We spent roughly ten weeks living with a family in Rosario and I have to say that they are some of the most caring, friendly and generous people I have ever met. Their way of life is very different to what we are used to and the family provided us with many new experiences. One day we walked for a few hours to get to the best place to pick blackberries. On another we picked beans that grew on a corn crop on the side of a steep hill. We also learned the process involved in making baskets – collecting the vines, splitting and shaving them and the actual weaving itself. Picture this; sitting on the lounge room floor, listening to music, drinking beer and weaving baskets in rural Ecuador. Not an experience I ever thought I’d have.

During our time with the family we introduced them to a few new things too, such as making pizza and playing cards. We also taught them about our culture and way of life and exchanged stories. Although there was a language barrier, our Spanish being only basic when we first arrived, we were still able to communicated and understand what the family were saying (mostly). This was especially true of one of the family members who uses a lot of hand gestures and actions when speaking.

We also taught English at the local school, which due to our lack of Spanish was a little difficult at times, but hugely rewarding and a lot of fun. For the younger children, who were still learning to read and write Spanish, it was a lot easier to draw something or point at something and teach them the English word for it – rather than getting them to write it down. The older children who had a better knowledge of English, thanks to the volunteers that came before us, really enjoyed to test that knowledge by playing games.

For someone that is considering volunteering here there are a few helpful things that I can tell you; firstly, gumboots/wellingtons/rubber boots (whatever you want to call them) can come in really handy as it does get quite muddy if it has been raining – you can bring a pair with you or buy some in Cuellaje. Secondly, if you have to have access to the internet on a regular basis it might be better to ask Ned to place you with a family close to or in Cuellaje. We walked into Cuellaje from Rosario a few times without any problems at all, but it does take a lot of time – meaning that’s less time you’re spending with your family on their farm or at one of the school. Alternatively, you could catch the school truck or milk truck into Cuellaje in the morning and the school truck back in the afternoon – but again this still takes a lot of time. Thirdly, bring wet weather gear. If the sun is out there isn’t a problem with drying clothes, the problem is when it’s not or when it starts to rain when your clothes are on the line. Furthermore, it is a rural farming area meaning there are bugs, some of which bite – so bring some insect repellent with you. Additionally, if you decide to teach English at one of the schools, you might consider bringing some paper with you, as the children sometimes forget their books, and also a whiteboard marker. Lastly, if you ever have any problems or questions ask Ned (aka Edwardo) he is always available to help or chat. It’s also a great idea to spend a night or two at Ned’s so you can discuss with him exactly what you want out of the program – this will allow him to place you in the right area with a family that will better suit you. Plus you’ll get to meet his lovely dog Benji. Additionally, it can be better to stay the night in Cuellaje and catch the milk truck up to Ned’s in the morning, rather than in the afternoon, as this means you won’t risk doing some of the walk in the dark.

Our time in Rosario was an extremely worthwhile and amazing experience; there is nothing more we could have asked for. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank both Ned and our lovely family for making it everything that it was. Hopefully we’ll be back to visit one day soon.

Hannah and Lee

The Intag valley is beautiful. There are waterfalls to swim under, hills to ride across and everyone is friendly and helpful. Cuellaje itself is a pretty forward thinking community, aware of the impact farming is having on the cloud forest and open to new ways of doing things. The plans for a recycling centre and ecotourism development are proof of this. The community is a farming community and therefore widespread, however Sundays are a great day when everyone meets, socialises and collects supplies in the town.

We have been able to help in a number of ways: teaching English at the village school, offering advice on the construction of a new waste management centre and accompanying the park ranger on patrols and inspections of the nature reserve which protects remaining areas of cloud forest. The volunteer programme is extremely flexible and its up to the individual to get involved and contribute to the community, but in my opinion this is one of the strengths of the programme – you are free to choose how you can best contribute and if you are motivated and possess useful skills (teaching, engineering, ecology..) you will not be short of things to do!

If it were not for upcoming commitments we would be staying longer!

A few tips:
- take water treatment tablets
- if you´re teaching, few resources are provided. Anything you can bring will be well-received (and make your life easier)!
- be open-minded, try everything and get involved!

As it turned out, I need not have worried one little bit – as I got of the airport Felix was standing with a placard with my name and I will remember his face, as he stood there, for a long time. Actually, the two of them were worried about me too as I was one of the last ones to come out.

Chari and Felix are this wonderful couple who recieve volunteers at Quito and at their wonderful house there. I stayed with them for 2 days and had a wonderful time and the best start to my stay in Ecuador (and South America). Felix is an artist and musician and Chari is a great cook. She was even kind enough to come with me to the bus station to see me off in the bus to Intag.

I arrived safe and sound in Intag and now have been here over 4 weeks. Time has flown by and I have enjoyed every single day thoroughly. Cuellaje and the people here are special. Cuellaje is the main village in the Parroquia here and there are 6 other communities in the Parroquia. Cuellaje lies in the valley and is surounded by lush green mountains. In the mornings and evenings, clouds descend over the mountains and make a beautiful sight. I have made many new friends and met some incredible people here. I taught English at the school in Cuellaje to kids aged 7 – 11 and had a wonderful experience. Its unfortunate however that they do not have a teacher to continue the lessons.

Its now time for me to leave Intag but I leave with a heavy heart and with wonderful wonderful memories of the people, the place and everything else.

Marlene

My name is Kirsten, and I spent a month teaching English and living with a family in Rosario, Intag. If you are a prospective volunteer itching to learn Spanish, help a local community, live with a local family in the gorgeous scenery of the Northern Sierra region of Ecuador, and understand a very different way-of-life, then I believe this may just be the place! I originally arrived to Rosario to learn traditional farming methods, but was told the need for English teachers is a more productive slot for a volunteer to fill. I showed up on Monday morning, speaking a marginal amount of weak Spanish, and faced the 32-or-so children of Rosario with no prior teaching experience. Although certainly very challenging at times, I walked away from the whole experience very happy I decided to teach. The kids already knew quite a bit of English vocab, and what a wonderful finding!

Although a month of time may seem meager, it was in continuation of the wonderful job volunteers before me had started and cultivated. A month here and there has proved to make a sustainable impact on the children’s knowledge of English, and I know first-hand how grateful the parents are for their children to have the opportunity, something they certainly never had growing up. I am no great teacher by ANY means, and my Spanish was very poor upon arrival, but I learned just as much from the children as they did from me. They would spout out a word I didn’t know, and we’d play a little mini-game of charades trying to figure out what it was in English before I verified it in my little dictionary. After a month in Rosario, my Spanish improved SO MUCH more than I thought possible in a month! I am definitely not fluent, but in one month immersed in Spanish culture and teaching, I could communicate just about anything I wanted with proper verb conjugations and understood almost everything said to me. Wonderful!

But it wasn’t just the teaching that made my experience such a wonderful one. The people of Rosario, San Antonio and Cuellaje are just wonderful. I became great friends not only with my family but with a couple of others in Rosario and Cuellaje, people who cultivated my learning and holistic experience throughout my stay. I decided I was going to try to experience as much as possible while I was lucky enough to be there. My family didn’t have cows, but I really wanted to learn how to sacar la leche! So every morning I’d wake up an hour early to milk my neighbor’s cows. I would volunteer to run any and every errand with my host-mom, whether it be chopping wood for the stove with a machete, digging for camotes for the family pig who I grew to love as a pet!, harvesting tree tomatoes, planting beans, or hiking waaay up to their other land to spread seed where they wanted a particular plant to grow. I met a wonderful family who taught me how to weave a basket and kindly showed me their amazing waterfall! I speak of these experiences solely to say; if you choose to come to Intag to volunteer, make the most of it! I tried to experience everything I could with the wonderful people I was surrounded by, and I know my experience was so much richer because of it.

I want to especially thank Edwardo for being as courteous and wonderful as he could possibly be, welcoming us volunteers into the region with great advice and open arms. He made all of us feel extremely comfortable with the placement, and made it inherently clear that he was there for us if a problem was to ensue. I have been corresponding with several volunteer coordinators this summer, none as graceful and helpful as Edwardo, so thank you so very much for everything.

In short, Intag is a wonderful place, and the people that so kindly opened their homes and hearts to me I will never forget. I learned so very much, and I cherish my time there deeply!