Cotoca

Cotoca is a town in the department of Santa Cruz in the lowlands of the South American Andean Republic of Bolivia.

Location in near space

Cotoca is the central place of the Canton Cotoca district ( bolivian: municipality ) in the province of Andrés Ibáñez Cotoca, and the town lies at an altitude of 363 m halfway between Santa Cruz, capital of the department, and Puerto Pailas on the Rio Grande.

Geography

Cotoca is located in the Bolivian lowlands east of the Andes mountain range of the Cordillera Central. The region has a tropical climate with a balanced temperature profile.

The average annual temperature of the region is 24 ° C, the average monthly values ​​vary only slightly between 20 ° C in July and 26 ° C in December (see climate chart Santa Cruz ). The annual rainfall is about 1000 mm, the monthly rainfall range from less than 50 mm during the months of July and August and about 150 mm in January.

Traffic network

Cotoca is located on the highway Ruta 4, Bolivia crosses from west to east, from Tambo Quemado on the Chilean border over Cochabamba and Santa Cruz to Puerto Suarez on the Brazilian border.

From Santa Cruz the paved highway leads first 20 kilometers in an easterly direction and crosses Cotoca after another 25 kilometers to Puerto Pailas the Rio Grande. From there it is 758 km on mostly unpaved road to the Brazilian border. Similarly, a railway line from Santa Cruz to Puerto Suarez also leads by Cotoca.

In Cotoca branches off a dirt road off to the south, which is 16 km away reached the city Paurito.

Population

The population of the town has increased in recent decades to more than ten times:

Due to the historically grown influx of migrants, the region has a certain amount of Quechua population in the municipality of Cotoca 17.8 % of the population speak the Quechua language.

Hogar Teresa de los Andes

About 10 minutes outside of Cotoca towards El Pailon is " Hogar Teresa de los Andes " that a social institution for the mentally and physically disabled people.

The home was founded in the late eighties of brothers of the Colombian Order " FDP " ( Hermanos de la de la Divina Providencia Fraternity ). Currently about 150 children, youth and adults living in this project.

Is split the home into seven different pavilions, each labeled with different colors. In these different areas of the disabled children, young people and adults living - divided by age and level of disability. Another important part of the home are the different therapeutic areas. This consisted of physiotherapy, " estimulación " ( stimulation therapy), psychotherapy, the " Sala de la Recreación " ( relaxation therapy ), the " Fono / Audiologia " ( speech therapy) and the " Taller " ( workshop) together.

In addition to the pavilions and the therapeutic areas are located on the premises of the home, a small hospital, a bakery, a laundry, a tailor shop, a school, a day care center for disabled children, young people and adults of the surrounding area, a crèche for the children of employees and a small chapel. About 10 minutes outside in the direction of " El Pailon " is an affiliated to the home farm. A total of between 130 and 150 people working in the different areas.

Supported the establishment almost exclusively by donations. In recent years, the project also through volunteer services, was usually accompanied by teenagers or young adults from Germany and Spain.