Report

Most of my internship took place in Santa Cruz, an important business center of Bolivia. Major wood manufacturers are based there, specializing in the trade of tropical woods. My internship consisted of aiding a non-profit organization named Amazonian Center for Sustainable Forest Enterprise (CADEFOR). CADEFOR works to promote the use of certified wood through three main activities. They are dedicated to helping form strategic partnerships between indigenous communities and private enterprises, aiding in the international sales of finished goods made from certified wood, and to helping improve the productivity of Bolivian manufacturers.

My main assignment consisted of elaborating a proposal for funding to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the next three years of operation.

My internship experience taught me that many factors have to be considered while doing business abroad. I learned about productivity and how it is affected by labor conditions, wages, and the level of education that people have. Many business opportunities here remain "on paper" and are never implemented because the differences in culture are not worked out. Foreign investors become frustrated as they are used to different standards. Moreover, they do not understand the foreign working environment so familiar to local workers and artisans.

Differences in business concepts between the U.S. and Bolivia stood out when I visited a small wood shop that made vases and other handcrafted items. I was amazed by the beauty of the fine pieces, and the fact that it was a one-man enterprise. At first, I assumed that the carver did not have the business vision to implement a larger shop with hired employees. Through expansion, he would be able to own more than one machine and produce several hundred pieces that could be sold for great profit in U.S. markets.

Taking the time to talk to the owner, it became clear why he had not expanded. He explained that, once they had learned the trade, all the apprentices he had previously trained had left to set up their own shops and so had become his competition. I cannot help but think that, if they had stayed in business together, they would all be more successful today.

One fact I learned is that, in some cases, even misconceptions about the climate can lead to business failure in Bolivia. It was explained to me that a common mistake that many agriculturists new to Bolivia make is that they fail to plan for the winter in the southern hemishphere - which can be surprisingly severe.

My internship provided me with practical experience in a fascinating country. It provided me with real-life issues and problems that I had not been taught in class.

The time I found to volunteer in a children's hospital further enriched my experience and made me realize issues about poverty and healthcare that cannot be taught in a classroom. Ronaldo, John and Carmen were just a few of the great people I met while volunteering there. During my free time I used to read and play with the children. Their mothers used to run a small restaurant to help pay for medicines and treatments. Their condition truly opened my eyes to heathcare needs in Bolivia.

Photo Gallery

An artisan explains the procedure for turning logs into vases and the different properties of exotic woods.

The finished product. Logs are turned into beautiful vases which , along with other such products, CADEFOR helps to export to the US and Europe.

Some of my co-workers at CADEFOR discuss a presentation to be sent to potential buyers in Europe.

Apart from my internship, I volunteered in a local hospital where I met Ronaldo, John and Carmen.

Ronaldo, a four year old boy with lukemia.