Social Entrepreneurship & Value Chains Internship in Ecuador

I spent eight unforgettable weeks living with the Yumbo family in the Sacha Waysa community near Cotundo, Ecuador. From the moment I arrived, I was welcomed with open arms and gradually became part of the family. By the end of my stay, we also really became friends. The Yumbo family is part of the sacha waysa community, which is a community that works tirelessly to preserve its culture while sharing it with the world through ecotourism. During my time there, I focused on helping to attract more visitors interested in experiencing the kichua culture and daily life. I really enjoyed contributing to this project, it was meaningful to help support their efforts to sustain both their traditions and their livelihoods. Alongside this work, the Amazon Learning team organized weekly activities that allowed me and the other interns to explore different community-run projects. One of the most memorable experiences was visiting a group of midwives who assist women in giving natural births. They had an entire garden filled with medicinal plants, each with its own purpose and history. Learning about these plants and the traditional knowledge behind them was fascinating. Living and working with the Yumbo family gave me a rare opportunity to fully immerse myself in a different way of life. I gained a deep appreciation for their connection to nature, their strong sense of community, and their dedication to preserving their heritage. Being able to both learn from them and contribute where help was needed created the perfect balance between cultural immersion and meaningful participation.

During my internship, I conducted a study for the GIZ to determine social impacts and barriers for chakra farmers. I am very proud of my final product for the GIZ — getting to do the interviews and having such a hands-on role in the whole project was amazing! The most impactful part was all of the above. The home stay was challenging because I often didn't feel like my family was very welcoming or wanted a volunteer in their household. I think I did learn resiliency from this relationship, as well as gain a better understanding of the struggles my host family was going through. The relationships I made were still ultimately very meaningful to me. I wish that I had taken more advantage of opportunities available and been more assertive, because I do feel like I lost some time my first few weeks. Looking back, I feel more liberated to pursue what I truly want from life and I am also putting less pressure on myself to find a single path to success — there are so many ways to be successful! I believe the program helped me determine what's important to me in my future career, such as having work that I am passionate about but also a work environment that I enjoy. I feel more passionate about food justice and public health for the future. I gained more confidence in my day-to-day life. I'm super grateful for this experience, the connections and friendships I made, and the growth I experienced as a result of pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. I would recommend Amazon Learning to anyone who wants to participate in a unique program with true cultural immersion.

During my internship, I did translation of documents, marketing, and web design. When I did check in with Mika they were always awesome — I didn't do it near enough as I was so busy, but it was great to get reconnected when I did. I loved my family and am still in contact with them to this day. What I'm most proud of is being grateful to have helped Winak with their website and Guayusa manual. The most impactful part was my host family. The drunk community members were really difficult at first, but I learned so much about how to handle it and remain safe. Looking back, I developed Spanish and critical thinking skills. I am now thinking of how to create a business to employ Kichwa women for an artisan social enterprise of my own. Beyond that, it literally changed how I live, what I eat, how I think. I am so grateful for my host family that supported me and cared for me so well. I developed a love for Spanish, indigenous people, and social enterprise. I would recommend anyone to Amazon Learning in a heartbeat. Love Ecuador and can not wait to come back.

During my internship, the first week had me doing manual labor with bamboo stocks and constructing a hut. I would also work in the chacras on most days — various tasks from cutting cacao to pruning banana trees. Other days I would head to Tena for internet and do market research on cacao, cho cho, and soybeans. My host family, community, and accommodations were perfect — they are doing things the right way over there. I felt safer there than I do back at school and home in California. Everything went so well in Shandia that it is hard being this far away from them at this point. The check-ins were nice to have for extended conversations — at no point did I think I was alone; if things got ugly I knew who to contact and felt comfortable with that idea. What I'm most proud of is making a second home. The most impactful part was my host family. My health was compromised at some points, which inevitably led me to be much more of a believer in natural remedies — I was used to knowing things a certain way, but I could go on about other things that were done differently and helped me open my mind up. My Spanish improved immensely, in addition to my comfort level with those of different backgrounds. I had never been around little kids so often and I think I may have improved my future skills of raising a child. I am now much more adept in conversing with strangers and would love to have a career in Ecuador or elsewhere in Latin America. Completely, my needs and wants out of this life changed vastly. My future decisions will be influenced by the time I spent in Ecuador because it truly changed the way I perceive the world and my place in it. I don't see money or other material items the way I used to — in Shandia, we had everything we really needed to live and be happy. My host family had much less in some cases, but a lot more of the things that mattered. Thankful for every minute I had in Ecuador. There is still a somber feeling when writing the evaluation, but I'm forever grateful for this opportunity and carrying these bliss memories with me as I go on.

During my internship, I created a map of Kallari's sales points in Tena, created some Instagram posts which they told me they'd post in the future, and worked in the cacao collection center for two days — which was an excellent and unique experience. I really enjoyed my time in Tena. Mirka was very involved, informed, and helpful, and I am happy to have met her and for all the activities she prepared for us. I had the best chocolate and the best teas and foods. I can only hope that Ecuador's products can find a bigger market in the world. What I'm most proud of: visiting Roger's chakra and trusting strangers enough to let go during an ayahuasca ceremony — getting the full effect — is something I am proud of. Forcing myself to interact in Spanish even when I could not respond or understand some things, and watching my Spanish improve drastically in a month, is also something I am proud of. And preparing chocolate at Sinchi Warmi — this is the best experience I could have wished for regarding chocolate. People taking their time to do things was a challenge for me — my sense of time, efficiency, and getting things done only sometimes resonated with the locals of Tena. I could have pushed Kallari to work with me more. Looking back, I developed Spanish, negotiation, saying no, trusting more easily, foraging, and taking it slow. I now have some knowledge on cacao, chocolate, indigenous culture, and the Ecuadorian Amazon — these are valuable, especially in Europe, which is 10,000km from the Americas. I think I would like to come and spend six months to a year in the Amazon. I did not foresee how a person could feel so great spending time in a forest with so many fruits around. I also think working with fruits and vegetables makes me very happy and I would like to find a job in the future that lets me do that. All the friendships I made there are what I am most grateful for. Mirka knows a lot of people, the locals, the local experiences that a tourist cannot easily find searching online — I think that is one of the most valuable aspects of Amazon Learning.

During my internship, I worked with Winak, an indigenous chocolate company. While working with Winak I was able to develop a new website, new product design, do a lot of translating of documents, participate in the cacao production process, and teach English. My project was wonderful — the people I worked with were welcoming, open, and kind, and I felt like I was able to learn and contribute. My host family was really wonderful — caring, attentive, respectful, and so kind and welcoming. I could not have asked for a better host family. I appreciated the individual check-ins and I think the Amazon Learning team did a good job offering me support when I needed it, while also giving me plenty of independence to go through the process on my own and truly immerse. What I'm most proud of is the fact that I was able to teach English to my coworkers at Winak — this was a task I was not expecting, and I was able to develop lesson plans, interact, and teach with confidence. The most impactful part was all of the above. I struggled with my inability to control my diet, since I was being served by my host family — the diet is drastically different from the one I am accustomed to, and it made me feel like I was losing control. I was able to adapt by speaking with my host family, taking a more active role in making meals, and buying groceries that I enjoyed and incorporating them in with the family's meals. This allowed me to use my skills of adaptation, communication, and acceptance. I think that I could have tried to engage more in the community beyond my family life and work life. Looking back, I strengthened my Spanish language skills, problem solving skills, cultural awareness, adaptability, communication, appreciation, and perseverance. My experience in the Amazon made international development come to life for me — previously I learned a lot in the classroom, but being able to experience a new culture and open my eyes to new problems and solutions will serve me well in my future career. Ecuador gave me the gift of humility, and has truly changed the way that I look at the world around me every day. I am grateful for my host family — their generosity, attentiveness, and care could not have been more apparent, and these things truly made my experience in Ecuador so much more meaningful to me. Opening my eyes to a new culture and a new people has allowed me to view my own culture through a new lens, as well as view myself and my life differently. I think that an experience like the one I had is so valuable for a young person to have.