Wiscu sits on a barren, treeless and steeply sloping landscape
in central Bolivia, nearly 12.000 feet above sea level.
Rocky ledges and boulders rise from the thin mountain soil, and
it is clear that much of the best soil has long since washed down t
he hillside.
Wiscu is one of 15 rural Quechua settlements where there are
no roads, no electricity, no running water, and no health facilities.
Infant malnutrition and mortality is high.
This self-help program is an integrated approach, meaning that
it addresses, problems of health, agriculture, and income all
at once, taking into account the urgent and inter-related needs
of these Quechua speaking peasant families.
This year, there is a new building in Wiscu, one that serves as
a powerful symbol of community cooperation and creativity.
The eight-by-twelve foot adobe structure is topped with corrugated
roof and filled with plump, fast-breeding guinea pigs.
"We are raising these quinea pigs to improve our nutrition," explains
a Wiscu resident.
Guinea pigs, not considered pets in Bolivia, provide villagers with
a desperatley needed source of protein in a diet that consists
largely of potatoes and wheat. Guinea pigs are also low in fat
and cholesterol.
Though destined for the dinner table, the guinea
pigs will also play another part in the community's food cycle-providing
manure for crops.
However, the guinea pigs need to eat, too, and fodder for animals
is a scarce commodity in the Andes Mountains. The Wiscu villages
have met this challenge through a soil conservation project, in which
farmers build contour barriers of fast-growing grass. The grass provides
food for the guinea pigs, while the roots keep the soil in place and
build up terraces for growing other crops.
