It’s been a crazy time at the IJM Bolivia office (staff pictured above), and as I approach one month of living here in La Paz, I can confidently say I’m still stumbling around a lot. But I’m slowly becoming more stable. I couldn’t be more thankful for the people I have around me helping me out and all that I continue to learn.
The Forum for Law 1173 – Criminal Procedural Abbreviation and Strengthening of the Integral Fight Against the Violence of Children, Teenagers, and Women
(LEY DE ABREVIACIÓN PROCESAL PENAL Y DE FORTALECIMIENTO DE LA LUCHA INTEGRAL CONTRA LA VIOLENCIA A NIÑAS, NIÑOS, ADOLESCENTES Y MUJERES)
In May, the Bolivian government passed an essential law outlining how to improve the criminal procedures for cases of violence and sexual violence in the country. This includes trauma-focused care and victim-centric approaches to how the justice system handles sensitive cases. To help educate lawyers, judges, other professionals, students, and citizens on what this new procedure looks like, IJM helped host a forum on the new law, highlighting a variety of speakers from the government and other nonprofit organizations in the city.
My man Jorge and I taking no nonsense during the foro 
Alyssa collapsed after we filled 400 bags with snacks (only half pictured)
I learned a lot from the content of the forum (it was a bit hard to follow all of the legal jargon I’m still working on memorizing), but my focus was on analyzing the management side of the event since my supervisor and I are spearheading a large training in October. Two of the key takeaways were 1.) They take their refreshments very seriously – participants were adamant about getting their goodie bags, including a brownie and a juice. And 2.) They value certificates like no other. I scoffed when I saw my coworkers trying to organize 350 pieces of paper, all customized with each attendee’s name and signed by each speaker (no electronic signatures used) so participants could collect their certificate at the end of the event. Considering they didn’t do anything besides sit and listen, I didn’t understand why they should receive a certificate, but it was then explained to me that in Bolivia, professional resumes include all of the certificates that people receive. So, rather than sticking to one page, their resumes will be packets outlining all of the talks, workshops, and trainings they have attended.
As I sat and listened to our director outline the work that IJM has done in Bolivia, I was amazed by how different it was to hear about the work from the perspective of the field office. After being here for three weeks, I could easily say that the pictures on the IJM banners fit right in. When I would see IJM’s flyers and handouts in the States, I wondered if they were exaggerating their marketing to pull on the heart strings of donors. Sitting in the audience, surrounded by both professionals and citizens, I knew we had all walked dirt streets like the ones in the pictures and had seen little kiddos exactly like the ones photographed. It reminded me that IJM isn’t just in the States throwing money at the cause; it is hiring professionals who are able to be in the thick of it, fighting with the survivors for justice. It was a powerful change of perspective.
My day to day tasks are still building as I continue to get more acquainted with the work and language. Currently, I’m coordinating with translators, hotels, and the IJM Canada team to ensure we have a solid foundation for our training in late October.
Freedom Sunday
This past weekend, over 14,000 churches across 37 countries dedicated their Sunday to learning about every day violence around the globe and what we can do to stop it. Again, I was amazed by how different it felt to be in a city where IJM is working and being able to see the people who the work affects learn more about it. Below, I’ve embedded the video that was played in the Bolivian churches (with subtitles for those of you who don’t speak Spanish 😉 )
To get connected with a volunteer or prayer group in your area click here.
Team Building
I arrived in time for the quarterly spiritual retreat and team building activities. These were times to step away from the work and get to know each other beyond our roles at IJM. This is also when the staff realized that I’m not actually as quiet as I pretend to be. They started pushing me more to use my Spanish and communicate with them as I trash talked their basketball skills (lovingly of course). I still haven’t figured out how to avoid being so blunt in my communication style, but they’re all very patient as I continue to learn (calling me Ron Swanson in the meantime).
Life in La Paz
Beyond work, I’m getting much more comfortable navigating the city and enjoying the constant view of the mountains. The weather has been perfect, around 60 degrees each day, and I’ve continued to meet more people as I get involved in more activities around the area.
Evidence I made it to frisbee (and laid out) 
Evidence I made it to salsa class (no, no videos coming) 
Evidence I don’t wear sweat pants to work (but haven’t hung the mirror yet ) 
Evidence we took our friend up on his offer to teach us to box (no evidence we learned well)
I’m finally starting to find a routine and figuring out what my life will more regularly look like. The other American interns and expats (from all over the world) have continued to help me adjust to life, and I am finally stepping out and trying some of my own activities. We had a blast celebrating Mexican independence day with authentic mole (that took them all day to make), and continue to learn more about not only Bolivia, but all of our different home countries as well.
I am so thankful for all of your encouragement as I continue this transition and adjustment period. I can’t wait to share more with you as I take on more responsibility in the office and have more insight into life in La Paz as I continue to experience more.