinking can turn the traditional friendly competitions
into dangerous fights where men have died. It isn't uncommon for
a whole year's income to be spent on one festival.
3.)
Without a high school, very few of the children of these communities
will ever earn a high school diploma. Without a high school diploma,
they have much less chance of succeeding in a work environment
and of bringing new resources and ideas into their own community.
4.)
Land disputes have divided families and even communities. Pasto
Grande is currently split in two over land rights. Much of the
land used for farming is public land leaving undefined borders.
Best
aspects:
1.) Each Tuesday is market day in Confital where people come from
all surrounding communities to sell their wares. The communities
have much better opportunities than other areas where access is
limited.
2.)
A custom carried on since the days of the Incas is Ayni which
refers to neighbors helping neighbors. Families work together
in seeding and harvesting each others crops and pulling together
when work needs to be done on homes.
3.)
The women who have organized themselves to sell food at the toll
booth are ensuring that each of the families interested are able
to take advantage of the earning opportunities offered by the
traffic that goes through.
