Jennifer Hamblen, a watershed scientist by training, is uniting her passions of climbing mountains and working to provide drinking water to communities in need. She'll climb Nevado Sajama, the highest mountain in Bolivia at 6,542 meters (21,458 feet) to raise money for the US-based nonprofit TERRA Resource Development International which provides drinking water, sanitation, and environmental education through its projects in Bolivia. Contaminated water is the cause of many deaths each year in Bolivia, especially of children under the age of 5, where infant mortality rates are the highest in South America at nearly 1 in 10 children.

OrganicAthlete: What is Terra Development?

Jennifer Hamblen: I got involved in TERRA through my desire to volunteer in hydrology and water resources, which was my major in graduate school. TERRA - Resource Development International, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, partners with impoverished Bolivian communities vulnerable to natural disasters, developing their natural resources and improving their infrastructure. By making these communities safer and stronger, TERRA's mission is to minimize the loss of life and property while enhancing the standard of living.

OA: What are conditions like in Bolivia?

Contaminated water is the cause of many deaths each year in Bolivia, especially of children under the age of 5, where infant mortality rates are the highest in South America at nearly 1 in 10 children. Over half of the 7 million people do not have adequate drinking water resources, and 3/4 lack any sort of sanitation facilities - and this means no bathrooms, no running water. In Bolivia, the majority of aid organizations avoid smaller, isolated communities because they present access challenges and because their small population is a disincentive. Yet, precisely because of the isolation, small size and neglect, the people suffer from a lack of clean drinking water and a deficiency in skills that would improve their agriculture. In addition, many people in rural communities earn less than two U.S. dollars a day, causing unacceptably low standards of living that make the communities more susceptible to droughts and extreme events. This dangerous feedback perpetuates poverty and is magnified in impoverished areas where poor infrastructure and a lack of planning cause a greater loss of life and irreparable property damage. TERRA focuses its attention on the communities that need aid, that have been neglected, and that are vulnerable to natural disasters --communities where improving the standard of living and safety are paramount.

OA: Tell us about your adventure to raise money for the organization.

In May, I am climbing the highest mountain in Bolivia, Nevado Sajama, at 6,542 meters (21,458 feet) as a fundraiser for TERRA. With this climb, I am aiming to raise $30,000 to fund dozens of needed projects for communities and I am reaching out to as many people as I can to inform them of this opportunity to help.

OA: How can people get involved or support what you're doing?

Visit www.terradevelopment.org to make a donation.

Also, in June and July I am offering yoga/volunteer/trekking adventures in Bolivia through my business AdventurousYogi. The July trip will help a community construct a greenhouse which will provide a more varied, nutritious diet and increased income for the locals. The roof will also be used to collect rainwater for drinking.

So there are many ways to help, and it really does make a difference. Volunteering is as much fun for we volunteers as it is helpful to the communities we work with. Money goes a long way in Bolivia, and every dollar counts.