Basic Facts on PCE TEFL Program from March 2015 El Clima

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The first group of PCVs came in June 2011.

The main objective is to support English teachers of public schools in their teaching skills. By improving teachers, we expect students will improve also.

There have been a total of 73 TEFL PCVs, with 30 more in OMN 113 who will be ready to serve in April 2015.

Usually, TEFL PCVs work at public schools 5 days a week. Some also work at local universities, with youth groups, and at TOTs with teachers in different topics.

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Galapagos Volcano Erupts!

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In May, the Wolf volcano in the Galapagos Islands has erupted for the first time in 33 years. It’s not a populated island (by humans). It’s located on Isabela island, the largest in the archipelago. It does however pose a threat to pink iguanas.

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Photoessay on Ecuador from the Washington Post

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Some great photos of Cotopaxi and other mountains in the Washington Post. Did any of you climb it during your time there? I did with my good friend Mark Thurber and RPCV Edward Marshall. We camped on the glacier, set out for the summit in the middle of the night, crossed crevasses that were straddled by ladders. I was ill-equipped for the summit with a mag-lite taped to my hat, but we made it. I’ll scan some photos for our next newsletter. In the meantime, enjoy some of these.

 

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Here Comes the Summer

2 Comments / Ecuador, Peace Corps /

Apologies for the radio silence from Friends of Ecuador. Ben Bellows has moved from Kenya to Zambia where he works with Population International. I’ve been finishing up the end of the semester here in Austin at the University of Texas. Send us any interesting content if you have news about Ecuador, Peace Corps, or a combination thereof.

I recently caught up with RPCV Nate Brown from my group Omnibus 77. We served from 1997-1999 (in some cases like Nate’s a little longer). He reminded me that we’re now around 18 years since we served in Ecuador which is just crazy to think about. My cohort is now firmly middle-aged on the whole, most of us now in our 40s, settled down with families, kids, mortgages. I hope there is still some adventure out there and a sense of purpose.

I’m hearing some chatter on Facebook about our group trying to get a reunion together. Are any other Omnibus groups reuniting? Anyone making trips to Ecuador?

What do you miss most about your Peace Corps experience?

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Stories from El Clima #2 – Take a Break, Find Your Place

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This is a piece from the latest issue of El Clima by PCV Rachel Childs

Something funny happened when I woke up in the idyllic river province of Tigre, Argentina this past month.

The song “Home” by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros played from my friend’s music player while I washed the previous night’s dishes from the traditional grilled meat dinner, or parilla.

Though the song is about love, I could not help but think of my own definition of home.

The song “Home” by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros played from my friend’s music player while I washed the previous night’s dishes from the traditional grilled meat dinner, or parilla.

Though the song is about love, I could not help but think of my own definition of home. …

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Stories from El Clima #2 – Take a Break, Find Your Place Read More »

Stories from El Clima Winter 2014 – Pumpkin Curry Soup Recipe

1 Comment / Peace Corps Ecuador /

This is a recipe from PCV Nicolina Trifunovski

Soup is a lot like a family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full potential. – Marge Kennedy

This sweet and delectable soup will warm your soul, especially during those chilly autumn days. Vegetarian and gluten-free, just about anyone can enjoy this taste of home.

Pumpkin Curry

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Stories from El Clima Winter 2014 – Pumpkin Curry Soup Recipe Read More »

Updates from Peace Corps Ecuador

1 Comment / Peace Corps Ecuador /

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). …

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Updates from Peace Corps Ecuador Read More »

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

1 Comment / Ecuador, Peace Corps Ecuador /

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). …

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

Ecuador tries to encourage its diaspora to return

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The Christian Science Monitor reports that Ecuador is trying to encourage its diaspora to return home:

There are almost 100,000 Ecuadoreans residing in Italy, and Spain and the United States are home to nearly 500,000 Ecuadoreans each. But pushed by the ongoing economic weakness in Europe and unemployment in the US, and pulled by booming social spending in Ecuador, a growing number of migrants are returning to their home country.

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Ecuador tries to encourage its diaspora to return Read More »

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