Loja

I left Guaranda a little less than a week ago, I still feel like I'm heading back in a few days - back to my secret garden house, 7 Santos, work in the campo, tortillas de yucca, stadium running, old friends and a special someone. 

But, I'm not.  I'm here in Loja -- and so far, honestly -- I'm loving the new changes and the new opportunities.  A few things I've experienced in my short week down South...

- They have trails (dirt) where you can go running with trees around the Parque Jipiro, where no dogs chase after you (I did see stray dogs, they just didn't run after me barking and snapping).

- There's hiking on official trails.  This morning I went hiking with some other Peace Corps Volunteers across from the Botanical Gardens, at the Universario, there was a Visitor's Center, a trail-head, we even had to pay an entry fee and got a trail map.

- The land is F L A T - Loja is at the base of the Andes Mountains it sits at 2100 m (6890 ft) above sea level, submerged in the Cuxibamba Valley it stretched down the valley along two main rivers - Rio Zamora and Rio Malacatos.

I'm currently living with a host family (a divorced woman and her 20 year old son).  I have a SMALL room in their apartment, but will be moving out (into my own apartment) in October.  There are three other Peace Corps Volunteers who live in the city of Loja (and 5 more TEFL volunteers who will be moving here at the end of the month!), they are all amazing people - and love to have dinner parties :)  let the cooking begin!

I was in Cuenca last Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, where I did some training for my new job.  Currently, two Italian women work for Soluciones Comunitarias in Ecuador.  They both work out of the Cuenca office, and I'll be in Loja developing the work here and helping to "set up the office".  Soluciones Comunitarias is a US based organization, currently operating in Guatemala, Ecuador and S. Africa.  I won't lie, I'm ecstatic to work for a US company again, before you shoot me down for that comment, let me try to explain.  I was at the office last week, and was preparing to fill out a receipt for some travel costs.  Without thinking, I asked, "what color pen should I fill out these receipts with? Blue or Black?".  My boss looked at me, and goes, "I don't care, pink, green, red, what ever color you want."  In Ecuador, the color of pen that you use on official documents is critical - if the ink is black, you have to use a blue pen.. so people know it's the original copy.  In schools, the school kids are fanatics with the type of writing instrument and color they use - pencil? pen? blue? black? red?

I immediately started laughing, I HAD been working in an Ecuadorian office for 2 years.

Maybe I did extend my stay in Ecuador because it's easier than the thought of reintegrating into the US culture.  But this job is providing me with good professional experience - it's a blending of my undergraduate business degree, my love for social entrepreneurship, and my new passion for nutrition.  And, offering me a step towards integration, before heading back to the states.

After spending three days at the office in Cuenca, I learned more about the work I'll be doing.. I'll be helping to train and develop (mainly) women entrepreneurs in the rural areas of Loja to start their own businesses and sell health products (water purification systems, solar lamps, organic seeds, and reading glasses).  Plus, we're starting projects to see the need and potential for watering systems and smart stoves in the area.  Currently there are 5 group of entrepreneurs who have received training and have started to sell the products (through bimonthly campañas).  I'll be working with them to strengthen their knowledge and to help create more opportunities for them and their clients.

I'm hopeful, excited and ready for the challenges of this next year, and will be sure to share the stories of the people I meet.