INTERVIEW WITH JOSE LUIS TORRES

INTERVIEW WITH JOSE LUIS TORRES

Vida y Esperanza and Club Hípico Trebol

INTERVIEW MAGAZINE TALENTOS Y MARCOS

Club Hipico Trebol is led by a professional horse trainer with 35 years of experience. His name is Jose Luis Torres, and he has trained professional jockeys, such as the well known  Oliver Parra, among many others. This Bolivian trainer has a special talent and technique. He combines psychology with his training of riders and horses in order to obtain a good relationship between the horse and the rider.

Although Jose Luis admits that new horse training techniques are needed in Bolivia in order to elevate the quality of such training, he explains how every horse and rider are so unique that individualized techniques are needed to obtain better results. These individualized techniques are used to increase one's skills in accordance with one's ability, by overcoming weaknesses.

Jose Luis not only works to ensure the wellbeing of the riders, but also does much to support the horses. Just as he does for the riders, Jose Luis respects the time the horses need to learn. He does this because he understands that a mistreated horse can be dangerous.

In the competitions, there is usually a lot of pressure, demand, and risk. Because of this, both the riders and horses spend time in training working on the psychological aspects of their character.

During the interview, I got the chance to meet Andrea, the adoptive mother of a young woman with serious problems of aggression and low self-esteem. Andrea's thankful eyes expressed her total support for Jose Luis and his project Vida y Esperanza. During the daughter’s training with Jose Luis, she obtained better self control, reducing her aggressiveness, and learned how to deal with the nature of situations by accepting their consequences.

Jose Luis and a Student

The outcome of Jose Luis's work could not be more positive. Through this training, the young riders obtain the tools to work and form a strong character. He emphasises that the characteristic that defines this work is a spirit of sacrifice.

Translation from Spanish by Sarah Young

THE FAMILY

Many of you already know about the work that Vida Y Esperanza is doing in Cochabamba Bolivia with at risk youth with their Equine Assisted Therapy Program.  This particular part of the program is designed to assist adolescents in crisis by addressing a number of mental health issues; behavioral problems, lack of self-esteem, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety, all issues which often end in drug and alcohol abuse in the urban environment. The program works with 10-15 youth, training them in the care of horses and horseback riding, while providing a safe alternative space to the streets.

Today we are blogging to tell you about 4 of the boys in the program. In 2011 two brothers Rodrigo (12) and Ariel (10) came to Vida y Esperanza to participate in the lunch tutoring program after they were referred by the director of their school. After assessing their living situation and the risks facing them from exposure to drugs and violence they became a part of the Equine Assisted Therapy Program that Vida y Esperanza has been running since 2007.

Rodrigo (now 16) and Ariel (14) soon became an integral part of the program. Since then they have become accomplished riders and hard workers caring for the 10 to 14 horses that make up the program. After a time we learned they have 2 younger brothers, Jamil (11) and Miquel (9) and they lived with their mother in a rented room nearby the horse pasture. Their mother worked selling bread from a wheelbarrow in the large market several kilometers from their room and was rarely home. Jamil spent his days at a traffic light doing handstands for spare change, and Miguel spent his days alone in the rented  room waiting for his brothers to return.

On May 27, 2014 tragedy struck when their mother was hit by a car. She was in a coma for several weeks, then regained consciousness for a few weeks (but never spoke again), and then on July 19^th her heart gave out and she died leaving the children orphans.  As no relatives immediately came forward to take care of the boys Jose Luis stepped in to the role of guardian. He found them a rented room 2 blocks from his house where they could sleep and shower. They eat and do their homework at his house under the guidance of his sisters and nephews and the four boys have become part of their extended family.

Miguel, Ariel, Jose Luis, Rodrigo and Jamil

Giving them the love, security and guidance they need has proven challenging for Jose Luis but he is very certain that they are now part of his heart. The harder part has been the financial strain of raising 4 kids. Jose Luis convinced a local school to give the boys free tuition if they can keep their grades up, a local priest bought their school books and neighbors donated furniture but he still spends more than $500/month out of his pocket. The bulk of this is for the room and utilizes $88, food $416, and school expenses $80.

In order to defray these basic costs we are looking for “god parents” who will pledge to donate money every month that can be used for these basic expenses.  Any amount is a great help and to make it easy you can set it up as a direct deposit into my account every month.

So please consider giving $10 or $20 or $50 a month to help these four boys.

To set up monthly payment or make a donation we are using an account in the US OR use the DONATE button to the right.

Bank of America

Name of Account Holder: Lee Cridland

Checking Account number:  009380862999

Routing # 021000322

Swift Code:  BOFAUF3N

Thank you!!!!!

Jose Luis, Jamil, Rodrigo, Ariel and Miguel!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Vida y Esperanza wishes all of you a very happy new year.

This year our resolution is to stabilize the program and try to get some real money into the project. With this funding we would begin 4 micro-businesses which would eventual cover a large potion, if not all, of the financial needs of the project. These micro-businesses would also give the youth who have been through the program and are stable a source of work and much needed job skills.

Our ideas are to:

1.      Trail rides

2.     Birthday parties with ponies

3.     The fabrication of halters, bridles and saddle blanket to be sold 

4.     Organic compost

All of these we already do to a small extent but to do each one well, we need an inversion of money to get us going. For instance for the fabrication of halters/bridles/blankets we need raw materials (strapping, hardware such as buckles, bits, cloth, thread etc.), an industrial sewing machine (could be used), work table and shelves, a small budget for advertising the products.

We have a written proposal for funders but have yet to find one that is interested. If any of you have any ideas for sources of funding lets us know at vidaesperanzacochabamba@gmail.com.

We also are trying to raise $1000 to buy 2 weed whackers so we can cut grass for the horses to eat in empty lots around town and survive the rainy season which is the hardest time for us as without an indoor ring we cannot give classes and therefore have no steady source of income. 

If you can help thanks (just click on the Donate icon to the right)but more importantly if you can pass this around to friends and family we would appreciate it.

Hi there, If you can help us out with sending Ariel, Rodrigo and Johanas to nationals just click on the DONATE icon.

THANKS!!!!

HEADING SOUTH AGAIN!

Boxes bursting with donations!!

Greetings from the US of A. Kathy and I have been here visiting family for the past 4 weeks. We head back to Bolivia, Jose Luis, the chicos and the horses in a few days. Visiting family and friends has been great but Bolivia is always in our minds as we realize how much a part of our daily lives Vida y Esperanza is.

Brianna sent the donated materials to my mother's so now we just have to see how much of it we can get back to Bolivia. We have over 20 saddle pads, 2 saddles, a few helmets, jumping vest and other clothing and some bridles!! Thanks so much Bri and friends!!!

Yeah lots of saddles pads!

So now we got to get this stuff South!

If anyone wanted to donate some money to pay the extra baggage fees that would be a big help.

Once we return we will be finishing up the second side of the seed room and will also need some donation to help with that. We are still about $800 shy of the money we need to finish it up.


Just click on the Pay Pal icon to the right to help out with the seed room or bag fees.

Thanks!!!

WOW I can't believe 2 months have flown by. We have been busy with 3 volunteers who came to help out. 

Enkhmend Gereltogtokh has been here for 8 weeks designing a new logo, developing a website and hanging out with David trying to figure out how to make gold out of horse manure (composting)!!!!!

compost class

Eliane has been here 8 weeks as well and has been putting final touches on a grant application so Vida y Esperanza can find a steadier source of funding. 

Brianna Zimmerman flew in and out of here in month but left behind many new friends and some great riding lessons. She goes to Stoneleigh-Burnham School  which has equestrian studies as part of their curriculum. She helped with fence painting and teaching; and in general was joy to have around and willing to pitch in anywhere. We and Brianna are hoping to deepen the relationship between the school and the project over the next year. 

She also collected used tack which will be great help! 

 

bri with geronimo

bri helping saddle up

 

bri getting ready for class

THANKS TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND GOOD VIBES!!!

We are still in need of support from individuals to help get the barley fodder system back up and running now that the cold weather has finally come to an end. If anyone can help out great and more importantly if you can pass the information on to friends who might be interested in helping please do!!!

TEMPS LOWER AND SEEDS SLOWER!

BLUE ROOM UPDATE...

Since we last posted a couple of weeks ago the temperature has taken a dive in Cochabamba to lows of 2C at night. This has slowed the sprouting process and sent Lee, Abby and Erin to the drawing board for ideas on how to insulate and raise temps in the blue room. We have seen some amazing things done with plastic bottles that could help. We are also facing attacks from birds and small rodents as they too look for food as we move into the dry, cold season.

We are not discouraged but just set back a bit and still needing some financial donations(approx. $500 in total) to finish up the room (more plastic to insulate, finish shelves and buy 40 more growing trays) and buy the pump we need to improve the seed watering set up.

If you can please click the Pay Pal icon and give.

To those of you who have already given thanks sooooo much.

IN OTHER NEWS..

We had another competition this past Sunday which went really well. Both horses and youth left with big smiles on their faces. Well okay maybe not the horses exactly, but the kids definitely.. Check out Rodrigo!

Jose Luis and his sister have been busy distributing material to schools and clinic about our Equine therapy Program and the riding classes. Here is the poster we got printed which was designed by Mia. Beautiful job, thanks so much Mia!