This week I learned an interesting lesson. It seems counterintuitive, but when it rains too much, rainforest communities such as Talag and Shandia find themselves without running water. This results from Ecuador’s reliance on hydropower and outdated water systems. When it rains too much, these systems become overwhelmed and get blocked by an overflow of sediment (dirt, rocks, tree branches, etc.). It can take days to clear, leaving people without water in their homes. This also makes Ecuador highly vulnerable when it comes to drought. Thankfully, we were not without water for long, but it made me increasingly curious about water access in rural Ecuador.
It has been a chaotic week due to the rain and some sickness. We have all since recovered, but living in an apartment (although rather spacious) with 6 other students, sickness was bound to happen. Even with such setbacks, we were able to have a productive week! This week Alexi and I were given a new project by Javier: creating the sign that will be placed at the beginning of his Sendero! He wanted hummingbirds, a fish, and a waterfall but gave us creative freedom. We were so honored to be put in charge of such an important component of the Sendero. This will be the visitor’s first look at the Sendero and will be the first impression of all the hard work that Javier has put in here. It’s exciting to think that our work will stand long after we are gone from Ecuador and allow us to leave our mark on this community that has offered us so much!
We also continued our physical labor on the Sendero, learning a new method of carrying heavy materials… by using your head! At first, I was hesitant. A heavy bag of gravel, a steep slope, and balancing it all on my head?? I was preparing myself for what I felt was the inevitable humiliation of falling backward and top-heavy down the hill. Yet, to my surprise, the bag felt light! It took a moment to get used to but was undoubtedly the best method to carry and transport the weight. We may have looked a little silly and felt a little unsteady, but it was exciting to learn something new.
Another new thing I got to experience this week was a women’s club meeting. I have been eager to catch one of these meetings since I arrived since I am interested in seeing what role women play in their communities. At these meetings, women from all walks of life come to discuss events in the community, children and their education/extracurricular needs, entrepreneurship, and new projects that they want to see implemented in this area. As a part of Manna, we were able to talk to these women about how we can help support them in their endeavors. They showed resounding interest in implementing the chicken project that MPI had completed in the nearby village of Ilayaku. We were also able to gauge interest in the Bee Project, as it is in the starting stages of development. The women’s club was an insightful way for me to experience how community surveying looks. It allowed me to see how nonprofits such as MPI converse and address the needs of the community so that it may be as productive as possible.
This week we also had the opportunity to do a session of leadership training. This session was focused on motivation and identifying how you are motivated. We started with a quiz, seeing what aspects of collaborative work we valued the most. We then used these values to set goals, focusing on how to improve our leadership skills, while also identifying our strengths. We ended the session by talking about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how to pace yourself through your goals. This was a great opportunity to reflect on my skills and my progress towards my life goals. It also allowed our group to learn more about each other and how we fit in as a working unit. The skills we learned in this session will help me beyond this internship and into my career, as I’ve learned how to achieve my goals.
