Anthropology & International Development Internship

I really really enjoyed my time in Ecuador, in the beginning I thought that 6 weeks was a super long time but it was not nearly enough I could have stayed much longer. I’m super happy with the work I managed to get done in this short amount of time! Everyone was super friendly from the other interns to the staff and the community :) I was there over carnaval which was amazing to experience part of the culture , we got to dance. I now have memories and friends for life thanks to el terreno.

In Atandahua, the people of the community have adapted and faced different challenges that have cemented in their cosmology and way of living. From a Western perspective, they are different from what is lived in Europe and North America, but in the rural countryside, these practices are considered part of the norm. From an agricultural perspective, there is a saturation of the market and land mismanagement due to the overproduction of the same products. On the other hand, gender norms and women’s health are constantly at risk, yet it has become a standard form of living. Through our projects, we wanted to propose alternative problem-solving that could have a long term impact, while still respecting the cultural traditions of the region. By starting a chocho production system with multiple farmers in the area, and reinforcing the linkage between health centres, hospitals, and midwives, the two pilot plans seemed to have started to have a positive impact on the people in the community.

My ten months at El Terreno has been another deeply enriching and eye-opening experience in my life: one I can definitely call a whole 'chapter'. What stood out most to me was El Terreno’s commitment to working with the local community, rather than for it. It never felt externally driven or detached from the realities on the ground: "what you see, is what you get, and you have to work with that". I had a chance to engage with the local culture, reflect on different dimensions of development work, and grow both professionally and personally. While there are always areas to improve within organisations - particularly around project continuity and intercultural collaboration - I leave with a strong sense of appreciation and insight. El Terreno not only provided me with a valuable internship for my graduation semester, but it also - thanks to the community, Joshua, Karina, the animals, and all the wonderful people I met - turned my time in Ecuador into something much more: a place that felt like home