BYU Interns: Bringing solutions to Bolivia

BYU Interns traveled to Bolivia in the Spring of 2000 to research Quinoa and help the communities there.

BYU Interns build a pankar-huyu with the help of a Bolivian student. Left to Right—Jaime Michel, Samuel Bringhurst, Frank Zuehl, and Stephen Barclay

Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute interns Stephen Barclay, Samuel Bring-hurst, and Frank Zuehl worked in Bolivia under the guidance of Malaquías Flores, Institute coordinator of Central America, during Spring 2000 to increase the health of Bolivians. Arriving in Bolivia on 27 April, the three Brigham Young University students performed re-search and assisted with quinoa projects, taught sanitation lessons, and constructed underground greenhouses.

Quinoa Project

Out of the statistically estimated 35 million malnourished children worldwide, protein is one of the top three lacking dietary nutrients. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) contains more protein than any other grain and grows well in the cool, dry, high plains of its mother country, Bolivia. Barclay, Bringhurst, and Zuehl worked with Professor Alejandro Bonifacio, of the University of San Andrés in Bolivia to assist in genetic growth studies of quinoa. The interns assured homology within experimental quinoa seed by regulating seed size, color, and existence of bitter saponins. The screening allowed significant progress to be made towards the identification of a number of new quinoa varieties.

In response to the pleas of Bolivian farmers, the interns and Professor Bonifacio worked to hybridize quinoa with insect resistant plants such as Atriplex, cañahua, cauchi, and parco. They also worked to find nutritional uses for black quinoa seed encountered among normal seed. These research projects are done with a goal of bettering the physical health of Bolivians by making available the protein-rich grain.

Education

In addition to quinoa research, Barclay, Bringhurst, and Zuehl taught nutritional lessons to the children of Candelaria, a community located 62 km southeast of Cochabamba–Bolivia’s second largest city. The community contains 310 inhabitants. Forty-six percent of the children under five years of age are malnourished in many ways. Malnutrition is heightened by unsanitary surroundings. The interns taught lessons in the Candelaria elementary school on this topic. The interns and the children then put the lessons into action by picking up scattered trash around the school grounds.

Pankar-Huyus

During the final two weeks of their internship, Barclay, Zuehl, and Bringhurst constructed underground greenhouses known as pankar-huyus. These innovative structures allow vegetables to grow in the cold temperatures and intense solar radiation that are typical of the Bolivian Altiplano. Samuel Bringhurst stated, “The most rewarding work we did while in Bolivia was building pankar-huyus.”

Interns built pankar-huyus with 10 selected families to improve their nutritional status. The families, like other Bolivians, were not accustomed to eating vegetables due to the difficulty of horticultural cultivation in the area. Each of the families contributed to the construction of their pankar-huyu with physical and financial means. “In this way, community members can feel an increased sense of personal stewardship and pride for their work,” stated Luis V. Espinoza, Institute interim director. Nutritionists estimate that pankar-huyus will bring a significant decrease in dietary challenges among the members of the community.

The Benson Institute interns of 2000, Zuehl, Bringhurst, and Barclay concluded their internships in June. They remarked, “It was a one of a kind opportunity for service and learning.”