My work.

I know... two posts in one day! I've had both of these blogs started for at least a week, and today is Saturday and I'm working in the office, so I have time to update.

Three weeks ago (or maybe four...) I spent visiting 5 communities in the Sierra. This past week (or two) I spent visiting 6 communities in the Coast. My head is spinning from stimulation overload, but I love it!

My work operates in the “red zones” of the Provence Bolivar, or the poorest communities (of the poorest Provence in Ecuador). My work reaches out to them to better their living conditions through resources, knowledge and income generating opportunities. They focus heavily on organic agriculture, health, human rights, and woman's empowerment (I know, I know, how did I get so lucky!!?!). They have hundreds of projects going on, so learning the ins-and-outs will probably take me my two years alone!

The Provence Bolivar is considered half Sierra and half Coastal. The climates, geography, and cultures within these two areas are very very different. The Sierra consists of both indigenous campos and mountain communities. The Coastal is made up of coastal people, but not beach-coastal, mountain-coastal. I'm rambling, but I hope you start to get an idea of the diversity.

Just when I've started feeling comfortable with my Spanish around people, I go to the Sierra, where they speak Kichwa (Ecuador's most common indigenous language). A few of the schools I will be working in are bilingual – the majority of students speak Kichwa in their homes, and then learn Spanish at school. Each of the schools are very different – the students, the buildings, the teachers – each paints a small picture of their lives, the history of their families, and their stories of love and tragedy. I won't make you read all about all my visits … but here's just one …

7am Wednesday morning I meet Melania at a market in the center of town to leave for the two school visits we had planned for the day. Melania helps the schools build and maintain school huertos (gardens), at the first school we went to on Tuesday, the older kids in the school helped us plant seeds while we chatted and got to know each other – today, I remembered to wear more sunscreen to work in the sun. We walked for about 15minutes to a bridge where we met with the teachers of the school to take a camioneta to the community. A camioneta is a truck-taxi. Basically, as many people as possible pile into the bed of the truck to move from place A to place B. At times, more than 15 people are standing in the truck beds – I've seen as many as 20!! (Tina – I need to put pictures up for you!)

Once at the school, Melania introduced me to the teachers and spoke with them a little about who I was. Each of the teachers kept asking what I was going to do and if I was going to be there everyday. But, that's the funny thing about my work here – I don't know what I'm going to do until I see (1) the community needs, and (2) community interests. Also, since I'll be working in several schools, I'm unable to visit them all everyday. So, I really have no idea what I'll be doing/ who I'll be working with until I know more about the school and community – and this was my first visit ... after trying to explain that I was here to help with what they wanted me to help in, we walked over to a concrete court (In the US it would look like a basketball court, but here they play voli and soccer on the cement), where the entire school was lining up, in rows according to grade.

At attention, facing away from us towards the school director, they greeted him and at his command, made a half turn to face Melania and me. In unison, they greeted us and all 80-pairs of eyes looked timidly at us. I looked at Melania for her to begin speaking, but she was looking at me.

Introduce yourself she told me. So, in my broken Spanish I said hi to the kids and explained a little of where I came from and that I was going to be working with them for the school year. After a short explanation, I looked back at Melania for some direction so we could begin working on the huertos. I figured we would divide out the older kids, like we had done in the previous school and take them to work on the school huerto.

I was not expecting the words that followed – Play something with them.

My brain shut down – I knew we were coming to visit the schools, but I expected to simply help out with the huertos and to casually say hi to students around the school. Thank goodness I was a YMCA leader, and for PC's dynamicas we did everyday during training, I was able to “Simon dice” and “Cuando yo digo...” my way through the next 30 minutes.

Although it was completely not what I expected that day, while reflecting, I think – what else did you expect? Seize the day. Es la vida.

My coastal experiences have been very different. Traveling to the coast takes 2-3 hours, but is the most beautiful drive – descending thousands of meters into a sub-tropical paradise. My co-workers call me crazy for liking the drive – it's mainly dirt road, hot, at times very dusty and long – well, maybe this is still the honeymoon phase of cultural adaptation, or maybe I have my dad's love for 4-wheeling after all. Eitherway, I must say, some of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen.

The first time I went to the coast was to distribute food rations to communities. In one day we went to three communities and distributed around 80 rations of food. Each of the communities has a community contact who Promocion Humana contacts to let the community know when and why PHD is coming. One of the communities we went to was very well organized; when we arrived at the selected meeting place, all the families were present to receive their rations. At the other two, it took a little more time to distribute the rations to everyone - some of the communities appeared very unorganized, or it could have been lack of motivation to come get the food rations or simple that phone service cuts in and out at times and they didn't hear the news. Either way, working to unite the communities to work with PHD is a key to success. Without them working and interested in the projects, FPH does not succeed. Because FPH only visits each community once or twice every month, the communication and organization the community has within itself is crucial to the sustainability of the work we do.

In the coast, we received regalos (presents) of oranges, bananas, and various other delicious fruits! There have been days where they field promotors I'm working with don't stop for food -- these fruits have been a life saver for me!

In both the Sierra and the Coast my Foundation has worked with family organic huertos (vegetable gardens). While traveling, we visit the gardens. It's amazing to see some of them - with the three A's: Amor, Alimentacion and Agua, they grow like crazy! The majority of the farmers here in Eucador use chemicals to grow their veggies, so a large part of our projects are to educate and start oganic huertos for families and schools! Next just might be cooking classes.