By Mackenzie M. During my life, I’ve attended protests and marches for various causes, all relating to human rights in some way. Because of this, I’ve come to appreciate and enjoy using my voice in this way to show support for many movements. During my time in Ecuador on service,…
Cleaning overgrown senderos and planting trees in the rural towns surrounding Cotacachi has been the work that Naomi Klassen and I have started on service. Oftentimes at the beginning of a work day, we know very little of what the day’s tasks will be. One day, upon arriving at the…
This is our first student produced blog post, which is a poem. In the next couple of days, we will be adding more students’ reflections and images. Falling: A Poem first stop tell me what you see before i tell…
Each Study Service Term culminates in six weeks of service engagement with local organizations throughout the host country (casually referred to as “Service”). After the initial six weeks of cultural and academic study, the shift in location and purpose opens the door for powerful new experiences. On our first visit…
Our sixth week came fast and, with it, time to wrap up our academic, cultural, and artistic activities, and to say goodbye to Quito. The time flew by, and while we had great times as a group exploring the city, taking road trips to beautiful places, and meeting cool people,…
This week, we visited a property on the outskirts of Quito where two families that sadly and abruptly fled their home countries have found a place to live. The location was generously lent by a member of the Mennonite Church of Quito and it has two modest but well-provided houses.
SST students and faculty visited Dream Farm, a flower producing facility in Guayllabamba, a small town 45 minutes north from Quito. We learned that the business of flowers is a huge source of revenue for the area, specially before Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Halloween, and Saint Patrick’s Day since their…
Otavalo, a small town, two hours north from Quito, is world known for its artisanal crafts such as textiles, musical instruments, jewelry, hats, and hammocks. The community is proud of its indigenous heritage, practices, language, and customs. María Virginia Farinango is one of those proud otavaleñas. She coauthored —with…
Last Thursday, we left our beloved Quito for some adventurous adventures in Imbabura Province, named after a great inactive volcano. Our agenda included hiking around a lagoon in a volcanic crater, meeting new SST partners, and visiting Parque Condor, a refuge —and kind of a hospital— for birds in the…
While in Mindo, we visited Quetzal Mindo, a chocolate shop, garden, and tasting tour. Sergio, our Portuguese guide —whose Spanish is better than my Portuguese— explained that cocoa harvesting originated in what now is Ecuador, but it was mostly used as currency. The pod made it to what now is…
