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Llamas providing livelihoods

CAFOD partner EDAS helps farmers in the barren highlands keep their llamas healthy, and then to sell the meat at city markets [CAFOD]

In the barren highlands of Western Bolivia, farmers Silvestre Mamani and his wife Rufina are getting more money for their llama meat - thanks to CAFOD partner EDAS

CAFOD partner EDAS helps them keep their llamas healthy, and then to sell the meat in and around the city of Oruro - a few hours south of the capital La Paz.

Silvestre says: "Before EDAS started working with us, we used to try to cure our llamas suffering parasites using the dirty oil from cars.

"Sometimes they would get better, but often they would get worse."

Before EDAS started working with us, we used to try to cure our llamas suffering parasites using the dirty oil from cars. Sometimes they would get better, but often they would get worse

Silvestre Mamani

"Now, we have anti-parasite baths, specially built for llamas, and they are much better. Less animals die, which is important because, at its best, a llama only has one baby a year."

Healthier and bigger

In the dry highlands there is hardly any vegetation to graze on, but now the couple plant barley to feed the llamas when they really need it.

They have also been learning how to select llamas for breeding, and say that now their llamas are healthier and bigger.

Silvestre says: "Although we still lack some basic equipment, the little slaughterhouse that we have built means we can slaughter a llama more cleanly and sell the meat for a better price in the market."

Throughout the highlands of Bolivia where farming is tough and increasingly unpredictable, successful farming projects makes all the difference in improving living standards of the people.

A knock-on effect of this project is that, as the quality and hygiene of the llamas has improved, so has the diet of the farmers involved.

EDAS is now helping to secure the long-term incomes of rural farmers by training them to develop marketing strategies and business plans.

This strengthens the production chain for the sale of their llama meat.

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Gabriel Murwa and his wife with their last remaining cow from a herd of 100. The others have all died. [Richard Wainwright]

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