OUR MINISTRY AT CARMEN PAMPA

Carman Pampa University for the Poor

Carmen Pampa University was founded by the Missionary Franciscan Sisters in 1993 with Sr Damon Nolan mfic the spear head of this venture. This is a university built for the poor with funding from donations. Students to this day have their fees subsidised. Sr Teresita Felsman mfic (Australia) was in Bolivia at the time and assisted in the early years of the establishment of the University.

The University is a 30 minute drive from Coroico. Seen on this map marked with blue. I have been travelling a day a week since my arrival to assist with administrative work in the convent.
 

There is an upper and a lower campus. The upper Campus is named after Dick Leahy who helped establish a foundation to raise donations for the University. The lower Campus is named after Bishop Manning OFM who invited the Sisters to Bolivia. The courses are named on the marker.

This sign on the upper campus –Botanico –CP was dedicated to Hna. Damon Nolan in 2014.

  The campus map is of the lower campus. The convent is in the left hand lower corner.

 The Volunteers house was built by Religious Brothers who were in Carmen Pampa before the Sisters. A number of volunteers come from a Franciscan Volunteer Program in the USA. You will meet these volunteers in a photo below.

The convent is attached to the Volunteers house. The Sisters built a second floor a few years ago. I will spend my last 10 days here before leaving Bolivia on 29^th November. Helen and Choco the dog are in the photo.

 

On the lower Campus near the convent is this Bust of Sr Damon Nolan in recognition of her outstanding vision and determination to have higher education for the poor of Bolivia.

 This plaque is below the Bust. It mentions Damon’s “pioneer labour”.

The church has been built in recent years and replaces a smaller church on the same site.  The Campus Sign is next to the church.

This is a view from the convent yard. Once again Carmen Pampa is surrounded by mountains. 

This photo shows Volunteers and Visitors who are connected to the University. I took the photo and Sr Chris who lives at Carmen Pampa was not in the photo so I have added one below with Sr Chris and myself celebrating my birthday in Coroico convent. Three of the men on the left are from Minnesota where the Carmen Pampa Fund is administered by a Board.

  

Sr Chris Cullen who carries out a number of Administrative activities as well as being one of the drivers who frequent Coroico buying food and other supplies for the University. Many to the Students are accommodated at the University. 

The various Courses, Education, Nursing, Tourism etc.,  had a completion where they performed various dancing displays. This took place on the sports field above the convent.

This is the last BLOG of the Ministries of the Sisters who are in Bolivia. Sr Jean Morrissey, the Leader of the Sisters in Latin America is presently in the USA. Jean teaches at the University and is also responsible for the Pastoral Care of Students and Staff.