Reflections on Ecuador- Me to We Travel Experience

When opportunity knocks, it is sometimes difficult to answer the door. Often there are things that stand in the way: reservations, cost, timing, fear; the list goes one. Yet, if you can look past the obstacles and take a leap of faith (or even a small hop as the case may be) you may get to experience one of the most amazing opportunities of your lifetime. You may even find that you can help change the world.

This is the situation I found myself in last November when I was invited to be a part of a Me to We educator’s scouting trip to Ecuador and the Amazon rainforest. When I first read the email on a Friday afternoon, my initial thought was, “that would be cool, but I could never do that” followed closely by, “it must cost a lot of money” and finally, “there are spiders in the Amazon…”

Despite the reservations I had about the trip, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head, so Sunday afternoon, I replied to the email and after a Monday morning telephone conversation, I was ready to pack a bag and head to South America. Now I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have some anxieties about traveling to another continent and stepping way out of my comfort zone, but I can honestly say, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life! 

Our journey to the Amazon began in Ecuador’s capital city, Quito, where I met the three other Canadian teachers I would be traveling with. I arrived to the hotel in Quito very late (or early depending on your frame of mind) and had time for a quick nap before meeting the rest of the team for breakfast and boarding the bus for the six hour journey to the Amazon. While the bus ride was long, the scenery was beautiful. As we drove through the mountains and the cloud forest, we crested the highest point of our journey at just over 4000 meters above sea level. The views are stunning at this vantage point.

Halfway through our journey to the Amazon we stopped in a little town to eat. The restaurant is a pizzeria set against a picturesque back drop. The man who runs the restaurant was originally from the Netherlands and moved to Ecuador. He built the restaurant himself and it was beautiful. The food was delicious and we even saw several hummingbirds. Staring out into the incredible landscape, it was the first time it hit me- I was in South America and headed to the actual rainforest! The whole thing seemed completely unreal.

A few hours later, we reached the Amazon River, and our team could hardly contain our excitement. We boarded our motorized canoe and shortly arrived at our home for the next few days- the Minga Lodge. In rural Ecuador, teamwork is an important part of daily life; citizens band together to complete community wide projects. These vary from building schools or homes, to planting and harvesting crops. It is this sense of community support that the Minga lodge takes its name. Minga, in the native language actually means collaborative work, or reunion of friends.

The lodge itself is beautiful; nestled inside the lush rain forest, visitors are surrounded by the diverse flora and fauna. The view from the open air dining room was spectacular as it overlooks the Amazon River and in the late afternoon you can see the sun set across the water. The accommodations were also impressive; the cabins were comfortable and safe. Each bed has its own mosquito net and there was even a hammock on the balcony where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest.

It was an odd sensation that first night in my cabin. The usual sounds of home, the QEW traffic, and city noise were absent. They were instead replaced by a cacophony of jungle noises, birds singing, animals chattering away in the tree tops, even a short little rain shower. Although it was a new type of noise, it had a peaceful and calming effect.

Our first day in the Amazon was also our first day in the local community where we would be working alongside community member on the construction of a new school room. Before we got to work, we toured the community to learn what life was like for the people living there. The school in this community served children from all over the region, some traveled up to four hours each way to school and were required to live in the dorms during the week. As a teacher, this provided a stark contrast to our Canadian school systems.  Students in the Amazon were so dedicated to their studies and determined to attend school that some of them came from across the Napo River, traveling several hours through jungle to learn. These students had to make significant sacrifices to obtain their education. I certainly admired their commitment to their studies. It also threw into focus the things we take for granted here in Canada and made me appreciate my short commute to my own classroom back home.

Before we got to work on the building project, we reviewed safety procedures and ensure everyone understood the instructions provided to us by our Ecuadorian foreman.  One of the things that really sets the WE community projects apart from other humanitarian build organizations is that they work with the community to determine their specific needs and then employ community members to oversee and support the projects on the ground. In fact, the community itself is responsible for raising a portion of the funds for the build through government grants and other means. The community decides which area has the greatest need- education, sanitation, sustainable income, agriculture or medical- and then they select the project to begin.

On the build site, our team was responsible for sifting sand to make cement. This was a challenge, but our coordinator was sure to remind us to take regular breaks for water and to pause if our bodies were telling us to. It was a tough adjustment to make, working in the heat and humidity of the Amazon while balancing the exertion of physical labour. Regular hydration was key and we always had plenty of drinking water on hand. Many of the community members were working right alongside us as we sifted sand and they laid bricks. Many of the mothers from the community came out to help us and had their babies slung on their backs in wraps. It was truly a community wide project, and even thought it was during the holidays, people still came to help every day. It was a privilege to work alongside these people and to help provide their community’s students with a new classroom.

On our last day on the build site we had a chance to play some games with some of the community members. The children taught us how to play a game called Ecua-Volley Ball. Now I’m not an athletic person by nature, but the children were kind and patient as they taught us how to play, even if we did make several mistakes. I was struck by their patience and their willingness to let us participate in their games, even when we didn’t understand the rules. When another group of volunteers from a different team arrived in the community, we all joined together to play a massive game of soccer. Whether standing on the sidelines cheering, or in the thick of the game, it was a great way for us to bond as a team and get to know the members of the community better. Regardless of the geographical location, and language barriers, students of all ages simply love to play!

My team also had a chance to explore some of the other local communities during our week in the Amazon.

We traveled to a cocoa farm and learned about the various forms of cocoa, and which companies buy which quality of beans. We also got to help mix soil to plant a new cocoa tree and learned the complex process of cultivating the desired trees to improve the yield of the fruit and quality of product in the end. We even met a new friend.

In the end we got to take some cocoa beans home to the lodge with us where we made chocolate from scratch. As it turns out, chocolate starts off as a fruit. Learning about the cocoa production gave me a new appreciation for fair trade products, and when it came time to buy treats to bring home, we sought our fair trade chocolate and coffee. It might seem like a little thing we can do as consumers, but it makes a big difference to the farmers who benefit from fair trade consumption.

We also visited a local fruit farmer and learned about the different types of fruit he grew and the challenges he faced in farming. One of the most significant challenges was the quest for clean drinking water. It was just days before our visit that he had finally received access to clean drinking water via a newly installed pipe system. He took us on a hike through the jungle to show us where the spring was he used to collect water from. We carried empty jugs and helped him dig out the overgrowth that was clogging the spring. Then he patiently waited for the clear water to begin flowing before showing us how to fill up the jugs. We struggled to hike back to his home, where we filtered the water. As we worked to obtain the water, the farmer told us how the spring actually flowed from the Amazon River itself, and thus wasn’t always a clean source of water. In fact, one of his children had caught a parasite from drinking the water, and died as a result. Never before has clean drinking water seemed like such a luxury to me.  I have the advantage of accessing clean drinking water at any time, yet at any given moment, there are people, even in Canada who don’t have access to clean drinking water. And that just isn’t right.

Our final community visit took us to a woman’s artisan group. These women are simply incredible. They were drawn together by their mutual desire to seek out opportunities for themselves and their children. The wealth of knowledge these women have about the nature that surrounds their community is astounding. They taught us how to make string out of a plant that is commonly found in the jungle. They scraped off the outside, wove it together and dyed it using natural colouring they also found in the jungle. They then use the fiber they created to make jewelry from natural materials. I carry the yellow string I got to make with them in my glasses case as a reminder to challenge myself to see the world around me differently and to look for new opportunities in my life. That is one of the most valuable lessons these women taught me- find the opportunity where it looks like none exist.

A serious problem they had in their community was litter. The woman’s artisan group got together with the children at the school and decided to do something about it and to make their community cleaner. They installed garbage cans at the school and the students put their snack wrappers in these bins. This all but eliminated the litter problem in the school yard, but what the women did with these wrappers is truly remarkable. The women collect the chip and cookie bags, then they cut them open, wash them thoroughly and then use the plastic foil to weave shopping bags, wallets and pouches.  They saw a problem in their community, found a solution and then discovered a way to upcycle material to financially support themselves.

Our team enjoyed shopping for jewelry and items made by these talented artisans. Each time I wear my bracelets I bought that day, I’m reminded of what sustainable income means to these women and how being self-sufficient and financially independent can open doors and create opportunities that may not exist for them otherwise.

Spending time in the Amazon opened my eyes. It taught me that opportunity is everywhere if you look for it, and if you’re brave enough, seizing these opportunities can change your life and the lives of those around you.  What will your next opportunity to make a difference in the world look like? Where will you find your next opportunity for adventure and good work?

 If you’d like to learn more about Me to We travels, please visit www.metowe.com. There are great travel opportunities for students and the staff at Me to We are excellent and will help your organize a trip for your school. Special thanks to Me to We for hosting our team on the tour and for ensuring an amazing and safe experience. I look forward to returning to the Amazon with my students next year.