Rosa Jalja, Bolivia

Biography

Raised by the shores of Lake Titicaca, Rosa Jalja Gil grew to understand that the lake was more than water, it represented life, memory, and identity.  She witnessed the lake’s waters sustain her community, only to see them become more polluted over the years. Refusing to stand by, she became a radio journalist and activist, using her voice to defend its future. As a founding member of Mujeres Unidas en Defensa del Agua, she mobilizes women to restore, protect, and advocate for the lake. Through storytelling and action, Rosa is preserving both Titicaca’s waters and the ancestral wisdom they hold for her children and future generations.

Q. What personal experience has shaped or inspired your journey?

Lake Titicaca has been a part of my life since I was a child. I remember when my aunt Simona cooked the mauiris, ispis, and trout with great love. Those moments taught me to value and love water, Lake Titicaca and everything that lives in it. However, over the years, I began to see how the lake suffered: the water got dirty, the fish were scarce, and that filled me with sadness. As a woman in my community, I decided I couldn’t sit idly by. I had to do something to protect our lake, because Titicaca is more than a lake, it’s our life.
 

Q. Who is the influential figure who has inspired your actions, and what specifically about them has been motivating?

My inspiration is the women of the lake themselves. Their hard work and dedication in caring for the lake motivates me deeply. I am also inspired by the desire to leave a better place for my granddaughters and future generations. One of our constant actions is to carry out campaigns to clean up the lake, something that requires a constant call through the radio. When we say that if we unite we can achieve great things, the response has always been positive, and that motivates me even more to continue fighting for the lake.
 

Q. In your conservation efforts for wetlands, what key challenges did you face and how has this experience fuelled your dedication to making a positive impact?

One of the biggest problems has been that many people don't understand that the lake is getting sick. Pollution and indiscriminate fishing are killing the lake's ecosystem and affecting us all, as the lake is our source of life. Faced with this challenge, we decided to organize, learn more about the problem, and start measuring pollution with the help of organizations such as the FAO, IUCN and Agua Sustentable. This experience has taught me that if we come together and work together, we can save our lake and protect what we love so much. It's hard work, but it's necessary.
 

Q. As a woman who has made significant strides, where can you say investment is required to accelerate progress and empower women’s actions for wetlands?

I think we need more support to learn how to take care of water and the environment. It is essential that women have more training opportunities in the care of wetlands, in how to monitor water and how to make decisions about our natural resources. In addition, we must strengthen collaboration between Bolivia and Peru, since Lake Titicaca is shared by both countries. If we share knowledge and efforts, we can do much more. If women are prepared and united, we can make a big difference in the conservation of our natural resources.