We got through it! Jim Mayrides

This one covers a brief but full digest of the time in 1992 that our beloved Executive Director, Jim Grant visited Bolivia to get a sense of our programme. I was in my fifth year as UNICEF Representative in La Paz.
My report:

Breakfast meetings at 6:00 AM, midnight meetings to compare the day's notes. Jim Grant visited Bolivia for 11 exhausting 18 hour days. Four meetings with President Jaime Paz Zamora (Jaime is Jim in Spanish); two in the field, one with the entire Cabinet of Ministers and one with Big Jim (Grant) and Little Jim (yours truly). He met separately with the Vice President, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Planning, Health and Education and Social Affairs (the latter was the President's Sister as First Lady). He addressed a joint session of Congress.

We organized a day-long review of Child Survival and Development (CSDR) with about 100 participants including the V.P., other UN and multilateral agencies; donor Ambassadors; National and International NGOs; civil society representatives, and PHC workers. Big Jim listened and shared his passion for the CSD advances under Jaime's leadership. Little Jim translated.

Two helicopter visits to PROANDES project inaugurations. Jaime, big and little Jim at 13,000 feet altitude in the Andes throwing clean water on one another at WATSAN sites. Gleeful smiles of small children. Grown men with tears who had rarely tasted clean water. Indigenous campesino ladies with their multiple layered skirts dancing us around, refilling our gourds with Chicha. Little Jim reminded Jaime to leave so he would not overstay and mess up the rest of our day's program before dark. Jaime departed as we had agreed, big Jim's mouth agape, "How can you send him away, he is the President?"

Clear Vision (Credit:Peter Delahaye Water colour portrait)

Big Jim used the top of a Ming vase in the office of the Foreign Affairs Minister to test for iodine in the salt. We managed to clean off the purple stain. He pulled endless ORS packets from his suit pockets. He touted the magic of UCI. All CSD components were addressed, emphasis on community participation, women's equality. Jim's energy had us awake until midnight dictating letters reconfirming daily discussion and agreements. Yet, he still had time to inquire about our children and meet them by name.

JPG told the group that this was his best visit ever to a country. "By the time I share this time high in the clouds, other Reps will hate you".

Airport departure, more letters dictated. Team stood by mutely awestruck watching the American Airways flight head toward Peruvian airspace. We sighed with relief and went home to sleep.