Stockholm, Sweden 2020

The second international gathering was organized by Atamhi, Vicente, and Teresa in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. We kept the concept of the first gathering, with introduction games, presentations, dinners, including a cultural touch with Bolivian folkloric dances and Bolivian food on the last day of the gathering.

New for this gathering was that we started already on Friday with an early-bird dinner at a South-American restaurant. This was a nice way to bring together those who had already arrived in Stockholm. After dinner, we had help from a local Bolivian adoptee who showed the group some great bars and hangout spots.

The next day was packed with activities such as getting to know each other through games, a sandwich lunch, and four presentations on various topics. A representative from the Swedish group also gave a short introduction to the history and activities of Bolivian adoptees in Sweden. We ate salteñas and also had time to discuss Bolivian politics in light of the upcoming Bolivian election. After a very intense day we all had dinner together at a restaurant, and those who still had some energy went to a Latin club for more fun and dancing.

Doors opened at 10:00 am on the last day of the gathering, and we enjoyed two informative sessions about returning to Bolivia for the first time and DNA testing. The local Bolivian dance group Bolivia Yawar Mallku performed the dances; kallawaya, pukllay, llamerada, and huayno cochabambino. Last but not least, we had a Bolivian goodbye lunch where we had time to summarize and talk about our experiences of the gathering. Everybody agreed that the silpancho was delicious.