La Fundación

I have been living here in Guayaquil for a week now, and I am starting to get the hang of things! This morning was my third time going to my internship, which is at Fundación Cariño in downtown Guayaquil. A foundation for kids suffering from malnutrition, my job basically helping to feed kids from 9-12:30 everyday. The first couple of days were quite challenging, as I am working with the one-year-olds and two-year-olds. We feed them breakfast right when we get there, but most of the kids hate the food and refuse to eat it, crying instead. It is definitely hard work to get them to eat, but they desperately need the nutrients from a well-balanced diet. After breakfast, we play games and dance for about an hour, and then it is already time for lunch. The screaming, crying, and kicking begins again as we try our best to give them  a meal. After lunch, we bathe them and get them ready for a nap, and by that time it is time for us to return to the University. Last week, going to the internship was quite discouraging, as I wasn't sure how I would have the energy to continue working with these kids. However, after a weekend of rest, I have discovered that this is more than just feeding a few kids and going home. I am learning so much already about one of the biggest social issues plaguing Ecuador, which is healthcare and specifically malnutrition. I can see the cycle forming already, with 3 out of the 9 one-year-olds coming to the Fundación sick, playing with the same toys and interacting with each other. I am starting to learn a lot about how the wealth of the United States has affected the simplest things- if your kid is sick, you stay home from work to take care of them. You make sure to wash your child's hands with soap after going to the bathroom or before eating. Here, staying home with your child is simply not an option, and there is little knowledge of hygienic habits such as washing hands and brushing teeth. However, the free healthcare plan that has recently been implemented in the country has paved the way for opportunities for many families to see doctors, which hopefully consist mostly of education in order to prevent future sicknesses. There are several small, free clinics that exist in the slums here, where other friends in my group are volunteering. It has already been a week of learning as we share stories of what we see and hear at our internships, growing in knowledge and discussing how power, money, and knowledge all affect who has access to resources and who does not. Ecuador has removed itself from the world bank, and thus it has separated itself from the major American and European corporations that are approaching developing countries offering them loans and money in order to hook them into the system. This has allowed the economy here to grow tremendously, and the tourism industry is beginning to flourish. All in all, I am learning a lot not only about the country of Ecuador, but also of the influence of the U.S. I have had an incredible time so far, and cannot wait for the discussions that are yet to come.

¡Estoy aquí!

After spending the past week doing an orientation in Quito and traveling to various destinations along the Andes mountains on our way to Guayaquil, I am finally here, and I love it!! It is super hot and humid, but a nice break from the snow of MN! We'll see how long that lasts. It is the rainy season, so it rains a couple times during the day and at night also. When we arrived in Guayaquil on Sunday, our host families were at the university (Universidad de Especialidades Espíratu Santo) waiting for us. I was so nervous! I love my host mom though, and she treats me as one of her own daughters. I also have a dad and two sisters, Gabi (24) and Carla (19) and a brother, Ricki (17). It is much more difficult than I had anticipated to communicate with the family, but the daughters help to clarify what mamá and papá are saying. The food here is very different than back home too. Lunch is the largest meal of the day, and dinner is more of a dessert or a small meal of bread and coffee. For breakfast today, I was served a huge plate of fruit, a grilled cheese sandwich, a large cup of tree-tomato juice, which is much sweeter than regular tomatoes, and a cup of café con leche, or coffee with milk. My host mom appeared out of the kitchen after I had eaten this with a box of Fruit Loops, informing me that they had bought it for me, and then asking what it was. I thought this was very cute! Lunch was a vegetable soup followed by chicken, rice, and salad, and for dinner we had hot chocolate (I sweat the whole time drinking that!) and a sweet bread with cheese in the middle. Used to skim milk, wheat bread, and watered-down juices, all of this rich, heavy food has been quite the change! I think it is something I could get used to. Today was our first day of classes also, and because the semester is split into 2 halves I am only taking Spanish. Hopefully it will help with my family! The school is absolutely beautiful, lined with palm trees and fountains. My favorite part of campus: the outdoor pool. The international students have bonded so much as a group over the past week, and our latest adventure was "gringos go to the mall to purchase cell phones." I am excited to see what is in store for us in the weeks to come, but as for now, I can't wait for our internship tours in the morning! ¡Ciao!