Social Entrepreneurship & Value Chains Internship in Ecuador

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.