From Michigan to Ecuador – where I am now After graduating with a bachelor of arts in environmental health studies from Alma College, I find myself in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador for the third time. Last summer, I spent 3 months living in the Ecuadorean rainforest in the community of San José de Payamino, a small Kichwa-speaking indigenous population, to conduct an interview-based research project on traditional medicinal plants. I then returned to this beautiful country after graduating in April with little but a plane ticket, 6-month tourist visa and a desire to be fluent in Spanish. I found work volunteering at Fundación Grupo ALDEC (Alianza para el desarrollo, la educación, y la cultura), a children’s foundation aimed at keeping children happy, healthy, and educated.

It was a lovely place to work, but I quickly learned that I did not study elementary education for good reason. In searching for more professional work relevant to my studies and interests, I came to know the staff of an international Christian mission working toward the elimination of extreme poverty in Quito, especially for a community in the northern part of the city that employ themselves as recyclers. For a month, I worked with their women’s group to facilitate group discussions on financial management and alternative sources of income. Then, in August, I met the Communications Officer for Asylum Access, an international NGO committed to realizing the rights of refugees in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Now I am working as the Communications and Development Intern for Asylum Access, managing social media, researching for the development team, and writing and editing pieces for newsletters and reports.

The purpose of this blog is to document the work I do and write about the issues that concern the communities in which I work and live. I’m really looking forward to contributing to the dialogue on sustainable development and global engagement and I welcome readers’ comments and questions. Thanks for reading!

Caroline