Hello, my name is Meagan, I’m 17, and as an aspiring environmental scientist I chose a quest to Ecuador that pertains to my environmental interests. I traveled out to the rural, community based town, Yunguilla. The one week experience was unlike any other. Yunguilla, a community built on local effort, thrives off of the surrounding natural resources. From raising cows, growing blackberries, to running a single local food market, each family in Yunguilla plays a crucial part in the overall structure of the town. The activities I participated in during my stay taught me so much not only about the Ecuadorian culture, but about environmental sustainability as well.
As a vegan I was pleased to find out that a lot of Ecuadorian food is plant based. I got to enjoy many plantains, potatoes, rice, and even indigenous fruit such as uvilla and chiualcan. All the plants, which are locally grown in this agricultural community, serve to feed the families of Yunguilla. As a tourist attraction the two indigenous fruits are made into jam, which I spent an whole day helping prepare. On another day I spent time in the backyard of a close neighbor planting blackberry bushes on the steep slopes of the mountain ridges. And the cows? Well of course they are sometimes used to produce meat for the town market but everyday the milk they produce is brought to an intown cheese factory, where I helped make farm fresh cheese the old fashion way.
I can not stress enough the importance of community effort in this town and the pride each family takes in the production of their unique offerings. Each family has their own niche product, for example my host family made ice cream for the town market. But without the neighbors who milked the cows, and the cheese factory workers who produced the cream, and the blackberry farmers who provided fruit galore, my family would not have been able to make the ice cream for the town that they did. A real community effort.
The things I learned about Ecuadorian food, and the Yunguilla society was amazing, but along the way I learned quite a bit about environmental sustainability as well. For example, each family household had trash bins labeled “organica” and “inorganica”, one was used for all food like waste while the other was for manufactured type waste. As agriculture is a significant part of Yunguilla, organic matter for fertilizer is never unwanted. Not to mention the waste produced from the cows and the guinea pigs which also get put to great use. The hands on witnessing of the many cycles of life and fuel I believe is going to prove to be a crucial experience for my future academics and profession.
But of course, as with all traveling, there were some difficulties I faced with the wide variety of differences I encountered in Ecuador. For starters, I never learned an ounce of Spanish as I took French in school. So the most obvious language barrier seemed it was going to be a large impairment for me. But as I reached my destination, I received nothing but kindness from the locals and even excitement as they saw the situation as an opportunity to teach me new things. At times it was hard to get around the new daily tasks, but for the most part I was not held back by my lack of Spanish. And of course the common cultural shocks such as separation from family and leaving your comfort zone can be hard at times, but in the end I wouldn’t trade my experience in the country for anything else.
Some pre-departure tips I would offer is to do your research. Know the area and how you can travel the safest. A lack of knowledge or preparedness can cause one to be worried or unnecessarily nervous during travel. But in the end make it happen, and don’t let little fears hold you back. As a fresh new college student I can’t wait to start school with this experience under my belt and see my way on a more cultured path to the future. United Planet has helped me aspire to do greater things.
Written by Meagan LeBerth, United Planet Volunteer in Ecuador
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