Bolivia Internship Report

BYU sent three students to do internship work in Cochabamba, Bolivia, during the Spring of 1999. They worked to complete a survey of the animal and land resources of the area, as well as economic conditions.

 

Albania, Poland, Turkey, and Mexico are just some of the countries where Dr. Richard Kellems of the Brigham Young University Animal Science Department has provided training and technical support. As a specialist in dairy cattle, his expertise has been requested by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Feed and Grain Council, and the Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute, which sent him to a university in Ecuador to teach a 10-day heifer development short course in 1998.

Despite such extensive experience, Dr. Kellems had never before worked internationally side by side with student interns. Working in Bolivia from 27 April to 23 May, 1999, he led a group of interns for the first time. The group lived in Cochabamba and worked in that city and the surrounding rural areas. Dr. Kellems said, "I’ve always wanted to take students with me and have them exposed to an international development opportunity. The trouble is most agencies that are doing work in those countries find it more advantageous to bring in specialists. The Benson Institute provided an opportunity last year for me and three students."

From left to right, BYU interns Sterling, Royal, Gasser, and BYU Professor, Kellems

The first of these students was Robert Stirling, a Kaysville, Utah, native. He is a master’s student in animal science at BYU who previously studied animal science at Ricks College and Utah State University. He said, "I came here [to BYU] mainly because of the Benson Institute." Stirling also lived in California, where he learned Spanish and developed a desire to work in international agriculture. He said, "A lot (of people there) said they missed their home countries. I think if we could make conditions better for them they could stay there."

Chad Gasser of Hamer, Idaho, is also a master’s student who previously studied animal science and agribusiness at Ricks College and BYU. His emphasis is on growth biology and reproductive physiology. Although he does not speak Spanish, he studied international animal production last year to prepare for the internship to Bolivia. He does speak Chinese and says that he wanted to do a foreign internship to prepare him for future international work: "I’ve always wanted to use my Chinese and hope I can in the future do some similar things in China."

Joseph Royal is a junior majoring in animal science. He grew up in Yakima, Washington; his family enjoys owning a small farm there, although it is not a moneymaking operation. He is tentatively planning to attend a veterinarian school. Royal has always been interested in animals and became intrigued with Latin America when he lived in Argentina for two years. When he learned about this internship to Bolivia he saw an opportunity to pursue both interests. He said, "I’d always wanted to do something like this. I love Latin America."

When beginning work in an area, the Benson Institute sponsors diagnostic studies. With this information, it is then able to focus its efforts. The main focus of the interns during their stay in Bolivia was to complete one of these surveys in Candelaria, a community about an hour from Cochabamba, Bolivia. The various sections of this survey investigated basic animal and land resources, economic conditions, animal care practices, and nutrition in Candelaria.

Almost all of those surveyed are poor subsistence farmers who own an average of 10 acres of land. Their primary cash reserve is the animals they own. Over 90 percent have no access to credit or loans. When asked about the factors that limit agricultural production, many commented that there is little land available and what is available is quite a distance from their homes.

Much of the survey focused on specific agricultural practices of the people. One section asked which family member milks and feeds the cows and who takes care of the other animals. In a majority of the cases, women shoulder these responsibilities. This knowledge will be important so that any future programs to teach improved agricultural practices will be directed at the correct audience. The survey also revealed that the people take their animals an average of nearly three kilometers distance to graze each day, allowing nine hours of grazing time. As a comparison, cattle in the United States are in areas where they can graze 24 hours per day.

The interns found that shorter daily grazing time, more energy expenditure, and a variable diet result in reduced milk production for the dairy cattle. A productive dairy cow in the United States can be milked three times each day to produce 35 liters of milk. These Bolivian farmers milk their cows only once a day, receiving an average of four liters each milking. Cattle breeds also play a large role in the discrepancy; the native breeds are adapted for life under harsh conditions rather than milk production. Yet the cattle are not reaching their genetic potential, and significant production improvements could be attained.

Sterling interviews a dairy farmer in Candelaria.

Over 50 percent of the people reported to the interns that they do not treat animals for parasites, do not vaccinate their animals for other diseases, and do not have access to or cannot afford medicine for their animals. Survey responses indicated that, in many cases, the people do not test or treat their animals because they are not convinced that the benefits will be greater than the cost of the treatment.

The survey showed that many people lack nutrients that milk supplies, but that they sell the milk their cows produce rather than consuming it themselves. Dr. Kellems and the interns prepared and tested the acceptance of various recipes fortified with milk, including potato mixtures and cheese. People liked these products, but Stirling said, "It’s hard for the people to justify feeding their kids (these foods) when they could sell (the foods) and make money. What we need to do is help them realize that it will make their children be healthier."

Because many of the farmers do not understand the importance of good nutrition, they are often unwilling to implement suggested changes. To increase awareness about the importance of good nutrition, the interns gave presentations about improved health practices at an elementary school in Candelaria. In one skit, the interns played such characters as Ricardo the Rat, Pancho the Pig, and The Bacteria, entertaining the kids and teaching simple principles of healthful eating and hygiene. Dr. Kellems also made academic presentations about dairy cattle to faculty and students at the University of San Simón in Cochabamba.

The interns returned from their experience in Bolivia feeling there is more to be done. Stirling commented, "I learned that there are no set answers to dealing with a lot of these problems. You can just try projects; some will fail and some will succeed. Now we have a feel of what’s going on in the area and we can do subsequent projects."

All the interns emphatically agreed that, as Dr. Kellems stated, "It was a very worthwhile experience." As the Benson Institute affords more opportunities for research and service in Bolivia to both BYU interns and Bolivian students, it will accomplish its mission "to raise the quality of life" of people around the world.