Hey Cotopaxi is active again!

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In August, Cotopaxi started jetting smoke and ash for the first time in 70 years, leading the country to declare a state of emergency, with the possible evacuation of hundreds of thousands.

Here is what it’s like living nearby in Latacunga, which was destroyed in a mudflow in the last major eruption in the 1870s.

“The city just went crazy,” Mauricio says. “We kicked opened our doors and we took what we could and we just ran. We were not prepared with masks or first aid kits. It was mayhem.”

And sadly, it looks like a lot of people have left the area:

“A fifth of the community has left,” claims Mauricio. “Some forever, some temporarily. The little tourism we had is gone because most people come to see or climb Cotopaxi and the national park is closed. And now because people don’t know what’s going to happen, they’re holding on to their money to wait and see what happens. They’re scared.”

Here is some pre-activity before the eruption this summer

Hey Cotopaxi is active again! Read More »

Friends of Ecuador, Back in the Saddle after a Busy Summer

Leave a Comment / Third Goal /

Holy summer of volcanic activity, Batman!

Apologies for the radio silence. We’ve had a busy summer and early fall here at Friends of Ecuador. I’ve been readying for the fall semester at the University of Texas. Ben has completed a move from Kenya to Zambia. So, we’re just finding our feet again, but we’l be reporting some new news from Peace Corps Ecuador, Ecuador, the National Peace Corps Association, and more.

This issue has Cotopaxi active again, the Pope in Ecuador, updates from Peace Corps, and stories from volunteers. For each newsletter, we’ll be sharing some stories from recent El Climas so be on the lookout for several stories each month.

Please send us any comments or feedback or story ideas at foe@friendsofecuador.dreamsites.io.

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A TEFL Volunteer Talks about His Experience

1 Comment / Peace Corps Ecuador /

This is a story from PCV Shaun Neshium

As a TEFL volunteer (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), our primary work is the teachers in our schools. Thus, our lives are intertwined with theirs up to the point when they start thinking about what has to be done outside of school.

Whereas all TEFL vol-unteers live in the same community that their school is in, many teachers often have a forty-five- minute commute or longer every day; this applies to half of my teachers. Throw in additional, non-mandatory English courses, in which many teachers choose to participate, and the realistic expectations of working for the full day quickly diminish.

That being said, there are many English teachers who want to diligently work, learn, and become better teachers. In my particular school of 850 students, I have five English teachers, of whom four are motivated to use me as a resource to improve their teaching abilities through modeling, trainings, and one-on-one practice.

…

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A TEFL Volunteer Talks about His Experience Read More »

News from March 2015 El Clima on the TEFL Program

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Q&A with MD Chacón

Q: When did you begin your service as the TEFL Program Manager (PM)?

A: I was hired to start the TEFL program in September 2010, when we started the process of founding the TEFL program.

Q: What do you love about being the TEFL PM?

A: What I love is to see how in 1 or 2 years my TEFLeros turn into great teachers, and how excellent they are as trainers at the end of their service.

Q: Anything interesting about the TEFL program that you’d like to share?

A: I think the TEFL program has many years of success here in Ecuador. Four years ago no one knew about us in Ecuador, now a days, when they think of English classes or English training they think of PC TEFL PCVs, even the government. We have positioned the TEFL program in only 4 years in a good place in the mind of people and that is the impact we wanted. We also are going to start next year with a TEFL certification for PCVs, and that is also great news for our TEFLeros!

…

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News from March 2015 El Clima on the TEFL Program Read More »

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

Leave a Comment / Ecuador /

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. …

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

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

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