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Reflections on Ecuador

By on July 30, 2012 in UCLA

We started the project in Quito with six students unaccustomed to any kind of construction labor, some giant pieces of wood, plastic, and a few tools. Somehow over the course of a month these ingredients came together to leave two communities with eco-friendly greenhouses that they can utilize for years to come. The journey from there to here was a long one and I can safely say everyone involved in the project grew by leaps and bounds in order to reach these goals. On a tangible level our job entailed measuring, cutting, and hammering together over 30 wooden joints per greenhouse, lifting the wood to its terminal height of about 10 feet, and covering the entire greenhouse in tight plastic. Once the holes were dug, the frames built, and the plastic secured, we also helped the future farmers of the community till, plant, and organize the land and resources inside their new greenhouse.

More than just labor skills, this project gave us to integrate and learn about a culture very foreign from our own. Things that were commonplace and accepted in the U.S. were luxuries or unheard of in Quito. It could be disillusioning at times. For instance on our second project in the agrarian south, the small farmhouse was made simply of concrete bricks stacked to corner off two small rooms, a bathroom, a few decaying appliances, and a corrugated tin roof to protect from the elements. To us their dirt floor and close quarters signaled extreme poverty, but this idea was soon dispelled as the people were constantly smiling as they worked their land. They did not need televisions or even cars. We were not there to rebuild their lives in our American image, an idea I believe we all secretly entertained from time to time as we pushed ourselves to our physical and emotional limits. Our goals were not so grand and patronizing, but instead they were to provide these communities with the initial investment they desperately needed so they could provide for themselves and their children in a sustainable way so that this culture, very different from our own, could continue and grow in its own way.

As the project started to wind down and we were putting the finishing touches on (or arm numbing stretching of) the plastic we all started to get instant nostalgia for the place we were and the things we were doing there. We had formed strong bonds with the people of the community, the workers of ConQuito (the municipality agency that aided us in our work), and the guide from Triple Salto, Shak. Though we did not all speak Spanish, and many of the people we met on the project spoke no English, all that was required by any of us was the fact that we had worked side by side day after day, and built a system of shared words and gestures to accomplish our project. As we headed out on our last day, hugs lingered, and a simple kiss goodbye on the cheek, something that violated our personal space at first, was the only fitting way to say goodbye to the wonderful people surrounding us. We all felt we had done good work and that we made a tangible difference in the lives of two communities. Above all the other memories we made in our off time, that idea will stay with us the longest.

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Finishing Our First Greenhouse

By on July 14, 2012 in 2012, Ecuador, Summer Projects, UCLA

We’ve finished another successful week with the completion of our first greenhouse! All of the team members including myself are proud of our hard work. This week by far was our hardest yet, as bringing together all the elements necessary for the greenhouse required immense amounts of perseverance and perspiration in equal measure.

Working on the first greenhouse has been an amazing process. Though the bus ride is lengthy, once the team and I arrive at the project site, a school to the south of Quito in a rural community, the ride is instantly forgotten. The school is teeming with kids, with young life, with individuals whose futures will directly impact Ecuador as a whole in just a few short years. It’s great to think that our collective work, building a greenhouse for and with the people of this community, will help ensure an even grander host of opportunities for each and every child attending Escuela Bogota.

This week saw the installation of one of the most essential parts of the greenhouse: the plastic encasing! The plastic is what makes a greenhouse special; it filters out harmful rays from the sun, allowing the vegetation within to grow up strong and healthy. With careful and precise guidance from Luis, our wonderful leader for the project, we pulled and stretched the specially-made greenhouse plastic across every outside surface exposed to the sun. It’s hard to imagine, but I speak from experience that it is no easy task to stretch plastic until it is completely taut. And yet, with the cumulative effort of all our members, we managed to accomplish what at first seemed impossible. The end results are fabulous.

This week also saw the completion of six planter boxes started last week. These boxes, made out of sturdy plywood planks and posts, will be used as raised beds for planting vegetation within the greenhouses. Due to the tropical climate of Ecuador, vegetation can often rot or mold if planted close to the ground. Therefore, in order to sidestep this molding process, the team created sturdy legs for the planters to raise them from the ground. Though the greenhouse is a huge accomplishment in itself, the team and I are happy to see the initial steps of planting brought to fruition through the construction of the raised planter boxes. All the team members are proud to see every step of the project through to completion.

The small ceremony on our final day, Friday, was short and sweet. We had many helpers along the way: the school administrators provided snacks and milk, the local eatery fed us after long hours of work, and even the school’s children helped with smaller tasks along the way. Everyone came to see the greenhouse completed, and everyone was amazed at what could be accomplished in just two short weeks.

After so much hard work, the team has been happy to take a small weekend stay in Mindo, otherwise known as the Cloud Forest. Ecuador is an extremely diverse nation with many climates, flora, and fauna. Mindo has shown us yet another habitat housed within the country, another facet of Ecuador’s diverse personality. With great excitement, the team looks forward to next week’s project, another greenhouse. Though it will be a farther journey, as it is to be built even farther south of Quito than Escuela Bogota, we now know what it takes to successfully build a greenhouse from beginning to end. With that knowledge, we proceed forward with the utmost confidence in our abilities to collectively achieve our goals.

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A Successful First Week of Building

By on July 3, 2012 in 2012, Ecuador, UCLA

One week of work is under our belts! Last Monday, we set out on a one-hour long bus ride to the southern part of Quito where the site of our first project is.  We are building this greenhouse on the roof of an elementary school so that the children learn about sustainable farming practices and healthy eating while having the ability to produce their own crops year round.

Luis, the agricultural engineer from ConQuito, taught us the basics of the tools we would be using and then we got to work building the framework of the greenhouse.  The older children from the school came to help us as well, and this allowed them to be a part of the building process and also gave us the chance to practice our Spanish.  Although chiseling the beams into the right shape and hammering in the wooden poles straight was sometimes difficult or tiring, everyone definitely had a lot of fun and easily got into the groove of our workdays.

In addition to the greenhouse, we had several small side projects.  The school asked us to paint a mural on a wall in the main courtyard that was educational and incorporated themes from the greenhouse.  We had a blast coming up with ideas and having the kids help us, and the picture shows the final product.  We also weeded a small plot of land in the nearby kindergarten so that we can plant a garden for them.  We have not begun planting yet, but we will this week.  While we were cleaning out this land, teachers from the kindergarten asked several of us to help teach English to the students.  Amanda, Sarah, and Diva were each given about 30 kids to attempt to control and educate, and that was definitely quite the experience.  Hopefully they retained some of our lessons.

Luis also took us to another one of his greenhouse sites and we helped with this project as well.  This greenhouse was located behind the Contemporary Art Museum our job was to wrap each metal pole with plastic to protect it.  An amazing feature of this greenhouse is that it was constructed entirely out of recycled materials.

At the end of this working week, we had finished the basic framework of the greenhouse.  All that is left is the roof, crossbeams, and plastic coverings.  While Amanda, Sarah, and Kristi were painting the mural, Dan, Steven, and Diva were building the planter boxes so we will also need to transfer the plants into those.  We can all agree that this first week has been a great success, working efficiently on our projects while making friends with the local community.

With the weekend came time to explore Quito! On Saturday, we went to Papallacta, a small village in the Andes where there are natural hot springs.  Soaking in the water and relaxing our sore bodies while looking at the beautiful mountains was the perfect way to unwind after this first week of work.  On Sunday, we went to Yanacocha and enjoyed an amazing ten mile hike where we saw different kinds of hummingbirds and butterflies.  Because we were so high up in elevation, we were literally above clouds and the view was breathtaking.

This coming week, Steven will be going back home so we will finish the greenhouse and garden at the school on Thursday and then go back the the one at the museum on Friday.  We have some special guests from Sacramento coming to visit the site on Tuesday and one of them is a journalist who will write a story on our work here.  We can’t wait for another week of work and to finish this greenhouse!

 

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From the City of Angels to the Center of the World..

By on June 23, 2012 in 2012, Ecuador, UCLA

After dozens of finals, one graduation, two flights, and a layover six of us found ourselves in Quito, Ecuador’s charming capital named for its location at 00°.00’.00’’ and otherwise known as the middle of the world. As we staggered through customs visions blurred by exhaustion and disorientation none of us could be exactly sure of what lie ahead of us but one thing was for sure, that by this point it was pure adrenaline which  kept us pushing one foot in front of another, adrenaline and the excitement of beginning our project. We were greeted at the airport by Alicia, Coordinator of Triple Salto-the NGO our Nourish chapter has been working with and also our host for the next five and a half weeks. As we settled into our home away from home we began planning the building of two greenhouses in Quito, one would be situated on the roof of a school another to be located in a neighborhood in southern Quito. We began working with ConQuito a government municipality allied with Triple Salto. Our partnerships with ConQuito and Triple Salto would help us build greenhouses for organic farming in urban areas of thecity. The two communities we are working with will utilize the two greenhouses to nourish themselves and sell the excess for a profit thereby our project will combat the high levels of malnutrition amongst young children and pregnant mothers while providing entrepreneurship opportunities. An agricultural engineer named Luis provided our team with a crash-course of greenhouse building and we set off to purchase material to begin building the following week. To fill our time until building starts and to give our bodies the chance to acclimate to the climate and high altitude we have been taking advantage of all that Quito’s culture and landscape has to offer! The following pictures document our adventures in the city of Quito!

The team on top of the statue of El Virgen on Panecillo Hill, a 30m high statue that stands on El Panecillo hill overlooking the Old City. It depicts the Virgin Mary with silvery wings standing on an orb with a serpent curled around her feet and chained to her arm.

 

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Saludos desde Guatemala

By on January 26, 2012 in 2009, Guatemala, UCLA, UT Austin

After a week of crazyness and graduation…we finally made it to guatemala! It is more beautiful than I could have every imagined. I am in the town of El Jicaro in the district of El Progresso in Guatemala. Our town is safe compared to others. We are staying in a quaint little hotel called ¨Mi Casita¨painted the traditional bright colors of Guatemala and adorned with the typical Guatemalan hammock. The people here are constantly smiling and staring at the awkward ¨American tourists¨. We certainly stick out among all the locals. Tuk Tuks are these little open air, red cabs that swerve violently throughout the streets, without regard to pedestrians, dogs, or anything else that may be in there way. So far it has rained everyday, but not the whole day. Right now it is raining with thunderstorms, but it is a refreshing change from the dry California climate.

We met the women we are working with on Tuesday. Our driver, Lepe, drives us there and back everyday for about 20 quetazles, which is the equivalent then less than 3 US dollars. Breakfast is about 15 to 20 quetzales and dinner is about 20. Everythin is about 2 to 3 US dollars. As our dollar goes a long way, people are still suffering the turmoil of poverty. Many live in homes made of scrap metal, wood, even hardened clay. The little rooms are at max capacity as the whole, often extended family piles together. Many are illiterate. Tortillas and beans are the staple diet which they make from scratch daily on a stone stove outside heated with fire and wooden logs. Chickens, stray dogs, and sometimes even cats roam the village as if they owned it. The village that the women live in is caled ¨31 de May¨.  Even though they lack our daily American indulgences they are grateful for what they have. They´re permanent warm smiles tell me so everyday. I have taken 100s of pictures of the kids. They are breathtaking.

The women of 31 de Mayo seem to need a lot of help. They are still in the beginning stages of starting their own shampoo business. We are here to really organize their ideas and make the investments that will lead to a sustainable future for these women and their families. 2 weeks is not enough, but any short amount of time is enough to make an impact.

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Today was beautiful in Guatemala. Every day is beautiful here.

By on January 26, 2012 in 2009, Guatemala, UCLA, UT Austin

We are listening to a reggae-infused spanish ballad, Sigue bailando mi amor, by El Rookie, in the internet cafe in El Progresso, Guatemala. It is beautiful just like the days here. We spent the day working with the less developed cooperative of women in El Jicaro, reviewing their accounting procedures, scribbling furious notes, translating, and envisioning a method that will allow them to see their profits after buying supplies and selling product each month. We sampled the Savila (Aloe Vera) shampoo last night and purchased Manzanilla to try today. The women advised certain flavors are intended for certain types of hair–Steven and I fit Manzanilla by virtue of our light brunette locks–and they swear certain flavors have amazing health benefits, like the shampoo that regrew a local woman´s hair after chemotherapy treatment. We plan to further research these healing properties, although through my own research thus far I have found that the plants with which they infuse their shampoos all treat physical ailments and the benefits of natural ingredients are revered in these regions…since discovering this and considering our marketing tactics in this light, I have begun to notice advertisements for ¨natural¨ingredients in sodas and juices everywhere. In spite of this appreciation for natural products, bright colored goods infused with colorante  are popular in the markets, at least in part because they evoke the luxury of imported products. This response has come up every time I have questioned one of our native guides. Unfortunately, plastic-intense packaging for products is also what sells, which coupled with the lack of trash disposal services is harming the beautiful environment here.

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