The word
Kallawaya is probably from the Aymara language and means "doctor." The kallawayas belong to an
ancient tradition of
holistic medicine in
Bolivia that goes back to the pre-
Incan period. They still
heal the
sick with
traditional herbs and
rituals. It is estimated that 40% of the
population use this form of
healing exclusively.
In the
remote areas of the country, and to some
extent in the
cities as well, a person who feels
ill most likely will
resort to traditional
remedies, which are both
accessible and
affordable.
Treatment often consists of a
tea infusion made from
plants a
farmer probably already has on hand. Most often the kallawayas are paid in
kind,
exchanging goods for treatment.
Physicians rarely want to go into the
countryside, while kallawayas may
travel on foot through a large area several times a year as they have done for centuries.
The farmers are always on the look out for the kallawaya's brightly colored hand-woven
poncho of
vicuña and his
lluchu (knit cap),
traversing country paths with the aid of a walking stick. The Kallawaya is always
welcomed and
respected, for rural dwellers feel
comfortable with their mode of treatment. After all, both farmer and doctor share the same
indigenous roots and the same traditional world view. Even on the rare occasions where modern
physicians and services are available, many Bolivians treat them with
suspicion for they are viewed as too
clinical and
foreign to their
culture. While
western medicine focuses on the
individual, the native doctor gives much more
attention to the
family, the
community, and the
psychological and socioeconomic
concomitants of health, providing a holistic approach to treatment. This approach involves a lengthy discussion with the
patient concerning the illness and an
examination of the
physical surroundings.
Work is now being done to
preserve these
traditions. In former times
instruction was passed on from
father to
son, but schools now have been established to insure the
continuation of the kallawaya approach to healing.