Peace Corps Ecuador

Updates from Peace Corps Ecuador

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This is a guest post from Peace Corps Ecuador Director Alexis Vaughn (photo credit to PCV Sandrena Frischer).

Dear Friends,

The past few months have been ones of great change and excitement at Peace Corps Ecuador. In January, we inaugurated our new Training Center in the lovely garden town of Nayón with a lively Community Open House. US Ambassador to Ecuador, Adam Namm, and President of the Gobierno Parroquial de Nayón, Dra. Lourdes Quijia, joined Peace Corps staff and volunteers in giving a warm welcome to our new neighbors and volunteer host families. For many Nayoneses, our arrival in the community marks their first knowledge of Peace Corps and we are off to a good start indeed.

This week also marks the arrival of our newest training group, who will work in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). This is a group of many firsts, the first trainees in the new Training Center, the first trainees to live in the community of Nayón, and the first all-TEFL group (and twice the size of former TEFL groups). …

Updates from Peace Corps EcuadorRead More »

Updates from Peace Corps Ecuador Read More »

Two Videos on Ecuador – One to Make You Laugh and One to Make You Cry

Here is a post from my other blog which includes some information for non-Ecuador experts.

From 1997 to 1999, I served in the Peace Corps in the Andean country of Ecuador. Ecuador is rich with contrasts. With the Galapagos, the Andes, and parts of the Amazon, the country possesses stunning natural beauty. The people have an incredible generosity of spirit, yet the country is riven by racial and regional differences. Until recently, high oil prices papered over some of these differences, but the president, Rafael Correa, is a left wing populist in the tradition of Hugo Chavez. He has taken to castigating his domestic on-line critics through television naming and shaming efforts that are unbecoming for a head of state. John Oliver has a wildly funny take-down of Correa’s pompous self-importance, which prompted a vigorous response from Correa (some calling it an “international incident”) and another round of humor from Oliver. The original video is hilarious and worth a watch (I’m not sure if embedding worked on this video so here is the link here though I think clicking on the screenshot below will work). …

Two Videos on Ecuador – One to Make You Laugh and One to Make You CryRead More »

Two Videos on Ecuador – One to Make You Laugh and One to Make You Cry Read More »

El Clima 3: Inti Raymi Welcomes The Solstice

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Here is a third story from the recent El Clima from PCV Rachel Childs.

Normally, the town of Cotacachi is quiet—like most places in the Sierran region of Ecuador.

The bustling market full of bartering customers who want less for their bunches of bananas is the loudest part of the area, next to men shouting locations in the bus terminal.

“Otavalo, Quiroga. Siga, siga, por favor,” bus attendants shout out of the entrance doors.

But the terminal is nothing compared to the decibel level of the communities above Cotacachi. Especially when the summer solstice festival known as Inti Raymi comes around.

The third week of June marks the summer solstice and the beginning of the seasonal harvest. And that means celebration.

Every year, indigenous communities in los cantones in the province of Imbabura take Inti Raymi to new levels.

On this day, they pause from agriculture and community work to represent their town in full force.

Cotacachi’s main square fills up with spectators from neighboring communities which include La Calera, Morales Chupa, Morochos, Saint Nicholas, Topo and others.

Each community, mostly men and boys, wear chaps made of llama wool or cowhide or traditional white pants and shirts with blue ponchos.

Others opt for army fatigues and large, black hats covered in religious and spiritual symbols and walk to the center to represent their town.

The low hum of voices be- comes stronger as the participants of the parade get closer. Spectators gather on the pavement until the stampede floods into the main park.

Sun-soaked bodies are tired from the hour of marching, but do not show it because it is their time to make their community stand out.

Voices are so strong that people can barely discern the words as two or three communities take to the square at one time.

The marching representatives from each canton are at times more than 200 people with periodical stopping points during which time some marchers dance in a hurricane formation.

Flute and keyboard play- ers keep the two-step beat. When they tire, the people use their voices and feet.

A break after the first round allows for communities to share food made by older residents. Traditional dishes include rice, beans, chicken, beef, and soft, puffy corn known as mote.

Hydration comes from a fermented drink made from corn flour and at times, pineapple juice.

Often, the participants can be seen with clear bottles of liquor known as trago, a technically illegal moon- shine. As the day progresses, this results in several men falling to the ground or requiring their wives to hold them up.

The time for each group is restricted to one hour due to past feuds. Security lines up with riot gear and bombas, or pepper spray, ready in case of flying fists and rocks.

This year, twice, the bombas are used to disperse the crowd after rowdy behavior; a full fight briefly breaks out around 5 pm of the celebration.

Later, buses fill as families rush to catch the last few headed to smaller communities.

Other groups take to the pavement and walk or stomp back to their homes for a well-deserved nap or more celebration.

At night, the men and teens go door-to-door with instruments to continue the circle dance. Neighbors meet the eager musicians with food and drink to satisfy hunger and cure hangovers.

But at the end of June, the normal routine returns. Agriculture resumes, markets sell the harvested goods, and bus attendants continue to shout their destinations. The town and mountains of Cotacachi are quiet again.

El Clima 3: Inti Raymi Welcomes The Solstice Read More »

El Clima 2: Ecuador – Life In Three Parts

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This is the second story from the latest El Clima by PCV Erin Bohler on how volunteers in different part of the country live.

Volunteer Life

The Coast, Melissa Gonzalez
The Sierra, Kristin Farr
The Amazon, Noah Smith

What foods are typical in your region?

MG: Typical dishes in Las Gilces contain crops from the community and freshly-caught seafood prepared right from the ocean, including ceviche, viche, shrimp, fish, or crab, served with a side of rice, fried or sweet plantains, and salad. Farmers in Las Gilces typically harvest rice, corn, melon, onion, tomato, peppers, and coco- nut, and fisherman capture sardine, shrimp, or crabs, which are common in typi- cal dishes.

KF: Platos típicos still include your traditional Sierran fare like arroz, papas, pollo/chancho and of course a sopa. Quito, however, is a city of plenty, so ceviche and encocado, to real chifa to something more exotic like a legit American burger or sand- wich can be enjoyed on a PC budget.

NS: As far as food, there is a lot platano and yuca in this region. We like our empanadas de verde. I have heard in some other towns of the province some Ecuadorians eat frogs and ants (depending on the season).

Do you shop for food? If you do, where do you go to buy it?

MG: There is an early morning Sunday market a few towns over from Las Gilces that sells fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, cheese, and other items. In Portoviejo, an hour away, there are a couple of gro- cery stores for packaged items. Community mem- bers are also very generous and frequently give me fresh fruits and vegetables from their gardens, as well as eggs, freshly-caught fish, shrimp, and crabs.

KF: We love looking up recipes we’ve never tried and shopping for those ingredients. The bulk of our shopping is done at Supermaxi because they can’t charge us the precio gringo. We’ll supplement some items at the tienda (mostly just Pilsener and eggs.)

NS: I shop for food at the local daily market or at the large community market that takes place on Sun-days, but if I need some- thing special I often have to travel to Loja (three hours away) if I want to get it.

What do people in your area do on Sunday?

MG: On Sunday, many people go to the market early in the morning and then come home to spend time with the family. They also finish up some house-hold chores or play sports. The youth of the commu- nity hang out with their friends and go to the beach or play sports.

MG: There are no piedras de lavar at my site. The majority of people wash by hand in round bins called tinas. A few people have their own washing ma- chines, but even so, they wash the clothes by hand first and then throw it into the washing machine to make sure the clothes are extra clean.

KF: On Sundays, crowds of people fill the malls to shop or watch a movie, play fútbol in one of the many parks, go to church, ride their bikes on the Ciclo Paseo, or do what we do: stay at home and watch pirated DVDs while making artesanía reciclada.

NS: Sundays are pretty lazy days. Stores open late and restaurants are only open for lunch. Most peo- ple don’t work and hang out with their families. The main event is the regional market that takes place in Yantzaza. On Sunday, I do laundry, take a run, and plan for the week.

How do you wash your clothes?

MG: There are no piedras de lavar at my site. The majority of people wash by hand in round bins called tinas. A few people have their own washing machines, but even so, they wash the clothes by hand first and then throw it into the washing machine to make sure the clothes are extra clean.

KF: I wash my clothes in a washer and dryer.

NS: I, and almost every- one else in Yantzaza, wash clothes by hand on a piedra in my building that I share with my neighbors. It’s a lot of work.

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El Clima 1: Long Live Christ’s Corpse

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Here is a story from the latest El Clima, the volunteer magazine. This piece is by PCV Todd Helmelstrand:

On the 22nd of June, Pujilí held their annual Corpus Christi festival. It’s celebrated to honor the Holy Communion and is celebrated with a large parade, music, dancing and, of course, drinking.

Though I don’t live in Pujilí, the week before the parade, my friend asked me to dance in the desfilé with him and his high school.

…

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El Clima 1: Long Live Christ’s Corpse Read More »

Update from Peace Corps Ecuador

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Here are some updates from Peace Corps Ecuador.

Swearing in OMN 112:

In August 5^th, 2014 we had the swearing in ceremony for the second group of Volunteers, 30 Peace Corps Trainees arrived Ecuador in May and attended 12 weeks of a really successful Training. This new OMN will serve for 2 years in the Community Health and Youth and Families Development Programs in different regions of the country like Guayas, Santa Elena, Tungurahua, Pichincha, Loja, Azuay, Chimborazo, El Oro, Manabí and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.

…

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Update from Peace Corps Ecuador Read More »

Peace Corps Ecuador June 2014 update – An end to VAC grants, Natural Resources program

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Peace Corps Ecuador country director Alexis Vaughn was happy to provide an update on Peace Corps programming. There are some major changes. VAC volunteer-managed projects will end, which might mean the end of annual calendar sales. Importantly, the Natural Resources program will come to an end, which follows on last year’s end to the agriculture program. Going forward, TEFL and health will be the major priorities. See her letter below. …

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Peace Corps Ecuador June 2014 update – An end to VAC grants, Natural Resources program Read More »

Stories from PC Ecuador

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NEWSLETTER UPDATES

Peace Corps Week 2014, February 23^rd– March 1^st, 2014-Video Challenge

“Peace Corps Volunteers gain more perspective, cultural insight and community connections from their service than most people gain in a lifetime”. Nearly 80 current and returned Volunteers shared their perspectives of living in another country and facing a new culture by participating in Peace Corps Week 2014 Video Challenge where they present in a very creative way what I wish Americans knew about my Peace Corps Country. Ecuador post was participating with a video from the Y&F PCV Kyle King who gained the second place award. It is really an honor for our post to receive such a great recognition to our Volunteer’s effort. …

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Stories from PC Ecuador Read More »

Letter from New Peace Corps Ecuador Country Director

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Saludos Friends of Ecuador!

As you are probably aware, Peace Corps Ecuador has been undergoing quite a few changes in the past few months. Parmer Heacox, who has led Peace Corps Ecuador for the past three years, has moved on to be the Peace Corps Country Director for Peru, and I arrived at the helm in Ecuador in early November. In addition, our former Director of Programming and Training, Dana Platin, and our Director of Manager and Operations, Joshua Cuscaden, also have moved on to other adventures. So, Peace Corps Ecuador is in the process of incorporating an entirely new leadership team. …

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Letter from New Peace Corps Ecuador Country Director Read More »