For Uncle Johnny

This is a hat my brother brought to Ashlynn when he returned from Bolivia. Now it's been passed on to Andrew. Whenever I look at the hat I try to imagine the person who made it and what their life must be like. I know if the hat was made by a woman she has most likely suffered many hardships.

Bolivia ranks as the poorest, most isolated and least developed country within Latin America. Two thirds of its people are indigenous, the highest number of any country within the region, and 63% of Bolivia’s population live below the poverty line lacking access to clean water, electricity, sewage, basic health care and education. Recent indications of growth have not, yet, resulted in a reduction in poverty and the country remains one of the most economically unequal societies in the world.