Community Infrastructure

Community members in both Ecuador and Mali have no shortage of will and ideas for improving their communities. Communities sometimes want buildings as gathering places for events, meetings and workshops, storehouses for grain or cotton banks, fences for gardens or to protect schools, or playground or sports equipment to invigorate community life and spirit.

They are ready to work hard to achieve their goals, but are often short of the cash needed to purchase materials or hire skilled contractors if that is necessary. Tandana responds to the requests of local groups that have demonstrated their ability to work together and make use of projects, supporting them in making the changes they envision to strengthen their communities. Tandana may provide materials in-kind and hire contractors when the community members don't possess the skills or equipment to complete the project on their own. Local residents provide the materials they can and an impressive quantity and quality of labor. Sometimes these projects also provide an opportunity for local residents and visiting volunteers to work together and get to know each other.

Community Buildings

Community Centers

Guachinguero, Ecuador

The soccer field in Guachinguero, Ecuador, serves as a gathering place and location for many important events from soccer tournaments to cultural events and ceremonies, to periodic agricultural market. Community leaders dreamed of a building at this location that would provide shelter and shade for these many activities and designed a multi-purpose construction that can house food vendors, serve as a locker room for sports teams, provide a bandstand for musical performances, host craft classes, and shelter many other events. They sought support from the parish council. the city of Otavalo, the UNACEM cement company, and Tandana to make this dream into a reality. Tandana contributed materials, such as doors and windows, and two groups of Tandana volunteers worked alongside local masons on the construction. The building was inaugurated in June of 2017 and is now fulfilling its many purposes.

Cutambi, Ecuador

Previously, when members of the community of Cutambi wanted to meet they had to gather in a dilapidated building or an empty field and were only able to meet when good weather allowed them too. If it started raining they all had to leave and progress was lost. Now, that they have a new community center they can meet with confidence and more regularly as well as hold special events like weddings and host visiting volunteer groups such as Tandana’s health care teams. The community constructed this building in many different phases, often with support from Tandana volunteer groups.

Kansongho, Mali

Residents of Kansongho had long dreamed of having a large meeting room where they could hold village assemblies, in any weather, and also host meetings with representatives of other villages. The environmental association Ologuelemo, which represents 15 villages, also dreamed of a place to hold its large assemblies. In memory of the late chief Seguemo Tembiné, who was a great leader, Tandana helped this dream become reality by hiring a local contractor to provide technical expertise and imported materials. Residents of Kansongho and other members of the environmental association, meanwhile, supplied the labor and local materials. They are excited to have this community meeting space and to be able to host inter-village assemblies out of the wind, rain, and sun.

Agualongo, Ecuador

Since 2006, we have been able to assist the community of Agualongo de Quichinche, Ecuador with a number of improvements to the community center, including painting it, paving a patio, constructing a bathroom, replacing the roof, replacing the ceiling, and tiling the floor. This community center not only houses a daycare center but also serves as a gathering place for community events and meetings, a place for Tandana doctors to see patients during Health Care Volunteer Vacations, and a focal point for community pride and activities. Community members, working in mingas alongside visiting volunteers, have provided labor for each project. They also offer a wonderful cross-cultural experience to each group that stays in their community.

La Banda, Ecuador

In 2010, we helped the community of La Banda add cement edging, a patio, and gutters to their community center. The center serves as a daycare facility on a daily basis, as well as a location for community events, meetings, and a place for Tandana health care teams to see patients. In heavy rains, the building would formerly flood, but now it is dry and well-protected. A group of Tandana volunteers from North Carolina and Georgia worked with community members to complete the work.

In 2015, community members asked Tandana to collaborate with them on a community bathroom. A group of volunteers from Northeastern University worked alongside community members to build it and install sewer pipes. Now there is a public bathroom to use during community events, soccer games, meetings, and celebrations.

Muenala, Ecuador

In the fall of 2017, Tandana supported the community of Muenala in creating a cement ramp, stairs, and walkway/stage in front of their community center. These provide a safe and clean way to get from the soccer field to the community center. Later in early 2018, community members and students from Colgate University worked side-by-side to start to build a second floor onto the community center and make improvements to the existing building. They moved materials to the worksite and mixed cement. The inside and outside walls of the building were plastered, and cement was added to them. A communal space for hand washing laundry was built next to the community center by placing blocks and then filling them in with cement. In 2023, construction on the second floor was completed.

Communal Kitchens

Panecillo, Ecuador

The community of Panecillo constructed a kitchen, where they can cook huge quantities of food for events such as Inti Raymi festivities, other celebrations, and meetings. Panecillo's president asked Tandana to help with part of the construction, including plastering the walls, paving a patio in front of the kitchen, and constructing a large grill that can hold the immense pots used to cook for community events. A group of Tandana volunteers worked alongside community members and Tandana scholarship students to complete that phase of construction. Community leaders and students then inaugurated the grill by using it to cook soup for a farewell ceremony. Now, community members can cook for large events and keep important traditions, such as Inti Raymi, alive.

“I have been very happy. I have felt this friendship—that I am a friend, that they are my friends, even though I don’t understand anything of what they’re saying. This work as a team has been really pleasant for us.”

– Norberto Oyagata, master mason who worked with Tandana volunteers

Tangali, Ecuador

In the summer of 2017, community members from the community of Tangali and high school participants from Seattle, Washington collaborated on this building which serves as a cooking space for large events. Now, when the community wants to plan an event there is a kitchen to use which will allow them to meet and feed everyone with confidence.

Bus Shelters

La Banda, Ecuador

Many members of the community of La Banda commute to work and school by bus. At 8500 ft. elevation, the sun is very strong on some days and on other days cold rain showers down. The community decided to build a covered bus stop, so that they could wait protected from the elements. With the help of many community members and a group of Tandana volunteers, we built a covered bus stop in 2011. Now children and adults can wait for the bus in peace.

School Structures

School Buildings

Kansongho, Mali

Construction of the new elementary school in Kansongho has begun! It will serve 3 villages: Kansongho, Assa, and Nounou. Young men from all three villages have organized themselves into work groups and have already broken a lot of stones to use in construction. A recent meeting among the contractor, Tandana, and village leaders confirmed the work plan, assigned clear responsibilities to each party, and visited the sites where sand and gravel for construction are found. The school is one of the projects made possible largely through funds raised through this past fall's Legacy of Hope event.

Dani, Mali

The village of Dani, Mali now has an elementary school! Before, children had to attend classes in makeshift sheds that did not protect them from the weather. Teachers did not want to work in such conditions and would leave. Now the community has a real school and can educate its children well. Thanks to the many donors who made this possible!

Quichinche, Ecuador

The teachers at the Ulpiano Navarro School in Quichinche thought that if they could provide a safe and beautiful space dedicated to reading, children would use it and improve their reading skills. The reading gazebo they designed to achieve this goal is located on the highest point of the school grounds, is surrounded by ornamental plants that Tandana volunteers planted alongside students, and has stunning views of dormant, snow-capped volcanoes and expansive farmland. The teachers at Ulpiano Navarro wanted to increase the use of the library and recognized that sometimes the classroom is not the most inspirational place to sit and read. The gazebo is the first place on the school property that was designed specifically for students to read as a pastime. Tandana collaborated with the school on construction of this attractive reading space with the support of multiple visiting groups.

Guachinguero, Ecuador

The teachers and parents at the Guachinguero school are committed to providing the best possible education for their children. They worked hard on rebuilding and expanding a building at the school to create space for a computer lab, office, and community kitchen, asking Tandana for help with materials. Several Tandana volunteer groups also had the opportunity to work alongside community members and interact with the children while contributing to this effort. The building is now beautifully rebuilt and functioning with a kitchen, office, and storage room. Community members and school officials invited Tandana's representatives to celebrate completion of the first story with an inauguration ceremony.

Gualapuro, Ecuador

For the community of Gualapuro, education is the biggest priority. The community raised funds to build its school building without government support and then requested that the government send teachers to work there. As the school expanded, they needed additional space for classrooms as well as meeting space for workshops and a computer lab. They have shown tremendous long-term commitment to this project, tirelessly providing volunteer labor and seeking high and low for donations of materials. Tandana is pleased to be a contributor to this project. Several Tandana volunteer groups have also had the chance to work alongside community members and interact with the students at the school.

Kansongho, Mali Kindergarden Center

Residents of Kansongo are busy constructing a classroom for their kindergarten. This will be a wonderful addition to their community and a great space for youngsters to learn. It was completed in September 2021!

Wheelchair Ramp at Ulpiano Navarro School in Quichinche, Ecuador

A group of students from The Wellington School in Columbus, Ohio volunteered in Otavalo and Quichinche. In the first week, the group worked in Ulpiano Navarro School where, alongside master masons and Quichinche students, they built a ramp to facilitate access for students with wheelchairs.

Monument Restoration at Ati Pillahuaso School in Panecillo, Ecuador

With the support of Tandana, Ati Pillahuaso primary school in the community of Panecillo has conducted repair and restoration work on the Rumiñahui Monument. The Monument is a bust sculpture that represents Rumiñahui, an indigenous Ecuadorian Inca hero. The statue sits in front of the school, just a short distance from the local community center.

New Classroom at School in Quichinche, Ecuador

With Tandana's support, the Ulpiano Navarro School, located in the community of Quichinche, has repaired a classroom that was previously being unused. A handrail has been installed along with the new accessibility ramp, and a new stainless steel entrance door has been installed. The classroom has also been painted. This project has greatly improved the safety and usability of the facility for students and visitors.

School Fences and Walls

Padre Chupa and Minas Chupa, Ecuador

The schools in both Padre Chupa and Minas Chupa had problems with livestock entering their school yards, damaging school property, and disrupting learning. Both communities, parents associations, and school directors decided to build fences to keep the livestock out and also to install gates for added security and to present a better face to the public. Tandana assisted with materials for these projects and volunteer groups from Headwaters Academy and Northeastern University worked alongside locals to build the fences and install the gates.

Panecillo, Ecuador

Rosa Saravino, Director of the Ati Pillahuasu School in Panecillo, has worked closely with the parents for over three decades to improve and expand the school's infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing number of students. In 2017, she asked Tandana to help with one more step to secure the school--completion of a wall along the backside of the building. She and the parents association were concerned that mudslides would damage the school building, and also that people could enter the school grounds at any time of the day or night, so they planned a wall to complete the enclosure. Parent and Tandana volunteers worked together to build the wall, and then Tandana's summer school students painted a mural on it. Now the school is safe and protected.

Play Spaces

Playgrounds

Gualapuro Daycare, Ecuador

The community of Gualapuro has worked hard to build a school and a daycare center for the education of its children. The daycare center has two nice classrooms and a kitchen and dining area, but had no play equipment for the children, who range in age from one to four years old. So, the director of the daycare and the president of the community asked Tandana for help with playground equipment. With the help of an alternative spring break group from Northeastern University, Tandana built two play structures, one for older children and the other for younger children. The daycare teachers say the kids now refuse to come inside since they just want to keep playing on the new equipment. The community provided a wonderful welcome and farewell ceremony, and during the week the Northeastern students had a chance not only to play with and take care of the children but also to harvest chochos with the community president, make bracelets with a local woman, and make bread with community members. It was a cultural exchange experience that left a lasting source of fun for the local children and wonderful memories for the visiting students.

Guachinguero Elementary School, Ecuador

The elementary school in Guachinguero, Ecuador had old playground equipment, but it had fallen into disrepair. The swings were missing from the swingset, the teeter-totter was broken, and the slide was dangerously split in several places, with sharp edges. Olimpia Pillajo, the school director who is always mindful of her students' well-being, asked for help to repair the playground. Volunteers from George Washington University got to know some of the kids while working on a construction project at the school and resolved to help repair the playgound toys. After returning home, they donated funds for the repair. Now, recess is more fun!

La Joya Special Education Center, Ecuador

The community of La Joya is home to a wonderful special education center built by Fundacion del Valle. There, about 280 children with special needs receive quality care, individualized attention, and the tools and supplies they need to live life fully. The center's administration wanted a playhouse for the children to enjoy and was able to purchase materials, but lacked the skills to design and build the structure. They asked Tandana to help, and we provided skilled volunteer labor to bring the dream of a playhouse into reality. In October 2021 Tandana post-secondary scholarship students lead young students in creating a mural in the school. This project was made possible by a donation in memory of John Gehringer, who was Tandana's pro bono graphic designer for many years.

Sports Fields

Agualongo, Ecuador

The community of Agualongo is serious about soccer. They host tournaments, play pickup games, and enjoy sports as a way to foster community pride and unity. In highland Ecuador, the sun goes down every night just after six, and games must come to an end. The community of Agualongo, however, decided that with stadium lights they could play longer, host larger tournaments, and spend more time together as neighbors and friends. A

student who had spent a week in Agualongo with her Traveling School class during a Tandana service project decided she wanted to thank the community for their wonderful hospitality by helping achieve some of their goals, including acquiring lights for the soccer field. Another Traveling School group was able to help install the lights, and yet another visiting group helped paint the light posts and goal posts patriotic Ecuador colors. Let the games continue! In 2023, Tandana also supported by helping erect two roofs of the two volleyball courts.

Padre Chupa, Ecuador

The Provincia de Tungurahua school in Padre Chupa, Ecuador not only educates the community's children but also serves as a focal point for community activities in this remote mountain village. The children have few opportunities to travel away from their village and limited resources at home. The students, parents, and teachers all decided that having soccer goals and a volleyball net at the school would be a great benefit. The kids could enjoy them during recess, learning skills that would help them succeed in the wider world and having fun together at home. Adults could also enjoy playing sports on the weekend. Tandana hired a craftsman to make the goals and posts, and Headwaters Academy students worked alongside local parents in a minga to install them. Right away, the goals and net received a tremendous amount of use.

Roads/Trails

Road Maintenance and Trails

Padre Chupa and Motilón Chupa, Ecuador

Frequent landslides caused by heavy rain were blocking the only road that provides access to the communities of Padre Chupa and Motilón Chupa. When the road was blocked, residents were not able to leave the community, so they could not attend school or go to town to sell their goods or produce. It was very costly to reopen the roads with heavy machinery after these frequent landslides. In March of 2019, The Tandana Foundation worked on a project supporting the installation of culvert pipes for the road to Padre Chupa and Motilón Chupa. The pipes are now installed and protect the road, which provides the only access to these two communities.

Eco-trail in Gualsaqui, Ecuador

The intercultural exchange program connecting Sharon High School (MA.) students in the U.S. with students at the Alejandro Chavez School in Gualsaqui, Ecuador, has just been completed. Starting in 2022, the program offered great opportunities for cultural exchange and global learning. During regular zoom calls, the students from both schools were able to learn about each other and also work together to improve the Alejandro Chavez School’s infrastructure. For several months, Sharon High School students ran a fundraising campaign to help their Ecuadorian peers purchase sustainable and eco-friendly building materials for the construction of a trail. With those materials, the students of Gualsaqui and their parents were able to build an eco-trail, connecting the school building to the surrounding woods.

Stories

Jun

Quichinche-Sharon Exchange Part 2: Celebrating a successful collaboration and enriching cultural exchange

This year, The Tandana Foundation organized a virtual exchange program connecting Sharon High School students in the U.S. with students at the Ulpiano Navarro School in Quichinche, Ecuador. Through the program, the students from both schools were able to learn about each other and also work together to improve the Ulpiano Navarro School’s building. English Français Intercambio … Continue reading "Quichinche-Sharon Exchange Part 2: Celebrating a successful collaboration and enriching cultural exchange"

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Jun

Quichinche-Sharon Exchange Part 1: Celebrating a successful collaboration and enriching cultural exchange

This year, The Tandana Foundation organized a virtual exchange program connecting Sharon High School students in the U.S. with students at the Ulpiano Navarro School in Quichinche, Ecuador. Through the program, the students from both schools were able to learn about each other and also work together to improve the Ulpiano Navarro School’s building. English Français Intercambio … Continue reading "Quichinche-Sharon Exchange Part 1: Celebrating a successful collaboration and enriching cultural exchange"

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Dec

About the Cutambi community and how Tandana supported the construction of its community center

The following narrative about the Cutambi community in Ecuador and the construction of a community center there was shared by Fausto Montalvo, the community’s president, and Fabiola Matango, a community member. English Français Sobre la comunidad de Cutambi y cómo Tandana apoyó la construcción de su casa comunal La siguiente narrativa sobre la comunidad de … Continue reading "About the Cutambi community and how Tandana supported the construction of its community center"

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Apr

Inside the community of La Banda

The communities the Tandana Foundation works with are as diverse and unique as the projects we partner with them on. In this blog post, Antonio Andrango, president of La Banda, provides a look into his community today and insight into its history and origins. English Français Dentro de la comunidad de La Banda Las comunidades … Continue reading "Inside the community of La Banda"

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Feb

The roots of intercultural collaboration and friendship in Mali

Every story of friendship has a beginning. For the Tandana Foundation and the Bandiagara District in rural Mali, the story began when Tandana’s founder Anna Taft first visited the Kansongo village in 2007. Despite initial hesitations, this friendship blossomed into a mutually beneficial relationship, creating unanticipated opportunities for intercultural learning and much more. The following … Continue reading "The roots of intercultural collaboration and friendship in Mali"

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May

Motilón Chupa: a diverse community based on collaboration

Members of the Tandana Foundation, along with volunteers from the Ohio Master Gardener program and from several U.S. universities have recently traveled to Motilón Chupa, Ecuador, to collaborate with community members on several projects. These projects included installing a water tank to improve the community’s irrigation system and planting a garden near the school. The following is … Continue reading "Motilón Chupa: a diverse community based on collaboration"

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Apr

Fixing the roof of Padre Chupa’s community school

For many years, the Tandana Foundation has partnered with the members of the community of Padre Chupa to carry out community projects, such as the roof repair that Segundo writes about. In a very remote area, approximately 25 kilometers from the city of Otavalo, a small community called Padre Chupa is located, which is home … Continue reading "Fixing the roof of Padre Chupa’s community school"

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