By surrounding itself with specialized Canadian experts, TSF’s development approach is strengthened. 

The training provided by the volunteers is integrated into local practices, “becoming a permanent tool for the community, thus multiplying the benefits of each mandate,” explains Camilo Gutierrez of TSF’s Bolivian office. 

Over the past ten years, TSF has led various projects and volunteer mandates. Through these interventions, TSF’s global vision in the field has been consolidated, with a particular focus on health. 

Over time, one observation has become clear: in the Altiplano region, the distance separating residents from rural health centers and the inadequacy of available services directly affect the population’s health. 

The field office team worked alongside health centers and volunteers, who committed to addressing this reality in a way that empowered rural areas. 

Through three fundamental steps: equipping, training, and raising awareness, the Altiplano’s partner municipalities are gradually building a high-quality community network accessible to all. 

One mandate at a time, whether exploratory, care-related, or strengthening, in Bolivia or virtually from Quebec, professionals from here and there are establishing a relationship where knowledge sharing mutually benefits all those involved in the process. 

Pascale Brouillette, a physiotherapist from Bas-Saint-Laurent, first engaged with TSF in 2022. During this experience, the lack of equipment to support children suffering from muscular dystrophy was highlighted. After this initial assessment, Pascale began collecting specialized equipment in Quebec. A fully loaded container was finally able to set sail for South America in the fall of 2024. 

Alongside the mandates, the municipalities continued to cover the salaries of Bolivian professionals and the adequate furnishing of the premises. 

Once the equipment arrived in Bolivia, Pascale returned to train the physiotherapists on how best to integrate these new tools into their daily practices. 

This training phase is essential, as it allows local professionals “to continue to operate independently, but with new ways of doing things—because we’re not there to replace them, we’re there to strengthen their skills,” explains Pascale. 

It was this collaboration that prompted Andrée Deschênes, an agronomist and horticulturist from Kamouraska, to commit to an agronomy mandate with TSF in June 2024. 

“The approach seemed respectful of people. That’s what was important. It’s interesting to work in a humble way, but directly with people […] who want to make a difference.”  

Observations by former Canadian volunteers and Bolivian professionals from dentistry, optometry, and physiotherapy centers revealed that at the root of health problems lies a diet lacking in crucial nutritional elements. To improve health, TSF understood that it needed to turn its attention to food security and nutrition. Andrée Deschênes’s mandate explored this issue. 

Today, both the population and various professionals have been equipped, trained, and their awareness has been raised thanks to the experience of the volunteers. And the results speak for themselves. 

When fully integrated into a development program, volunteer cooperation allows us to take all expertises to another level and extend the impact of programs beyond the knowledge of TSF teams. 

As Camilo Gutierrez explains, “it’s not a magic solution, but it is a powerful tool for sustainable transformation.”