Oruro
Greenhouse and Environmental Education Project
Project Summary
In Bolivia, teacher-training programs are responsible for the pedagogical training of all teachers. Often these programs receive little funding. As a result, environmental education curriculum rarely is emphasized, and when taught, they are poorly developed. There is little understanding that improving environmental quality creates many social, economic and health benefits. Without this education, environmental degradation occurs. Examples abound: garbage lines every street; improperly disposed refuse causes diarrhea and other illnesses; and people obtain their drinking water from rivers that are used to wash clothes. Often, the solution is simple and inexpensive: educate the public that drinking dirty water causes sickness while designating a downstream laundry area. Other times the solution is more costly and time consuming: build a garbage dump, educate the public, and develop the infrastructure to collect and transport the garbage. Both solutions highlight the importance of education. However, the reality is that Bolivia's destitution makes resources and information difficult to attain. This transforms even simple solutions into problematic tasks. We want to help change this by providing resources and making information accessible.
TERRA targets projects that can be used for education and that have a
practical application. To this end, TERRA will help fund and build
greenhouses. Greenhouses provide an activity-based framework for
education in which students can learn about such things as how crop
yields change as a function of soil type, how companion planting
improves productivity, and how integrated pest management reduces risk.
Furthermore, greenhouses can be used for small business ventures such
as flower production and for general food quality and diversity
improvement. To facilitate the educational component, TERRA Resource
Development seeks organizations or individuals that can help the
community develop their environmental curriculum. TERRA spoke with the
Director of the "Instituto Normal Superior Angel Mendoza Justiniano,
Willy Camargo Gallegos. Willy was enthusiastic about constructing a
greenhouse and is preparing to implement an environmental education
program in the university.
Bolivians see value in tangible products. Since environmental education
is both intangible and sophomoric, it is paramount to coupled
environmental education to a functional and known practice. Greenhouses
accomplish that and we believe that because of their multifaceted
utility they have a high potential to be self-sustaining, practical,
education and long-lived.
TERRA proposes building a large greenhouse at the Instituto Normal Superior Angel Mendoza Justiniano. All three directors of TERRA Resource Development have long known and worked with the Director of the University, Will Camargo Gallegos. In addition to being the director of the Instituto Normal Superior Angel Mendoza Justiniano, he is a Professor of geology at the Technical University of Oruro, and speaks fluent English, Russian, Finnish. We believe Willy Camargo is highly qualified, motivated, will be an excellent counterpart and work with TERRA resource Development to accomplish our lofty goals of introducing an environmental education curriculum to Bolivia.
The total cost for construction of the Greenhouse is 4,367.50 $US. As per TERRA Resource Development policy the Instituto Normal Superior Angel Mendoza Justiniano will be required provide a portion of the funding (30%). Thus, TERRA will provide 3,000 dollars of the funding while the Instituto Normal Superior Angel Mendoza Justiniano will pay 1367.50 $US.
- Project Brief
- Title:
- Project Instituto Normal Superior Angel Mendoza Justiniano: Greenhouse and Environmental Education Program
- Status:
- Funded and completed
- Location:
- Instituto Normal Superior Angel Mendoza Justiniano, Department of Oruro, Altiplano, Bolivia
- Participants:
- TERRA Resource Development International and the Instituto Normal Superior Angel Mendoza Justiniano
- Cost:
- $3,000 USD
- Additional Information
- Small Project Initiative