2020

Ecuador

The Ohio Master Gardeners enjoyed a week full of farming, gardening, and cultural activities during this year’s trip. They spent 4 workdays at Saminay High School, a technical agriculture school about 40 minutes from Otavalo. They spent their mornings working with students and teachers to plant along the entrance of the school. They also had the chance to participate in a minga with all the families from the school, which was followed by a pampamesa (traditional potluck style lunch). In addition to their hard work, they learned about traditional Kichwa dress at Margarita’s, roasted guinea pig and learned about medicinal plants at Kawsaymi cooking school, cooked dinner on volcanic rocks at Pakarinka, and visited the nearby leatherworking town of Cotacachi. They also had the unique experience of traveling to Polylepis Forest, where they were able to compare plants in the highlands of Ecuador to the plants they see back in Ohio. Many participants look forward to bringing the new perspectives they gained in Ecuador back to their own gardens.

For many years, the Traveling School has come to Ecuador during their semester to work alongside communities and Tandana. This year was no exception as the girls arrived at the community of Agualongo where it all started. Students visited during the Carnaval holiday and got to participate in the festivities by throwing water and spraying foam on everyone. Living with host families and being part of a family away from home was just what the students needed. The students worked alongside the community, cleaning the road from a few landslides due to all the rain. They took their families on a trip to the lake and, on another day, hiked up to a fantastic view to cook lunch and enjoy everyone’s company in another successful “Dia de campo.” It was tough to say goodbye, and in the going-away party, the students showed gratitude to the community and families with songs, raps, and heartfelt words. Safe travels on your continued adventures!

This year Northeastern’s ACES program arrived during spring break to support the community of Gualapuro paint their community center. Students spent all week painting and plastering in the morning and building relationships and learning from community members in the afternoon. Participants took a tour of the large water project Gualapuro has been working on, made bracelets (pictured) and enjoyed freshly baked bread. They got to share the recipe for pizza with kids and community members and had a lovely afternoon playing outside. Each lunch students shared traditional food alongside people they worked with that day and in the morning and evening took turns cooking for the group. They had wonderful weather and were able to walk to the Living Kichwa museum to learn about Kichwa traditions and games. After the project was finished, students visited the nearby crater lake, Cuicocha. Finally, the week came to an end with a tearful despedida (goodbye party), complete with dancing and pamba mesa (potluck).

The group from Saline High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, began their trip to Ecuador with a warm welcome from La Banda, the community they supported in implementing a new water system. The welcome included speeches, dancing, a band, and a traditional pambamesa (potluck style) lunch. For the next five days, the group worked side by side with members of the community to dig 1m deep trenches, stretching almost 800m in length total! The group did not only work hard, they also played hard. With activities such as visiting Peguche waterfall, cooking dinner at Kawsaymi cooking school, visiting the Plaza de Ponchos market, and playing soccer with community members, this group had a busy week trying new things. They also had the chance to learn more about one of the main jobs people from La Banda do- working at weaving workshops! They were lucky to be able to see not only a modern weaving workshop, but also a demonstration at the Otavalango museum about traditional weaving and how techniques have changed over the years.

We've supported the staff of the Quichinche and Gualsaqui health centers with PPE, supplies, and medications, as well as transportation to visit the communities they are responsible for. With the lockdown, patients from other communities have not been able to get to the health centers, so the staff went to attend to those who needed assistance in the communities and also to deliver monthly medications to those who usually pick them up at the center.

Tandana recently donated 1,000 graduate conical tubes for COVID-19 sample collection. These vital supplies will help ensure that there is not a delay in testing in the Otavalo area so healthcare professionals can stay on top of testing. Thanks to all the frontline healthcare workers putting these test kits to good work!

Tandana has covered transportation costs for subcentro workers from the Gualsaqui and Quichinche health centers to travel to the communities to provide necessary medical attention directly to the communities for patients who are vulnerable from their preexisting conditions and are unable to travel to the subcentro for check-ups and medicines due to the stay-at-home order imposed by the national government. A total of 217 patients from 13 different communities in the Quichinche Parish have received care.

Our scholarship students are engaged in online learning and resourcefully finding ways to access the internet from their mountain communities so they can keep up with their assignments. We are supporting them with additional internet expenses during the pandemic. We've been able to support 20 students with internet costs so that they can continue their studies that are completely online.

Summer School was offered virtually via zoom this year. Veronica, our Scholarship Coordinator pre-zoomed with all 22 potential scholarship students who were eagerly awaiting to meet their teachers. They had classes online on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 5 weeks from July 6 - August 7. Interns Mallory, Hannah, and Hank taught remotely from the USA together with 4 Ecuadorian university scholarship students, Amauta, Nicole, Dayana, and Lady. They taught English, Theater, Art, Leadership, Math, and Entrepreneurship. For an added bonus, Wednesdays consisted of a summer school-wide psychology class for students to get to know themselves and others in the program. 20 students completed the full 5-week summer school program and all 20 students that completed the course have been accepted into the high school scholarship program. Congratulations!

The fundraiser organized by Northeastern University’s Alliance of Civically Engaged Students (NU-ACES) was a huge success. 1280 masks were delivered in 21 communities of the Quichinche Parish including Padre Chupa, Motilón Chupa, Minas Chupa, Inguincho, Cambugán, Tangalí, Cutambi, Guachinguero, Achupallas, Urcusiqui, Muenala, Guayrapungo, Moraspungo, Gualsaquí, Panecillo, Agualongo, La Banda, Yambiro, Larcacunga, San Juan Alto, and Gualapuro. Also, 200 disposable masks and 100 KN95 masks were donated to the Health center in Gualsaqui and Quichinche. Additionally, other medical supplies, including bandages and alcohol among others were delivered to the Director of the Hospital of Otavalo and the Director of the Health Center in Gualsaqui.

The new school year kicked off in September, and because the classes are virtual, we decided to open the Panecillo office so scholarship students and community members could use the internet and computers to attend classes and do homework. Our amazing team has been helping students get their work done.

A computer was donated to the Panecillo Community Board. This will help the board during meetings, presentations, and other community events and gatherings.

Our Patient Follow Up program has been making strides during the pandemic. One patient has received her hearing aids and is very thankful to be able to hear clearly. She has been waiting for hearing aids since 2018. It has been important to keep up with seeing patients during the pandemic even though we have not been able to run our normal Health Care Volunteer Ventures.

The Gualsaqui Health Center was recently painted. Here's a look at the final product. It's more sanitary and gives patients more confidence to walk into a clean and sharp looking health center.

Mali

We kicked off the year with 10 new literacy classes, each with 30 women students. The 300 new participants are studied hard! Here's a look inside the classroom in Kilegou. They learned the alphabet, numbers, reading, writing, and arithmetic, skills that give them confidence and independence in the marketplace, in telephone communications, in keeping records for their savings groups and businesses, in reading signs, and taking notes at meetings. Of the 290 women who took the final exam last year, more than 90 percent of participants earned satisfactory scores or better on the literacy and numeracy final exams organized by the Tandana Foundation. Read all about it here on our blog.

A series of three 8-day workshops for 80 women leaders has been completed in Mali. Each literacy class from 2019 delegated class members to attend the workshops. Participants learned how to form, manage, and lead official women's associations, make business plans and keep records. They also had a chance to share their experiences as women speaking up and getting involved in local decision-making and provide encouragement to each other. At the end of the workshop, the participants showed off what they learned, and celebrated. Check out a video of their last day here.

Representatives of the 10 remaining Olouguelemo member villages participated in a training session to learn how to build stone contour lines and other features to prevent soil erosion. They received the tools they need to do this work and return home to share their knowledge and the tools with other farmers in their villages. This work greatly improves crop yield and conserves soil and water. Representatives of the other 9 member villages participated in this kind of training last year and are very pleased with the results of the harvest in the fields where they had built stone contour lines. You can find a blog post about the effects of this technique here.

The Olouguelemo Environmental Association held a socially-distanced meeting of the leadership committee and representatives from each village, instead of the large general assembly they would have had in the absence of the pandemic. They later announced the 4th Annual Olouguelemo Reforestation Campaign which was kicked off in Kansongho. The reforestation campaign is supported by the Olouguelemo Environmental Association, the office of the mayor of Wadouba Township, and The Tandana Foundation. It rained last week to water the trees which is a good sign for the success of the campaign. Also, thanks to the environmental protection work of the Olouguelemo Environmental Association in Mali, there are wild fruits growing abundantly in the protected forest areas. The reforestation campaign was completed with a total of 1,890 trees planted in 20 villages, at 3 schools, and at 5 other public buildings.

The residents of Andjine are taking full advantage of the stock pond that Tandana helped them create. This year, good rains filled the pond to the brim, and they are using its water to grow peppers, okra, eggplant, corn, squash, sweet potatoes, and cowpeas.

The emergency COVID response commission of Ningari has completed its work and held its final meeting. The commission thanked The Tandana Foundation for its support. Currently, all of the identified positive cases of COVID in Ningari have recovered, and there are no new cases reported. Families are using the small hand wash kits that Tandana provided, and residents are using the large handwash stations in public places.

The Papa Hubert Cotton Bank in Dana-Guire, Mali was started in 2018 and continues to function well, giving women an opportunity to earn income by transforming cotton into cloth. A few weeks ago, another NGO, without making any preparations with the village, sent a teacher to Dana-Guire to teach young people who are past school age. They brought the teacher with all of his luggage and told the village chief that he needed a classroom to teach in. Since he hadn't had any warning, the chief said that he could teach in the cotton bank building and that could be the classroom. But Kadidia Yanogue, the President of the cotton bank, stood up to the chief and said, "No, this building was built for our cotton bank. We need it to store the large lot of cotton that we will buy soon, and we use it as our meeting place for women. This can't be turned into a classroom. You will have to find another place for the teacher to hold classes." It took a lot of courage for a woman to speak up against what the village chief said, and her willingness to take this risk shows how important the cotton bank is to the women of the village, as well as the confidence that the women's leadership workshops have inspired.  The chief listened and decided that the men would build a shade hangar for the classes to be held in.

Work is starting on the construction of the new health center in Sal, Mali, thanks to a generous gift from Kitty and Dick Rosenthal. Here is a photo of the site for the new health center, which will serve about 9,000 people, who currently have to travel long distances over rough tracks to access health care. The residents of Sal have completed breaking the stones for the foundations of the five buildings, and the contractor is transporting the sand and gravel needed for the construction.

The school gardens in Saredina and Ondogou are ready for action! For both gardens, the fences have been installed, the management committees have been selected, and students, teachers, and parents have participated in training workshops on gardening techniques and management. Both trainings hosted more participants than expected, and we are now eagerly waiting for the plants to be ready for harvest.

Construction of the Sal Health Center is moving along. At the beginning of the month, the contractor, the masons, and some residents of Sal laid out the corners and built a water reservoir to store water for mixing cement and for other purposes throughout the construction. Now, they are almost finished with the foundations for the main buildings.

2019

Ecuador

Volunteers from the Ohio Master Gardeners joined Tandana for a week-long adventure to complete different gardening projects and cultural exploration. All week the group was accompanied by our knowledgeable, community friend, Matias Perugachi. They were able to help him work on his land and get dirty assisting with maintenance. The group spent three mornings working in Inguincho at the weather station planting medicinal plants and a variety of trees. Then, they were able to learn about the significance of the weather station to the area and the work that takes place. The group participated in a few afternoon cultural exchanges, learning about traditional dress and cooking methods, attending healing ceremonies and sharing meals and cooking with local friends. The group also had time to explore the Polylepis forest and learn about its unique ecosystem. On the final day, the group joined students and teachers at La Joya school to plant and enjoyed a snack and dancing together.

Students from The Traveling School visited and stayed in homestays with the community of Agualongo for a week. During this time, the girls continued their general high school studies all the while experiencing Indigenous Otavaleño culture. They assisted local community members in cleaning drainage trenches on the main road and then in a community minga, started the third wall for the soccer field and moved dirt and rocks to level out the field. The girls expressed their thanks by sharing words and a memory followed by a song in English and Spanish. The experience was enjoyable for everyone and the girls left the next morning full of ways they had grown and would continue to navigate their semester of travel.

Students from Arendell Parrott Academy began their week full of activities with a visit to Kawsaymi cooking school where they helped prepare a traditional meal and even tried a local delicacy- guinea pig. They spent their afternoons at the Panecillo school teaching art classes to the students. The kids loved making kaleidoscopes, giant paper flowers, seashell necklaces, and color-changing bracelets, and the group enjoyed practicing their Spanish to lead the projects. Additionally, the group contributed to 2 service projects- repainting the bathrooms, and painting a mural inside the school. On their final day at the school, the visiting students and Panecillo students played games and danced together. The event ended with a dance choreographed by the visiting students that the school dance group performed. The group enjoyed all of the activities that they participated in, but the highlight was working with students at the school where they made new friendships and hope to visit again one day.

The Tandana Foundation welcomed thirteen students from the Northeastern University Alliance of Civically Engaged Students (NU ACES) for a week long service project in the remote community of Motilón Chupa. Their project for the next four days was to work with community members to dig out a new water containment system. Fortunately, the first day on site was a minga (a community work day that included a representative from every household in the community). The afternoons were full of interesting activities with new local friends, like participating in the carnaval tradition of a community-wide water fight. Everyone was soaked and loving it. Mama Maria taught us how to make local cheese and Maria Cortez treated us to fanesca, a traditional soup that is served around Easter. We worked hard and ate well.

The inaugural group from Purcell Marian High School joined the Tandana Foundation in Ecuador on March 6th. The students and teachers quickly moved into their home stays in Agualongo and shared a week with their new families. They participated in three work days in the community cleaning the roads and putting in an drainage system for the soccer stadium. Students were able to learn about local indigenous Otavaleño culture while sharing meals and experiences every day. There was not a shortage of beautiful places as the group traveled to Lake Cuicocha, Lake Yahuarcocha and hiked up to a site to cook and eat lunch. When students were expressing gratitude and preparing to leave the community, an unexpected flight cancellation gave them three extra days. The extra days were spent visiting Taxopamba waterfall, a traditional cooking class, making bracelets, and a full day exploring Quito. The memories and friendships made will last a lifetime.

The 25th Health Care Volunteer Venture kept us very busy. Our usual pace of 10 clinics in 10 days was tempered by some great afternoon adventures like visits to the local cultural history museum and to the home of our dear friend Margarita. Our clinic mornings took us near and far as we traveled to remote communities like Motilon Chupa and Muenala, mountain top locations with views (on a clear day!) of distant volcanoes and valleys below. But we also stayed close to town with a visit to nearby community La Banda. With so many returning volunteers, we got off to a running start and our team came together very quickly. We tried out a new afternoon activity with a local leather shop, La Tierra. Volunteers had a chance to try their hands at leatherwork and everyone created a small passport-sized leather carrying case. It was a wonderful way to shift gears from the busy rhythm of clinic and relax for a moment. We appreciate the flexibility and dedication of our volunteers!

In May the Tandana Foundation was joined by a group of 8 students and one leader from Colgate University. The students stayed with host families in the community of Motilon Chupa where they were able to bake fresh bread, try colada morada, cook for the community, and work to help build a water tank at the top of the hill of the community. This was phase two of the project and students moved heavy mud and mixed and moved concrete to build the base and three walls of the tank. Students were pushed to their limits with 7 half days of hard work. Other activities included a cooking class, kichwa lessons and a talk about global warming and the effects on food, Otavalango museum to learn about kichwa culture, a speaker on local indigenous politics and also a day tour of the agricultural technical high school.

When the group from Bellbrook, Ohio arrived, they went right away to cook at the Kawsaymi cooking school and restaurant where they made a delicious traditional dinner. During the week they also participated in activities such as making dreamcatchers and bracelets, making bread, learning about Kichwa traditions and clothing, visiting the solar clock in Cayambe, hiking to Taxopamba waterfall, and of course spending some quality shopping time in the Plaza de Ponchos in Otavalo. All of these activities were on top of the service project that they completed at the local school in Tangali. They assisted the parents’ organization in painting the outside of the many buildings that make up the school. They also spent some time playing with the school kids, and partook in a couple of friendly soccer matches on our last day at the school. They had a fantastic week participating in the program, and many of them would like to return to work on another project and visit the friends they made at the school.

Now that the summer school has come to an end, we are exhausted but sad that it is over. The team of five teachers had a wonderful experience teaching English, art, sports, indoors games, theatre, math, science, documentaries, and animals classes. We had amazing trips to two lakes in the area and a pool nearby. Students presented their English knowledge and three plays in the final day performance. Afterwards 200 family members, staff and students enjoyed amazing hornado (a dish of potato patties, pulled pork and mote)! Fun was had by all!

Tandana recently had the pleasure of hosting a group from Boston Scientific. The group had the opportunity to do many different types of jobs from painting and gardening to building the walls of a water tank and digging a trench to repairing a road. The group also had a lot of fun. They spent time with many local friends cooking traditional dinners including guinea pig known locally as cuy. They also got to tour the traditional birthing rooms at the award winning Otavalo Hospital and see traditional cleansings to see how natural medicine is practiced. They had lunch in the communities and got to spend one afternoon painting with elders of the community. The relationships that were built will last a lifetime. Participants had a challenging week but were up to the challenge of stepping out of their comfort zone for the common good. They learned the word minga and were able to practice working together for the good of all the whole week.

Shortly after the ARCC group arrived in Otavalo they were whisked away for their week-long stay in Motilon Chupa. Mornings were spent working with community members on the third phase of a water tank project, and after a few long days of carrying supplies and mixing cement, the final wall of the structure was completed. During two of the “mingas” (everyone coming together to work for a common goal) the women of Motilon Chupa cooked lunch for everyone at the worksite, and the volunteers were able to try local cuisine such as potatoes, corn, fava beans, fresh cheese, and a traditional soup. The group of travelers also had the opportunity to engage with community members in the afternoon, doing activities such as bread making, pizza making, a hike to a microclimate where they were able to make and try sugar cane juice, and spending time with students from the local school. They were also able to see an exposition done by the mothers of the school about their project to knit and sell hats. The group’s energy made it possible for full days of work, activities, cooking, and playing with the kids. The week concluded with some heartfelt speeches from both the community members and the volunteers, and with handmade cards that the school children made for the group. After a fun night of dancing and eating, the group said their goodbyes and the next morning returned to Otavalo to continue on their journey.

Right after the semester ended, eleven students and two leaders from a Lindsey Wilson College community service group, came to Ecuador to support the community of Cutambi in Ecuador. These hard working participants had five full work days and managed to complete a painting and cement project alongside community members. They painted one room of the community center, cement paved a sidewalk and some stairs, and smoothed out the side of the community kitchen with cement. In the afternoons, LWC participants were able to take a local cooking class, learn how to make bracelets, learn embroidery, and play games with the students at the school in Cutambi. After dinner each night one would find the group at the kitchen table working on their embroidery projects. Margarita Fuerez, Tandana’s accountant, and our embroidery expert was so proud of all the work they did with their embroidery projects. The final day in the community students were able to experience a pamba mesa (potluck style meal) in the community while they said goodbye to all their new friends. Then, on their last day in Ecuador, they took a trip to Cuicocha Lake and hike for about two hours, this was followed by Tandana’s despedida (going away party) and then off to their airport. The Tandana Foundation hopes to host LWC participants in the coming year, what a great group!

Mali

Tandana's ten literacy instructors have begun new classes with 300 students! They are excited to bring numeracy and literacy skills to more women in more villages in covered, open-air classrooms. To the right is a picture of nine of the instructors who will be teaching the classes this year. To learn more about the Literacy program in Mali please click this link and then click on the literacy and leadership tab. We are excited about expanding this program to reach more women!

Representatives from the Olouguelemo Environmental Association's five new member villages and volunteers from nine additional villages learned how to make efficient cookstoves that reduce the need for firewood. Representatives of the new member villages also received bicycles and boots to help them in their conservation work in the protected forests. Leaders of the association also met with a contractor to survey the sites for the new stock ponds that will be created.

The women’s association of Kani-Gogouna, one of the groups selected to receive funding for their new business, has used their funds to purchase sheep and get training on how to vaccinate them. To the right is a photo of some happy members of the association with their sheep.

The Student Mothers Program exists because often times in Mali, when a female student becomes pregnant, she is unable to support herself and ends up having to drop out of school. The program was formed to support them through this critical stage of their development and allow them to continue to study. This year, the ten student mothers have received their food and supplies for this academic year and are ready to study. To the left is a picture of some of the mothers receiving their supplies.

With Tandana's help The Olouguelemo Environmental Association has created two stock ponds. The ponds will conserve water for livestock, which will also help keep the livestock out of their protected forest areas. Also, the village of Sal Sombogou has just joined The Olouguelemo Environmental Association, bringing the total number of member villages to 17.

The students who were elected to this year's Kilegou School Garden management committee participated in a training session to learn how to take care of the garden and how to keep records. They are excited to learn new skills and take care of this important garden. The garden also received new water containers to facilitate irrigation.

The women's association of Kedou was one of the groups who received funding for their enterprise turning cotton into cloth. They have all paid for the first lot of cotton and used the fund to buy a second lot. They have distributed this second lot among the members to be transformed into cloth and keep their businesses growing.

The Olouguelemo Environmental Association recently held a training session for representatives from 9 of its 17 member villages on the construction of stone contour lines for erosion prevention. A quick glance at the photos and it's clear how essential erosion prevention is for these farmers. During the training they learned how to construct stone contour lines to protect and enhance the new stock pond in Goundoly Dogon. The village representatives then went home and taught the techniques they have learned to other farmers in their villages. They also received tools, so that they will all have the ability to continue to build stone contour lines to prevent erosion in their own fields. This work will conserve both soil and water and increase crop yields.

Our Mali team recently completed a training session for Savings for Change "replicators." These women, who are all members of existing Savings for Change groups, have now learned how to form and support new groups in their fund-sharing ceremonies. Now that they have the knowledge to create new groups they can bring the program to more women in and around their villages and ensure the beginners manage their fund-sharing well.

Thanks to the protection of the forests through the Olouguelemo Association, there has been an abundant harvest of Gogdio fruits, which used to be rare. There are even enough for some residents to collect and sell in the market.

The school garden in the community of Yarou led by Ele Samakan, a teacher Tandana supports, is doing well. This is quite a feat as he is currently the only teacher at the school and has managed to keep it all running by himself.

2018

Mali

The fence is erected for the orchard of the school in Kilegou. The teachers and students have also received training in horticulture so that they can maintain this project on their own. This garden will help maintain a nutritious diet and also provide students with produce that they can sell in order to buy school supplies. The trend of school gardening is gaining strength and it seems that whenever school officials visit another school and see a garden, they would also like to have one.

The new furniture for the school in Sal-Ogol, Mali, has been finished and delivered by members of the Kansongho carpentry workshop. The furniture was delivered using the workshop's motorcycle. This furniture will ensure that schoolchildren have a comfortable place to sit and learn.

Construction of the storehouse for the grain bank in Dologou is complete, and the members of the bank’s management committee have received training. The management committee purchases a large stock of millet and sells it at a constant price year round so that residents can afford it when they need it.

The new cotton bank in Dana Guiri is called the Papa Hubert cotton bank because it honors the generous donations of Tandana friends and family members who gave in memory of Ed “Papa” Hubert. The construction of the building for the cotton bank is complete, and the bank’s management committee has also received their training.

Ecuador

A group of 13 people from the University of Cincinnati joined Tandana for a week in May to participate in a number of education-based activities and projects. UC students split into three distinct groups who had previously prepared a curriculum on a range of topics to present to several different local schools. The UC students observed classes at the schools to understand the dynamics of classrooms in this area. After observing, each group presented their lessons on weather, sports, and scientific method, respectively. Challenges were faced, lessons were learned and open minds were filled with information that helped broaden the perspectives and perceptions of the world and those who inhabit it.

The Kichwa community of La Banda hosted students from Dayton, Ohio, in a week-long collaboration to improve the community's water system. They all worked together through "mingas" (community work days), built a retaining wall in the La Banda water tank, and dug a new line for the water system. Visiting volunteers also learned about the local culture as they spent time with our friends in La Banda and the surrounding area of Otavalo.

This year's Summer School program began on July 9 and ended on August 3. Approximately 53 students between the ages of 10 and 16 attended this year's program. The Summer School Program Director and four ESL interns taught English and elective classes. A theater professional  returned for another summer and taught the students all about acting and public speaking.

Some of the electives included science, yoga, basic theater concepts, storytelling, and art. Two university scholarship students helped teach math and dance. This year's program took place at the Ati Pillahuasu School in the community of Panecillo. Highlights of this year's program included painting a mural at the school (right), visiting the Living Kichwa Museum in Otavalo, and performing a play on the last day.

This summer, a group of Lakeside School students joined Tandana for three weeks. During their stay, the students lived with host families in the Agualongo. While there, the group helped the community build a fence around their soccer field to solve the continuing problem of cars damaging the field. The students also participated in a series of cultural activities involving the community, including baking bread in one of a large brick oven, listening to the stories of the haciendas surrounding Agualongo, and climbing to the top of a mountain to spend a day roasting food and flying kites.

Eight Lakeside School students and two program leaders spent three weeks working and experiencing daily life in the rural community of Tangali. The students worked side-by-side with the community members to start building a community kitchen. They moved materials, mixed cement and sifted sand. The students also placed bricks to build the kitchen's walls, and they helped put up the support for the ceiling. The students also organized a five-day summer camp for about 35 children, ranging in age from 4 to 17 years old. They students prepared science, English, art and sports lessons, as well as other games and activities.

Tandana teamed up with local and international medical volunteers from all backgrounds to provide a week's worth of mobile health clinics. They visited 5 different communities over the course of the week, and were able to support nearly 350 individuals with free medical and dental care. What further marks Tandana, however, is the foundation's commitment to follow up with patients who cannot receive all that they need in the short time of a clinic; our professional medical providers referred many patients to continue in our Patient Follow-Up Program, through which Tandana staff will help them navigate the public health system and obtain their necessary treatment. Participants enjoyed learning from all the richness that the local culture and people have to offer. They took part in activities such as local museums, visiting master weavers, hearing local legends at a volcano crater lake, and cooking a meal at a family-operated cooking school.

11 volunteers joined with Tandana and friends from the Quichinche Parish to support several gardening and environmental projects. Over the course of the week, they worked with the students of a local high school, Saminay, in their school vegetable gardens. The harvest provides nutrients for the school lunches, while also providing agricultural and nutrition training for the students. They also joined Quichinche’s health center, to help continue their medicinal herb garden and promote the cultural integration of traditional and western medicines.

Two separate groups from Adventures Cross Country teamed up with the high school in Inguincho named Saminay, in order to engage with local students from rural communities. They donated and helped to organize a number of books for the school library, and in addition helped teach in English classes, cook lunches, work in the school gardens, and spend time learning with and from the school’s inspiring students. They also participated in a number of cultural activities, from hikes to trout farms, milking cows, and cooking traditional food with local families.

Mali

Grain Bank in Sal-Dimi – During the annual  meeting to evaluate grain bank operation, the village assembly congratulated the committee on their great management of the bank. The community members asked the committee to continue selling the remaining 6 sacks of rice that they have in stock and to purchase 2 tons of millet to sell throughout the coming year. To the left is a picture taken at the evaluation meeting.

Carpentry Workshop in Kansongho - The moto-tricycle purchased for the carpentry workshop is now being used. Two drivers received training on how to operate the moto-tricycle and are now using it to transport purchased materials to the workshop. To the right is a picture of the moto-tricycle.

Community Meeting Room in Kansongho, Mali - A great inaugural ceremony was held for the building on April 8th. The members of the Ologuelemo Environmental Association, the community members, and the local authorities are thrilled to have the building in use. To the left is a picture from the inaugural ceremony.

School Garden in De, Mali -There was another bountiful harvest from the garden. The students shared some of the vegetables they harvested with the school and sold cucumbers, lettuce, and cabbage for around $36. They used $27 of this money to buy chalk and notebooks.

Well in Ologuine, Mali – Community members are thrilled that the well is finished. There was water in the well throughout the entire dry season so that villagers completed the well's clean raised opening. The opening includes a trough for watering livestock.   

Savings for Change Program – Two savings groups in the village of Yarou Plateau held their annual fund-sharing ceremony. They divided the group fund among all the members, which will allow each member to buy her bean, sesame, and peanut seeds for this rainy season. Then they started saving again in their weekly meetings. Their combined funds were over $1,600, and each member received approximately $30 as her share. Now in December women in 15 more villages have asked Tandana to bring the program to their villages.

Mali

April 2016

“Dining for Women” Grant - Tandana is pleased to announce that it was awarded a grant by Dining for Women, a nonprofit organization that funds grassroots programs working in developing countries to fight gender inequality. The grant will help support Tandana's Literacy Program for women in Mali.

May 2016

Ologuine Well Project - The well has reached 21 meters in depth! They have not hit water yet, but the soil is moist and they expect to hit water soon.

June 2016

Literacy Program - To date, 1,117 women have completed the first phase of the Literacy Program. In this phase, the women have learned reading, writing and arithmetic.

July 2016

Kansongho Community Garden - The garden is thriving and the community members have even harvested fruit from the moringa trees!

Indigo Bank  - The new indigo bank, which Tandana supported, is officially open. Having the bank allows women in several villages in Ondogou Township to purchase all the supplies used in the indigo dyeing trade at an affordable and stable price. The women purchase the supplies they need on credit and once they have sold their product, they repay the bank. Training in safe indigo dyeing techniques was also provided for the women. Seven women were chosen to sit on the bank's management committee. The committee members attended a four-day training session to learn how to manage the bank and keep records. The committee members learned the skills needed to keep the records by participating in Tandana's Literacy Program.

Ecuador

July 2016

Quichinche - Master Gardener Volunteers purchased a tent for the Pastavi neighborhood in Quichinche so that community members would have a place to hold their community meetings and celebrations.

Lakeside Service Program - Eleven students from Washington state assisted the school for students with special needs in La Joya where they painted furniture for a living classroom that will teach students home economics and lifestyle. The students also repainted the community center in Tangali. Throughout their trip the students participated in various cultural exchange activities such as homestays, salsa dancing, a visit to the Kichwa museum, and participation in a cooking class.

REACH Service Program - Two different groups totaling thirty-two participants from Santa Barbara county in California joined Tandana for three weeks each. These groups are part of a four year scholarship and mentorship program who visited Ecuador as a culminating experience to end their program. One group stayed in the neighborhood of Pastavi, while the second stayed in the community of Agualongo. Both worked at the Quichinche school. There they installed a cement floor and put up the structure for the school’s new gazebo project, which will be used as a reading space and for lectures. They also spent a week working at Tandana’s summer school, where the REACH students worked in small groups to teach elective classes including dance, geography, food science, arts and crafts, and painting.

August 2016

Tech Service Corps Service Trip - The group of eighteen spent one week living and working at the Ulpiano Navarro School in the community of Quichinche. Work included installation of twenty desktop computers, one document camera, and the Rachel+ software system. They also installed 29 laptops and the Rachel+ system in Tangali as well as donated laptops to the Community Center, Milk Association, and the Water Coop. The participants had the opportunity to teach English classes that applied to the recently installed software system. Throughout their trip, the participants engaged in cultural activities such as the interactive Kichwa museum, salsa lessons, and a visit to the Afro-Ecuadorian community of El Juncal.

Late 2016

September 2016

10th Anniversary - In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Tandana Foundation, board members, staff, and friends of the foundation met in Ecuador for a week-long program in the end of September. The week was filled with presentations to help strengthen the work we do in areas such as scholarships, patient follow-up, expense reporting, storytelling, teambuilding, supporting our interns & fellows, community projects, and others. There was also time to do meaningful work in a few communities planting trees in Muenala, painting a community center in Cutambi, and cleaning out a drainage ditch along a road in Agualongo.

“Tandana is an incredible foundation that has priorities in place. It's an honor to work with such awesome people in both the communities and the Tandana staff.” – Shannon Cantor

October 2016

Health Care Volunteer Venture - From October 9-16th, the Tandana Foundation held its twentieth Health Care Volunteer Venture. Fifteen volunteers arrived from various locations in the US to Ecuador, where they teamed up to provide free basic healthcare to five different rural communities in the Quichinche Parrish. The group included 4 certified medical providers, several professionals in the medical field, and volunteers without medical background. Volunteers, Tandana staff, two local dentists, and professionals from local public health clinics all worked together to intake patients, direct them to the providers, vision center, or dental care, and finally to prescribe and give any needed medications. Over the course of the week, over 500 patients from 5 different communities were seen. For patients who necessitate continuing care, the Patient Follow Up Program will walk with the patient through the public health system to access the care they need.

"This was my fourth trip. After the first day, I said to myself: "this is going to be one of the best weeks of my life." – Chuck Birkle

Gardening Volunteer Venture - A small and dedicated group opened their hearts to Ecuador, planting 100 ornamental plants, 150 native trees and 25 medicinal plants during the last week of October. At the weather station in Inguincho, meteorologist Galo Perugachi shared observations about the impacts of climate change on Ecuador’s snowpack, species distribution, and growing seasons. Local friends joined the group on a field trip to the rumored to be 5,000-year-old Polylepis forest and to see the unique frailejon plants. Then, the group partnered with seventh graders from Quichinche school to beautify the school farm and share songs. They also planted Andean alders and other native trees along a streamside trail in Tangali, helping the community move toward its vision of a sustainable tourism venture.

“Great experience. Lovely, organized, gracious, patient, upbeat staff. Beautiful native Ecuadorians. Natural beauty can't be beat.” – Kelly McGee

November 2016

ARCC Programs - Two different group from ARCC's Latin America Gap Year program joined Tandana for a week each as a part of their travels and studies. The group is part of a three-month gap semester program which focuses on service learning and experiential education. The ARCC groups each stayed in the community center in Panecillo for a week while working at the Quichinche school. They contributed to creating the walls and ceiling for the school’s new gazebo project, which will be used as a reading space and for lectures. They also spent time learning about the traditions and practices of the region, and wrapping up their observations after their month in Ecuador.

“The work you do is work the community asks you to do, rather than work you think needs to be done. 10/10 for listening and following the needs of the people you help!!!” - Andrea Stanley

Student Mothers Project - The student mothers project supports girls from rural villages who are living in the town of Bandiagara, Mali, so they can attend middle and high school. They have to find families to host them, and, if they get pregnant, the families usually send them home and they have to drop out. This project provides training for the families to explain that they still host the students even if they are young mothers, and supplies food and basic medical supplies for the babies, so they are not an extra cost to the families. It helps girls stay in school despite the challenges of motherhood.

School Garden in De - Kaleb Poudiougou, director of the middle school in De, Mali, wanted his students to learn about gardening and also realize that they could earn money for school supplies they need. Tandana helped make this dream a reality. The students and teachers now grow vegetables, such as tomatoes, squash, lettuce, peppers, eggplants, etc., and then the students sell the produce to earn money to buy school supplies. Tandana also provided tools, seeds, and training for the teachers, students, and parents association representatives.

Bear Lake Health Care Volunteer Program –Three medical practitioners and twelve volunteers – all from the Bear Lake region of Idaho – joined Tandana and several local medical practitioners for a week of medical work in rural communities around Otavalo, Ecuador. In five days of clinics, the group provided care for 84 dental patients, 138 vision patients, 216 medical patients, and a total of 253 individuals. They also learned to cook a traditional Kichwa meal at Cocina Samyanuy visited the nearby town of Cotacachi, met with a local weaver and witnessed the traditional weaving process, explored Condor Park and watched a flight demonstration, and boated around the islands of the volcanic Cuicocha Lake. 

Ohio Master Gardeners Volunteer Venture – Fourteen dedicated master gardeners from Ohio joined Tandana for a week. They spent time in several communities around Otavalo, Ecuador; at the vivero (tree nursery) in Achupallas, they weeded countless beds, covered over 100 feet of piping for the sewage system of the new building, and prepared bags of soil for future use. In Muenala, they planted around 500 trees and participated in an incredible minga feast with the community. In Guachingero, they planted and weeded a community garden, helped build a fence around a new garden area, and created activities for the grade school students using vegetables, leaves, and other natural (gardening) products. It was a lovely week of service, education, and joy.

Northeastern University Group Service Project – Eleven students and one faculty member from Northeastern University in Boston spent a week building a bathroom at the community center in the community of La Banda. They worked alongside community members mixing cement, digging a trench for pipes, and laying cement bricks. They also had a lot of fun building relationships with the community members by not only participating in indigenous games but also by teaching them some of their own games, and enjoying community lunches with them. The community of La Banda enjoyed sharing this experience with a great group of students.

George Washington University Group Service Project – A group of eighteen students and two faculty advisors from George Washington University in D. C. chose to spend their spring break week in and around Otavalo, Ecuador. Every morning, they worked in the community of Panecillo, learning from a local maestro the art (and science) of mixing concrete, plastering, and paving. In the process, they also built a stove that the community will use to cook large meals for mingas and celebrations, plastered the community kitchen, and paved a patio. While in Panecillo, they taught English classes to students in the local primary school. They also spent time with community members in Panecillo; they spent one afternoon with a Tandana intern's host family learning about traditional embroidery and bracelet making; another afternoon baking bread with a different intern's host family; and learning to cook a traditional Kichwa meal at a Panecillo-based cooking school. Additionally, they hiked around the volcanic Cuicocha Lake, explored the Condor Park and watched a flight demonstration of eagles and kestrel, and adventured along the shores of Mojanda Lakes. It was a week of laughter, service, and reflection.

Health Care Volunteer Venture in Ecuador March 2015 – Over the course of two weeks, nine medical practitioners, one dentist, and thirteen volunteers from the U.S. and Canada joined Tandana and several Ecuadorian medical professionals to provide medical care in rural communities around Otavalo, Ecuador. In ten days of clinics, the group provided care for 218 vision patients, 406 medical patients, 706 pediatric patients, and 419 dental patients. They also learned to cook a traditional Kichwa meal at a local cooking school, visited a reed weaving cooperative, watched a master weaver practice his traditional craft, hiked to two lovely waterfalls, watched an instrument-maker create a pan-flute, played a game of soccer, hiked around Mojanda Lakes, participated in the Quichinche parade, explored the quaint village of Cotacachi, and boated around the sparkling San Pablo Lake. 

 

University of Cincinnati Education Program – In May 2015, 18 students and 4 chaperones from the University of Cincinnati joined Tandana to teach in four schools in different communities. The communities of Guachinguero, Cutambi, and Panecillo welcomed the students into their classrooms to teach English lessons, while the La Joya school offered the students a chance to work with 13 special needs children. The group enjoyed a wide variety of cultural activities including dancing in an Afro-Ecuadorian community, visiting a Kichwa culture museum, and learning about bilingual education after an exhilarating hike to Taxopamba waterfall. The trip was a wonderful way to end their semester after learning about Ecuador's culture and education system all semester long.   

In June and July, another group of high school students and leaders from Lakeside School in Washington became new members of host families in Agualongo, Ecuador. During their month together, the families and students worked in the fields, baked bread, collected firewood, worked in mingas to improve the new community center, played games and did art projects, and enjoyed a boat ride on Cuicocha Lake. The Lakeside group also spent a week improving the facility of the La Joya school for children with special needs, brightening it up and making it more magical for the students. They hiked Fuya Fuya volcano and visited El Juncal, an Afro-Ecuadorian community. When it was time to part, everyone was sad that the end of their time together had come and grateful for the new friendships formed.

In July, the community of Cutambi, Ecuador welcomed 15 students and 2 leaders from Adventures Cross-Country for a week. The students worked alongside community members constructing the first phase of the new casa communal. The students worked diligently and interacted with community members during their stay, making bracelets and playing exciting games of soccer. They enjoyed bathing in Peguche waterfall and learning about the vibrant Kichwa culture at the living museum. They were sent off with a wonderful despedida lunch of chicken soup and cuy and everyone was very excited and satisfied at the progress that was made. 

In October, Tandana’s Health Care Volunteer Venture visited five communities, namely Mojandita, Panecillo, Cutambi, Minas Chupa, and Guachingero. Four volunteer medical providers and nine non-medical support volunteers from the United States were joined by several local medical and dental providers, a few of Tandana's university scholarship students, interpreters, and other local team members. We provided medical and dental attention to 447 patients. This was our first medical program to incorporate EMR (electronic medical records). That first day in clinic was the test of our new technology and everyone wondered how it would work. After ironing out a few hiccups in the morning, as a team we got all our wires connected and ran a very successful day with our updated electronic records. There are many exciting advantages to the new electronic procedure, particularly in terms of the accessibility of patient histories for tracking patients’ medical concerns. Also, the new technology will allow Tandana even more accurate record keeping for patient totals, complaints, referrals, and other important documentation. And as usual, it wasn’t all work. Our group did several afternoon excursions to explore the Ecuadorian countryside and re-connect with many of Tandana Foundation’s old friends. We held our final luncheon at Tambo Inti in Quichinche and invited all of our team members; our amazing local dentists Doctors Pablo and Anita , our interpreters, our bus driver, and several of the Tandana Foundation Scholarship students who joined us in clinic were outstanding in their dedication and assistance.

Also in October, Tandana Foundation hosted thirteen volunteers in various gardening projects in the Otavalo region north of Quito, Ecuador. We spent our first two work days in the school garden at Cutambi, planting bougainvillea, hibiscus, and begonias as well as building and painting planters out of old tires. The school children were thrilled to participate in these projects with their new North American friends. The clear skies gave us extraordinary views of Volcano Cayambe, the third highest volcano in Ecuador. Spectacular! The following day, we ventured north of Ibarra, the capital of the Imbabura province, to visit the Afro-Ecuadorian community of El Juncal. There, we were treated to a tour at an organic fruit farm with our friend, Don Fabian, a delicious lunch at the cultural center, and a dance presentation by several girls from the community. Our next two work days were spent at the native plant nursery in Achupallas, supporting Don Matias in the important work he and UCINQUI are doing to revitalize native plants in this region. It is amazing to consider that in just four days we donated 288 hours worth of gardening work to local communities!

In November of 2015, a group of gap semester students from Adventures Cross Country came to the community of Cutambi to help with the second step of building the casa communal. 14 participants joined us for 8 days in the community where they stayed at the local school and worked in the mornings with the community members. They also enjoyed spending time with the community children and participating in cultural activities such as bread making, bracelet making, and a community hike. On the last day of the community stay, community members in Cutambi and the ARCC participants together finished the roof of the building, achieving their goal.

Mali 2015

Stove making – From January 12 to January 19, 2015, The Olouguelemo Environmental Association – in partnership with The Tandana Foundation – held a training session on making more environmentally-friendly iron stoves. These stoves are much more efficient than cooking on open fires, requiring much less firewood. Twenty-two participants, representing the ten villages that make up Olouguelemo, attended the training session. The participants learned how to make two types of stoves, then returned to their villages to continue production.

Cotton Bank in Sal-Dimi – The village and contractor have constructed a storehouse for the cotton bank, and the assembly of women chose a committee to manage the bank. Tandana provided training to the committee. The first stock of cotton has arrived, and the committee has divided it among the women in the village who want to work with it. Once they have sold the cloth made from the cotton, they will pay for the cotton they used, providing the fund for restocking the bank next year. Having the cotton bank will allow the women of Sal-Dimi to have access to cotton year-round at an affordable price. 

Cotton Bank in Yarou Plateau – As of April 2015, the cotton bank is operating, using a previously-built storehouse. The assembly of women has chosen a committee to manage the bank. Tandana provided training and the first stock of cotton to the committee. The women of Yarou Plateau are dancing with joy in the confidence that they will always be able to afford cotton to transform into cloth. 

Literacy Program – Our 2014-2015 session ended with a closing ceremony in each of the different villages where literacy classes were held. Students said that thanks to the classes they could count from 1 to 10,000, perform basic calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), and read words. They also said they now could identify the numbers on a telephone and sizes on shoes. In two villages, the students performed songs and skits expressing the importance of what they had learned and its impact on their daily lives.

Second Stove-Making Session-- Tandana, in partnership with the Ologuelemo Association, held a second stove making training session for the representatives from the four new villages who recently joined Ologuelemo. Just like the first training, this training was a huge success. The two representatives from Kansongho, who were at the first training session, also participated in this session as a refresher course.

Savings for Change-- Tandana held a training session for the trainer and supervisor who will be involved in the new Savings for Change Program in Ondogou Commune.  Aldiouma Tembiné, a local teacher, will be the trainer, forming groups of women and teaching them how to run the savings and credit program. Housseyni Pamateck, Tandana's Local Supevisor, supervises and supports Aldiouma. As of July 2015, there were 5 savings groups operating, with a total of 125 women. Each group had saved at least 35,000 CFA ($70) so far and loaned out the majority of that to members. 

In January 2014 the community of Gualapuro, Ecuador welcomed Miami Valley School from Dayton, Ohio into their homes for a two week immersion program. The group stayed with host families, sharing food, learning Kichwa, and lending a hand with some construction on the community’s school. Miami Valley School completed the first upstairs classroom by installing floor tiles, finishing the ceiling, and laying blocks on the cement staircase. The community of Gualapuro believes education to be extremely important and they have set a goal to provide each individual grade level its own classroom. They are grateful to the Miami Valley School students as they helped the community get one step closer to achieving its goal. Additional highlights from the program include: taking a trip to Lake Cuicocha with the students of Miami Valley and their host families, dressing up in traditional Otavaleno clothes for a soccer match, and teaching the community how to make pizzas and smores! After spending two memorable weeks in Gualapuro, the Miami Valley students returned home full of life changing memories that they will carry with them forever. The classroom is now complete and ready for use. The students have a beautiful mural painted on the staircase to remember Miami Valley School’s contribution to the community.

On Valentine’s Day 2014, Agualongo de Quichinche welcomed 18 Traveling School students and their 5 teachers into the community for a week! The Traveling School stayed with host families, learning how to peel potatoes with knives, eating around the tulpa (hearth), practicing their Spanish (and some Kichwa), and teaching their families how to make s’mores. TTS also had the amazing opportunity to participate in a minga with the community, during which they helped lay tiles in a new community center, dug trenches in preparation for the installation of soccer stadium lights, and gutted chickens to be cooked for lunch. The community prepared a generous lunch for them, and all the girls had the opportunity to try cuy (guinea pig, a traditional Ecuadorian dish made for special occasions)! School looked a little different this week: learning about birds through an outing with their host families at the Condor Park; learning math from a local shopkeeper; taking a traditional cooking class; and learning about meteorology at a weather station in the middle of the clouds. Both Tandana and Agualongo are very grateful that TTS was able to spend some time with them during their three-and-a-half month South American travel adventure!

In March 2014, two groups from Northeastern University joined Tandana in Ecuador. One group stayed in the remote mountain community of Minas Chupa and worked with community members to build a fence to keep livestock out of the school yard. Together they installed a gate, put in posts, pulled barbed wire, and built friendships.  While in Minas Chupa, the group also baked bread with a local family, taught computer lessons to local students, and danced to live Inti Raymi music with a chicken. Meanwhile, the other group, composed of twelve Northeastern Honors students and faculty, joined the community of Gualapuro to help build a school and join the fun of Carnaval. Alongside community members, the NE students mixed cement and laid bricks like pros, building the brick walls for two new classrooms in the community. In their rest time, the NE students led English lessons for the community’s students, made traditional meals, explored culture sights and blasted each other with foam and water during the community’s Carnaval celebrations.

Also in March, a group of Alternative Spring Break students from George Washington University came to participate in a service trip in Ecuador. They worked in the beautiful community of Guachinguero moving sand, rocks, and tying wire to help with the beginning stages of building a second story of a school building. The University students also prepared and taught thoughtful and creative English lessons for the school kids. When they weren’t working, they enjoyed hiking around Guachinguero, baking bread and making bracelets with the women of the community, taking a traditional cooking class, playing with kids, and soaking in the healing waters of some local thermal springs. Thanks to GW for bringing their willingness and ánimo to everything they did!

Next, Tandana welcomed a group of students from the University of Cincinnati to Ecuador. The students worked in a different community each day –Perugachi, Quichinche, Panecillo, Guachinguero, and La Joya – teaching English and playing games with the students. At La Joya, a school for children with special needs, the UC students helped paint a mural and even fed the kids breakfast and lunch. In the afternoons, the students learned more about Ecuadorian culture through a traditional cooking class, a musical instrument demonstration, a talk about bilingual education by Tandana’s good friend Segundo, and an outing with Tandana University scholarship students to the Condor Park and Lechero tree. What a full week!

To wrap up March of 2014, Tandana had two weeks of health care during which we visited ten communities and attended to 661 children and adults. We traveled to several far away communities including Minas Chupa and Muenala, offering care to patients who have difficulty accessing medical services. Staff from the Gualsaqui subcentro traveled with us on many days and even volunteered to work with us on Saturday. Patients were treated for hypertension, H. pylori, parasites, and many other medical conditions, in addition to receiving extractions and fillings from our dental team. When not hard at work, the volunteers enjoyed a boat ride on Lago San Pablo, swimming in the volcanic springs at Tangali, learning about traditional healing from shaman Santos Quilumbango, and visiting master weaver Miguel Andrango.

In April 2014, The Tandana Foundation and the community of Guachinguero welcomed 20 participants from Raymond High School in Alberta, Canada. The community is working on building a second floor on one of their school buildings, which will serve as a computer lab and teacher prep room. The group worked on the second phase of this project and stayed in the community center. Thanks to the many additional hands, the entire concrete floor on the second story was completed and the walls were removed from the first floor. The Raymond students also enjoyed the chance to teach in the classroom, as they had already spent lots of time getting to know the local kids. They also learned how to make bracelets and bread, hiked to the mineral springs in Tangali, and learned to cook a traditional meal. Their enthusiasm and teamwork while moving thousands of pounds of cement were impressive, and the community is excited to have shared the experience with Raymond School and to be one step closer to completing this important project.   

During the summer, Lakeside School of Seattle, Washington worked with The Tandana Foundation as part of their Global Service Learning Program. Through this program and partnership, ten students and their chaperones completed three different service projects over the course of 30 days. Specifically, they helped construct part of a local school, worked in a native tree nursery, and painted a house complete with a beautiful mural. They also organized a day camp for the children of their host community, teaching English, art, and field games. This cross-cultural learning experience was made even more special by the bond formed with their host families of Gualapuro, who welcomed them with such open hearts. Alongside their new families, students enjoyed making smores at a community bonfire, practicing their Kichwa, and dressing up in traditional clothing for the annual Inty Raymi festival! The month was full of unforgettable moments for the Lakeside students, introducing them to a new culture and new friendships.

In October, Tandana spent a week with 13 incredible volunteer gardeners from across the United States. In the mountains around Otavalo, Ecuador, they worked with Matias to plant granadilla seeds, cut alder shoots, reinforce the greenhouse at the Vivero, and plant 500 acacia trees with the community of Muenala. They also created activities for the grade school at Guachingero, including an interactive lesson about compost and another on starting seeds in a hollowed out orange peel. It was a wonderful week of service, adventure, and laughter.

Next, five medical practitioners, one dentist, and eight volunteers joined Tandana for a week of medical work in rural communities around Otavalo, Ecuador. In five days of clinics, the group provided care for 102 vision patients, 213 medical patients, 274 pediatric patients, and 337 dental patients. They also learned to cook a tradition Kichwa meal at a local cooking school, visited an instrument maker and watched a pipe be assembled in less than five minutes, met with a traditional shaman, and boated around the islands of the volcanic Cuicocha Lake. The week was lovely – full of service, care, and exploration.

In early November, Tandana was joined by a Gap year group of students from Adventures Cross Country. They spent one week in the community of Guachinguero working on the fourth phase of construction of a new building for the local school. The group started off priming and plastering the building, and later painted it three different vibrant colors. They also had the opportunity to teach English at the school. The group participated in a number of local excursions and activities including: bread and bracelet making, cooking, attending a local wedding, dressing in traditional attire, visiting Cuicocha Lake and of course spending time shopping in the famous Otavalo market. The community sent them off with an amazing despedida filled with speeches, songs, dances and a grand feast of guinea pig, chicken soup, corn, cheese, favas and juice.   

In December, three students and two leaders from Breakwater Expeditions participated in a volunteer program in Panecillo, Ecuador. They started off their trip by joining in a community minga, helping build a kitchen and bathroom next to the school. They then stayed in the community center and taught songs in English at the school each day they were there. On the final day, the kids put on a despedida and sang the songs they had learned. The participants also sang for the kids, and then everyone had a wonderful lunch together. The participants enjoyed the waterfall at Peguche and the always-delicious food at Cocina Samyanuy cooking school. They also enjoyed time with community members, working in Dionisia’s garden and making fajas with Rosa.

Mali 2014

Community Garden in Kansongho – Tandana supported community members in Kansongho with a fence, water tower, solar pump, and irrigation system for a community garden. In the fall of 2014, community members harvested their first crops from their garden. They learned how to grow new vegetables, which they had never gone before. They also learned how to prevent termite attacks, germinate seeds, and make garden beds. Along with all the training they received on gardening, they also receive training on the garden's new irrigation system. They learned how to care for, maintain, and fix the irrigation system. The community members enjoyed the training and are now enjoying putting their new knowledge into practice.

Literacy Program – This important Tandana program keeps growing. In December 2014, a 30 day training for new literacy instructors was held. At the end of the training. The seven most qualified candidates were chosen to join Tandana's three experienced instructors. Out of the seven new instructors, three are women, which is very exciting. Most impressive is Ada Kanambaye, who was one of our literacy students a couple years ago and is now working to teach her fellow women how to read and write. Each of the ten instructors are now teaching five days a week in different villages. The different villages are Orsongho, Dianou, Oyè, Goundoli-Dogon, Ologuiné, Sol-Dogon, Sandian, Tené, Gagnaga, and Kani. All the classes are going well, and in March the updated version of the teacher's guide was finalized and distributed to the instructors.

Cotton Bank in Sal-Dimi – The construction of the storehouse for the cotton bank is going well. The committee who will manage the cotton bank have been selected and trained. The first stock of cotton has arrived and has been divided among the women in the village who want to work with it. Once they have sold the cloth made from the cotton, they will pay for the cotton they used, providing the fund for restocking the bank next year. Having the cotton bank will allow the village's women to have access to cotton year-round at an affordable price. The women are excited to have control over the cotton, which is a vital resource for them. This project is truly improving the lives of women in Sal-Dimi.

Savings for Change -- Savings for Change group members in Yarou Plateau meet weekly to save and receive loans. Each week, every member contributes a set sum to the fund, and they use the fund to make loans to members for expanding their businesses, which include micro-commerce, gardening, and cotton work. The loan repayment rate is 100%.

Ologuelemo -- Tandana provided support for the environmental protection association Ologuelemo, involving 8 villages, and training in the fabrication of efficient cookstoves.

Carpentry -- Tandana provided additional carpentry training for men in Kansongho.

In February 2013, nineteen Master Gardeners from Ohio came for the first time to work with Tandana in Ecuador. They worked alongside Matias Perugachi in the UCINQUI tree nursery in Achupallas. Matias, our good friend and sole employee of the nursery, was blown away by their enthusiasm and how much they accomplished. In addition to improving the tree nursery, which benefits twenty-three communities, the group was also able to participate in many other cultural exchange activities, including a traditional cooking class and seeing an international chainsaw sculpture symposium in action. A highlight of the trip included planting 200 trees with 46 students at the Quinchinche school and teaching some fun lessons on the importance of plants.

At the beginning of March, a group of 12 students from Northeastern University joined Tandana to work and learn together in the community of Gualapuro. Every morning the students worked on building two playground structures for the preschool in Gualapuro and caring for the preschoolers. One structure was designed kids ages 4 and up, and one for toddlers. By the end of the week, they completed the play structures and were able to see the children enjoying their new toys. In the afternoon, the students spent more time in the community harvesting local crops, weaving bracelets and making bread by hand. The week culminated in a celebration featuring dance and song performances by both local children and the Northeastern students.

Next, nineteen staff and family from Bear Lake Memorial Hospital in Idaho flew to Otavalo to work with Tandana putting on free medical clinics. Bringing a strong sense of enthusiasm and organization, the group went straight to work, running six medical clinics in five days! The team saw 190 medical patients and performed 228 pediatric check ups. They also added to our diagnostic abilities by bringing a portable ultrasound machine. In their free time they explored Peguche Waterfall, saw a weaving demonstration from master weaver Miguel Anrango and cooked a traditional dinner with indigenous chef Claudia Fuerez. They also danced and one group member rode as queen on the Tandana float in the parade opening the Quichinche festival.

Then came our thirteenth Health Care Volunteer Venture. For two weeks, volunteers including six doctors, a dentist, and others from throughout the United States and Mexico worked together to provide health care in ten rural communities in Quichinche parish. They improved our dental capabilities with more equipment and materials for preventative treatments such as fluoride and sealants, and they performed check ups on 591 children in addition to seeing 443 medical patients. After work, they enjoyed seeing Ecuador beat Paraguay in a World Cup qualifying soccer match, hiking from the condor park to the Peguche waterfall, visiting Cuicocha and Mojanda Lakes, and dancing to live Andean music.

In October 2013 a small group of medical professionals and volunteers came together in Quichinche to provide quality medical care at no cost to 5 different communities. The numbers say it all: 167 medical patients, 70 dental patients, 176 pediatric check-ups, all done in 5 short days. Not only did the group work hard but they also enjoyed the sights, including the majestic Cuicocha crater lake and watched the Ecuadorian national soccer team nearly qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Later in the month, 6 wonderful gardeners assisted Matias in the tree nursery in Achupallas where they filled 564 bags with dirt and later transplanted 408 seedlings that they collected from the roadsides. They also participated in a tree planting community work day in the community of Muenala where, alongside members of the community, they planted 600 alder and Pumamaki trees. They also helped a 7th grade class plant a school garden and then taught them lessons about composting and insects. In the afternoons they enjoyed the Saturday market in Otavalo, the Peguche waterfall and many other local sights. Great Job everyone!

Mali 2013

Agricultural Innovations -- Short-cycle cowpeas, which Tandana introduced to ten villages, were the only ones that bore edible peas in some villages this year, because the rainy season was so short. These peas provide food during the most difficult time of year, when other crops have not matured and the previous harvest is long gone.

Well in Sal-Sombogou-- Community members and masons put the finishing touches on the restored and improved well in Sal-Sombogou, Mali. Before restoration, the well was dangerous and pollutants easily fell into the water.

Literacy-- Tandana provided literacy classes in 10 villages this year. These classes empower women with literacy, numeracy, and calculation skills. With the abilities they gain in these classes, students say they can manage independently in the marketplace, buy and sell without fear, get the products they want, and even keep better track of their menstrual cycles for spacing their pregnancies.

Ologuelemo-- Tandana provided training in assisting the natural regeneration of trees and soil conservation for members of the environmental protection association Ologuelemo, involving 8 villages. During a meeting of the association, a government forestry agent addressed the group, the first appearance of a public official of that level in the area. The villages are working together to protect trees in their region.

Carpentry-- Tandana provided carpentry training for men in Kansongho. They now have a carpentry workshop where they can build doors, windows, furniture, chalk boards, and other wood products. This local business empowers them with a source of income close to home. 

Savings for Change-- Tandana provided training to women’s savings and credit groups in Yarou Plateau. They meet weekly to save money and then make loans from their group fund to members to expand their micro-businesses.

Ecuador 2012

In Ecuador, we had a busy spring with five different volunteer groups. In February, twenty students and six chaperones from Parrott Academy in North Carolina spent a week with us, rotating through several communities outside of Otavalo. They participated in a minga (community work party) that prepared the materials to build a retaining wall to protect Panecillo's water source from erosion and pollution. They also volunteered at two local primary schools, in Panecillo and Padre Chupa, where they taught English as well as arts and crafts. The group also helped at a plant nursery owned by the Union of Indigenous Communities of Quichinche. After visiting the Peguche waterfall and a master weaver, the group capped off its trip with a tour of Quito. Some of the student are already planning ways they can return!

Also in February, fourteen students and four teachers from The Traveling School also joined us for their sixth stay in the rural community of Agualongo. In seven short days the students and teachers cultivated deep and meaningful relationships with the members of the community. During their stay, the students took classes and also participated in a traditional Ecuadorian cooking class, bread making, a hike above the valley with a local woman, a lesson on rural farm practices, and of course many hours of soccer with local children and dancing to traditional Ecuadorian music. The students helped with a two day minga to replace the roof of the community center, followed by a feast complete with guinea pig, corn, soup, and potatoes. When it was time for their departure, tears were shed by students and families alike. The community insisted that next time, they must stay longer!

In March, came a group form Northeastern University, traveling as part of their Alternative Spring Break program. This group worked with  community members from Panecillo to complete the construction of a retaining wall designed to prevent erosion that pollutes and blocks one of the community's two water sources. The students also collected saplings and planted a local tree species that provides extra protection against erosion. In addition to their community service, the group enjoyed cultural activities and outings, including a cooking class, a visit to a local weaving master, and a trip to Mojanda Lakes.

Meanwhile, 11 students and 2 leaders from Carpe Diem International Education came to stay for 10 days in the community of Achupallas. For seven days the students worked on constructing a greenhouse for the UCINQUI native tree nursery. Their hands and hard work were deeply appreciated by Matias, who runs the nursery, and the other members of UCINQUI. Carpe Diem students also taught English classes to the elementary students of the community and managed to fit in bread making, cooking class, arts and crafts with community children, a visit to the Peguche waterfall, a beautiful hike around Laguna Cuicocha with community members, and a wonderful fiesta with live music and traditional food! The experience was a first for both the community, which had never hosted a foreign group before, and the students, who had never stayed in a rural community such as Achupallas. Many of the students found a deeper appreciation for living more simply with a greater focus on family. The community is anxious to host another group. 

Finally, thirteen volunteers traveled to the Quichinche parish of Ecuador for our eleventh Health Care Volunteer Venture. Together, the group accomplished an amazing amount, setting up basic health clinics in five villages in five days. The doctors were able to see 134 patients, while 49 adults received dental treatment. 223 children received preventative dental treatment including fluoride and sealants to prevent cavities, as well as parasite medication. In between administering quality health care, the volunteers cooked a traditional Ecuadorian meal, hiked to the Peguche waterfall, watched a traditional weaver practice his art, and had a picnic at Mojanda Lakes. Tandana health care teams have seen over 3,600 medical patients and 780 dental patients!

In late September of 2012, twelve students from Carpe Diem Education and their two Leaders joined six Tandana representatives in the community of Achupallas, Ecuador. The participants spent ten days living with local families and making friends with their hosts. In the mornings, they volunteered in the UCINQUI Tree Nursery, helping to construct a house and take care of the plants. In the afternoons the participants cooked a traditional Ecuadorian meal, toured the Condor Park, hiked to Cuicocha Lake, learned Kichwa phrases and made bread with a local family. The participants also joined in with community members to repaint the elementary school and created beautiful murals for the children to enjoy.

In October, we hosted our twelfth Health Care Volunteer Venture in Quichinche, Ecuador. Twenty volunteers, including three doctors, three P.A.s, three nurses, and other helping hands worked together, along with a local dentist and interpreters, to provide primary health care in ten different villages. Through medical consultations, dental treatments, and pediatric check-ups, they served 902 patients in two weeks. In addition to bringing their care and skills to rural villages, they also enjoyed Ecuador's food, music, crafts, and sporting events. A highlight was watching Ecuador beat Chile in a World Cup qualifying soccer match.

Mali 2012

In January 2012, eleven volunteers spent 16 days in Mali, helping with a variety of community projects. They helped build a grain bank for the village of Sal-Dimi and a latrine for the Kansongho cotton bank, as well as watering trees in the Kansongho orchard and participating in a soap-making training and a literacy class. They also found time to do lots of Dogon dancing, learn to speak some Tommo So, try drumming the traditional rhythms, visit a school and a mosque, participate in a wedding ceremony, and show villagers how to use new tools. The community members in Sal-Dimi are thrilled to have a stock of grain in this very difficult year and a safe place to store it and escorted the volunteers out of the village with song and drumming to alleviate the sadness of the farewell. Our fourth Mali Volunteer Venture was a meaningful experience for all: "we formed friendships and became fully immersed in the culture of Mali's Dogon region while providing aid for truly sustainable projects; And most importantly we worked right alongside WITH the community in the finishing of such projects, truly a collective effort allowing us to weave lasting friendships. The appreciation and welcome we received from these communities was like none other I've ever experienced!" said volunteer Kelly McCosh.

Meanwhile, we have begun a literacy class for the women of Kansongho and Kani, Mali. Using the first books printed in Tommo So, 150 women in 6 classes enthusiastically practice writing letters and numbers with the help of a local teacher. Thanks to a soap-making training, Kansongho women are also diversifying their sources of income. In Sal-Dimi, we have begun restoration and stabilization of the traditional well, which was in danger of collapse and needed constant repairs. We've also been assisting both villages with agricultural innovations such as the natural regeneration of trees in the fields and short-cycle cowpeas.

Later in 2012, our projects continue to move forward despite the unsettling national news. The community members of Kansongho and Sal-Dimi are extremely grateful for our gift of millet, which allowed them to cultivate their fields and bring in a bountiful harvest this year. Our second season of literacy classes is beginning, and we are expanding the Savings for Change micro-credit program to Yarou Plateau, in addition to more villages in Wadouba Commune. The environmental association Ologuelemo, which we supported in becoming a legal organization, is busy working for the encouragement of natural regeneration of trees in an eight-village area.

We have also completed restoration of the traditional well in Sal-Dimi, and villagers are confidently using it. In Yarou Plateau, we've helped the school and village with some seeds and training for their garden. And community members in Kansongho, Sal-Dimi, and 6 neighboring villages have held an assembly, with our support, and determined to create an association for protection of the environment, most specifically the encouragement of natural regeneration of trees and the prevention of wood cutting in a large area. In partnership with Vital Edge Aid, we are helping to expand the savings and micro-credit program that has begun in 8 villages of Wadouba commune. The literacy classes continue. The community members we work with are as determined as ever to keep working for the improvement of their communities. We hope that the political situation will allow them to do so.

Ecuador 2011

During the first week of March 2011, a group of 12 students from Boston’s Northeastern University spent their spring break working on various community service projects in the rural communities surrounding Otavalo, Ecuador. Students were greeted by the community of La Banda with a welcome ceremony featuring traditional music and a communal lunch. During the week, they dug and hauled dirt and mixed cement to build a new bus stop. The covered bus stop will provide much-needed protection from heavy rain and intense sun for residents of La Banda, who ride the bus for their daily commute to Otavalo. Other community projects included organizing and inventorying books for a new library in the local elementary school and working in a native tree nursery. In their free time, the students enjoyed a cooking class and delicious dinner with a local family. They prepared and ate guinea pig, chicken, marinated tomato and onion salad, llapingachos (spiced and fried mashed potato pancakes), mote (steamed fresh corn), and quimbolitos (banana leaf wrapped pastries). They also challenged the local kids to a soccer game, visited both traditional and modern weavers, learned about traditional musical instruments, hiked around Cuicocha Lake, went to the Peguche Waterfall, and celebrated Carnaval with a water balloon fight. Our local friends were grateful to the students for their willingness to work hard and leave a lasting legacy in their community.

Carpe Diem International Education joined Tandana for 2 weeks in March, doing homestays in the community of Agualongo and helping with projects from trash cleanup with local kids to weeding and transplanting native tree seedlings to teaching English and computer classes, preparing books for a new school library, and even Tandana's health care work in rural communities. During their time with Tandana, the students and their leaders not only experienced the Ecuadorian minga but also cooked and ate traditional foods, played soccer, joined in water fights for Carnaval, and danced in the parade opening the Quichinche festivals alongside the students they had been teaching during the week.

Tandana's ninth Health Care Volunteer Venture, in March 2011, was a great success. We worked in a different community every day, including two nearby and three more remote communities. Volunteers worked to take patients’ histories and vitals, interpreted for the doctors, dispensed medication in the pharmacy, and were runners between each station. The doctors saw a total of 133 patients in 5 community centers, and the local dentist saw 74 patients. Afternoon activities for the volunteers included going to the Peguche waterfall, having a cooking class (followed by a delicious dinner), visiting the Condor Park, shopping at the famous Otavalo market, and visiting Cotacachi, a town known for its leather goods. They also participated in Tandana's first ever float and dance troupe in the parade opening the Quichinche festivals!

In early May, ten students and two teachers from Headwaters Academy in Bozeman, Montana spent a week in the community of Padre Chupa. They were welcomed by the students and the entire community with a procession to the school, bringing firewood to make a huge bonfire, where everyone ate hot dogs and s’mores. They worked in the school garden alongside the 24 Padre Chupa students, and the community came together to install new soccer goals and volleyball posts in the soccer field. Needless to say, much soccer was played throughout the week! The Headwaters students also planned and taught lessons and activities to the Padre Chupa kids (including line dancing and Red Rover), and took a hike down into the valley to a waterfall. They took the Padre Chupa students to the thermal springs at Chachimbiro, an excursion that was enjoyed by all. They also made time during their brief stay in Otavalo to stop by the market, visit some local friends, and see a traditional weaving demonstration. The kids were sad to say goodbye to their new friends in Padre Chupa, but proud of all they had accomplished!

Five intrepid volunteers spent five weeks volunteering in Ecuador through our Summer Volunteer Program. Four worked with the Tandana intern to teach a month-long summer break English course, and one worked with local nurses and doctors in a rural health center. Volunteers stayed with host families around the communities of Panecillo and Quichinche and played countless games with all the neighborhood kids. They experienced traditional music and dancing during the fiestas of Inti Raymi in June, went to the thermal springs at Nangulvi, helped plant seedlings at a native tree nursery, rafted in the Chota Valley, hiked around Mojanda and Cuicocha Lakes and even 15,000 foot Imbabura Volcano. They also had two cooking classes with Tandana friend Claudia, and ate their way through every flavor of pie at the Pie Shop in Otavalo. They took two longer excursions, one to Atacames, a beach town on the coast, and a final trip to a jungle river lodge in the Amazonian eastern part of Ecuador. Relationships they formed their host families by sharing daily life, meals, work, and play were a highlight of the experience.

Also, in October, eight students and two leaders from Carpe Diem International Education joined us for a week in the community of Agualongo, Ecuador. They constructed acclimatization beds for tree seedlings at the UCINQUI native tree nursery and helped the community of Agualongo install a sink and countertop in the community center. Meanwhile, they also learned to bake bread with Agualongo women, went on a hike above the village with a host mother, played soccer with local kids, and learned about the family trees, food preparation practices, and culture of their host families. After the minga on Saturday, they sang a song in Kichwa at the farewell ceremony, ate soup, fava beans, potatoes, corn, colada morada, and tortillas de tiesto prepared by the community, and danced to the music of a local band. They left a mark on the community and carry many happy memories as they continue their journey through the Andes.

Mali 2011

In January, we hosted our third Mali Volunteer Venture. After making mudcloths in Djenne, the group traveled to the village of Yarou Plateau, where they were welcomed with performances by horsemen, hunters, and women. Volunteers and students planted mango trees in the new school garden and visited the storehouse for the the school lunch program, both projects made possible by Tandana. In Kori-Maounde, the volunteers also helped students plant fruit trees and visited the caves where village ancestors hid from enemies before and during the French occupation. The highlight of the trip was the week spent in the village of Kansongho, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Community members and volunteers danced in celebration of the group's arrival, then got to work building a storehouse for the new cotton bank, which will allow the women of the village to manage a large stock of cotton so that it is always available on credit and at a good price for them to transform and generate income. The children of the village did a mask dance and the young adults did a skit about cotton and a bendie dance performance, showcasing aspects of their culture that are in danger of being lost. Finally, the volunteers visited Sal-Dimi, where Tandana is restoring a well, then spent two days relaxing on the Niger River and reflecting on the amazing projects, celebration, and sharing they had participated in.

Ecuador 2010

In February and March, Tandana coordinated 2 service projects, hosted a benefit trip, and put on 2 health care volunteer ventures in Ecuador. The first project was for The Traveling School, who did their fifth village stay and service project in Agualongo. The girls and their teachers attended a traditional wedding ceremony on their first day in the community, then taught English classes for local children and helped to replace the roof on the community center. They went on a hike in the surrounding mountains and baked bread with local women, visited Tandana's scholarship coordinator for a math lesson, and went to a community-owned native tree nursery for science class. A highlight for many was helping to prepare guinea pig for the celebration feast on their last day in the village, and their memories of the week in Agualongo remain strong as they continue their journey through the Andes.

Next, a group of enthusiastic, energetic women from Northeastern University arrived to work with the community of La Banda. A ceremony featuring a communal lunch, traditional dances, demonstrations of traditional dress, and "ollas encantadas" a local version of piñatas, welcomed them to the community. During the week, they hauled sand and gravel up a steep hill, dug a trench, carried bricks, and helped community members build a water filtration tank to provide clean drinking water for the village. They also helped at the native tree nursery, visited both traditional and modern weavers, baked bread with community members, and visited Cuicocha Lake. The group's excitement about their experience has led them to recommend traveling with Tandana to their friends back in Boston.

We also had our second benefit trip, hosted by Nik Millhouse and Hacienda Cusin. The group enjoyed a wonderful tour, featuring world-class Pakacuna gardens, Haciendas Cusin and Pinsaqui, colonial Quito, a meeting with Tandana scholarship students, and visits to several communities where Tandana works, a master weaver, and leather and wood carving craft towns. They are excited about seeing Tandana's work and the beautiful Andean countryside, and their support of our efforts is tremendously appreciated.

Finally, in March we had two wonderful groups of volunteers who helped provide health care to rural communities in our seventh round of Health Care Volunteer Ventures. Both groups became efficient teams, allowing local access to important health services and also enjoyed visiting local friends, cooking class and baking bread in local homes, seeing waterfalls and lakes, and singing our new Kichwa health care song. We now have our own dental equipment and were able to hire a local dentist to fill cavities and extract teeth on site with us while we work. She did a fantastic job, treating 15-20 patients during each morning of work. The groups saw 428 patients in 7 communities, treating everything from parasites and conjunctivitis to arthritis, hypertension, and pharyngitis.

In June, The Tandana Foundation hosted 14 volunteers from North Carolina and Georgia in service projects in two communities just outside of Otavalo, Ecuador. The all-women group enthusiastically dove into all aspects of their Ecuadorian experience. From mornings in Larcacunga trimming baby trees in the local native plant nursery and shoveling rocks and cement at the community center in La Banda to afternoons visiting indigenous artisans and hiking to sacred waterfalls, they embraced every opportunity to get to know this new place and all of their new friends. One of the group’s favorite afternoon activities was spent at our friend Claudia’s house for a cooking lesson. The group learned how to make llapingachos (spiced and fried mashed potato pancakes), quimbolitos (banana leaf wrapped pastries), mote (steamed fresh corn), marinated tomato and onion salad, and a delicious spiced beef. That night, they feasted wonderful foods, but Claudia’s incredible warmth and hospitality was the greatest treat of all. All of the volunteers worked hard and our local friends were pleased with their efforts. On our final night in Quito, everyone brainstormed ideas for further service projects and all of the friends and family members they wish to bring along on the next Tandana adventure.

Our scholarship program is going strong with 45 secondary students and our first university scholarship student benefiting! Margarita Fuerez, who is our first university scholarship recipient is a bright and motivated young woman who has overcome many obstacles in her life. She is studying accounting and is already working on a project to create a youth council in her area to get young people involved in serving their community. 

Mali 2010

In January 2010, Tandana's Mali Volunteer Venture group enjoyed a meaningful and rewarding experience of village life and travel. After traveling from Bamako, and making mudcloths with artisans in Djenne, they visited the Kori-Maounde school garden, where students showed how they were taking advantage of Tandana's first project in Mali. Next, they hiked down the Bandiagara cliff to Tereli, where they helped students plant fruit trees in the school garden, also funded by Tandana, and were treated to a mask dance as a show of appreciation from the community. Then they went out to the village of Kansongho, where the whole group was blown away by the reception they received. Rifle shots, singing, dancing, Dogon masks, speeches, gifts, and skits celebrated their arrival. They visited the grain bank, which Tandana helped start, and soon got to work constructing a rock wall to protect a new orchard and planting 300 fruit trees. While in the village, they tried their hands at pounding millet, participated in a church service, learned to dance Dogon-style, and had their feet or hands tattooed with henna. The joy, friendships, and lessons the people of Kansongho shared with our group were deeply inspiring, and the volunteers have returned home with many ideas of ways to continue to help the village and a new perspective on life.

Ecuador 2009

Throughout the month of July 2009, Tandana offered free English and math classes for elementary and secondary students in Quichinche, Ecuador. About 80 students showed up on a daily basis for English classes, taught by Tandana intern Lauren Armstrong and Putney Student Travel volunteers. About 30 students attended math classes, taught by local teacher Alfredo Flores. In addition to classes, the students also participated in service projects and field trips, including cleaning up trash at the sacred Lechero tree, picnicking at the Peguche waterfall, and planting flowers at the Quichinche school. Many of our 45 scholarship students participated and enjoyed the opportunity. "This class helps us a lot with the English language," said Rupay, a scholarship student from Panecillo.

In September 2009, Tandana held its sixth round of Health Care Volunteer Ventures. The two groups of volunteers were able to see 359 patients in seven communities outside of Otavalo, treating them for parasites, H. pylori, respiratory infections, and many other diseases. They also enjoyed making bread with a local family, riding bikes down the mountain from Mojanda Lakes, sharing fish and soccer with local families at Yahuarcocha, practicing their Kichwa, and boating on San Pablo Lake. An Ecuadorian medical student was among the volunteers, increasing the cross-cultural sharing for everyone and having a blast discovering new parts of his country. "All the smile and strength that you have is admirable," he said.

March 2009 saw four Tandana groups visit Ecuador. Our first benefit group enjoyed a wonderful tour, featuring world-class Pakacuna gardens, Haciendas Cusin and Pinsaqui, colonial Quito, a meeting with Tandana scholarship students, and visits to a community-run native tree nursery, a master weaver, and leather and woodcarving craft towns. They are excited about seeing Tandana's work and the beautiful Andean countryside and are planning to return next year with friends and relatives. 

Next came three weeks of healthcare, two for Tandana's Health Care Volunteer Ventures and one for a group of faculty and students from the University of Utah Medical School. They treated 566 patients in 12 communities for everything from headaches to h. pylori or infected wounds. The volunteers enjoyed working in some gorgeous locations on steep hillsides high in the mountains and also visiting waterfalls, discussing bilingual education, listening to local music, learning about traditional healing from a yachac, and picnicking with local friends at Cuicocha volcanic lake.

Mali 2009

In January 2009, The Tandana Foundation coordinated its first two volunteer programs in Mali. The first was a 3-day service project for a group organized by Women Worldwide and Adventures in Rock. In between travels through the country and enjoying the music of the Festival in the Desert, this group took time to give back to the Kori-Maounde primary school. Volunteers helped the community members and children dig holes and plant 54 fruit trees in the school garden. The children will care for the trees and sell their fruit to earn money for school supplies. The volunteers also helped the community members dig a trench, lay a pipe, and create a watering basin, so that the children can water the trees more easily. They found time to play frisbee with the kids, teach them "head, shoulders, knees, and toes," and lead them with call-and-response to a water hole to bring water for the trees. They also visited a nearby historic site where the community member's ancestors hid from their adversaries in cave dwellings and an old iron smelter. In the evenings, they gave English lessons to middle school students at a dormitory. You can read a great description of their experience at Craig and Steph's Vacation Blog.

Next, Tandana's Mali Volunteer Venture group arrived. We had a wonderful, diverse group of travelers who really appreciated every opportunity and enjoyed sharing their insights with each other. After traveling from Bamako, catching a bit of music in Segou, and making mudcloths and visiting artisans in Djenne, they hiked down the Bandiagara cliff to Tereli, where they visited the school and its garden that was funded by Tandana. Next, they went out to the village of Kansongho, where the whole group was blown away by the reception they received. Rifle shots, singing, dancing, Dogon masks, speeches, gifts, and skits marked the inauguration of the well Tandana helped to restore last year and also the celebration of our group's arrival. The village had already begun construction of the building for the new grain bank, and the volunteers pitched in, carrying rocks, drawing water and bringing it from the well, and plastering the interior with mud. They also helped to build anti-erosion dikes in the fields, hoe up the old millet stalks to prepare for next year's planting, and collect firewood for cooking. While in the village, they tried their hands at spinning and weaving, participated in a church service, learned to dance Dogon-style, helped with cooking, and, for some, had their feet tattooed with henna. The joy, friendships, and lessons the people of Kansongho shared with our group were deeply inspiring. The village is thrilled to be starting the grain bank. They have elected the committee that will manage it, and the first shipment of millet has arrived. Before the group left, the chief of Kansongho made a gift of a plot of land to The Tandana Foundation. You can read more on the arts foundry blog.

2008

In February 2008, The Tandana Foundation coordinated a weeklong village stay and service project in highland Ecuador for The Traveling School. Students and teachers lived in the homes of families and shared in daily activities in the village of Agualongo. They taught English to the local children and helped build a new bathroom for the village kindergarten. Meanwhile, they learned to bake bread in a wood-fired oven, hiked to the peak above the village, visited Cuicocha Lake with their hosts, and danced with the village in their going-away ceremony. 

Then, in March, Tandana hosted its third and largest round of health care volunteer ventures. Three groups of volunteers, working different weeks, provided health care to almost 600 patients in 14 communities. The volunteers formed powerful teams working together to serve the patients and also found time to enjoy making local friends, Holy Week activities, eating fanesca soup, visiting with a local shaman and intercultural education leaders, and dancing with a local band. 

In September, 2008, The Tandana Foundation hosted its fourth round of Health Care Volunteer Ventures. Volunteers from all over the United States joined with Ecuadorian professionals to offer affordable, accessible, and respectful health care to five communities in the Quichinche parish of Ecuador. This time, we added dentistry to our services, and that was a big hit. We were able to fill cavities for 55 patients. Our doctors and P.A.s, meanwhile, saw 427 patients, helping cure them of H. pylori, parasites, infections, and many other problems. It was a wonderful experience for the volunteers, also, who got to experience baptism celebrations, hikes with our scholarship students to beautiful locations, and meetings with fascinating community members.

Meanwhile, in Mali, work began on the new school garden at Tereli. This is the second school garden that Tandana has funded, and it will allow the students to grow fruits and vegetables, learn about horticulture, and also become more self-sufficient as they sell the produce to earn money for school supplies. A fruit tree nursery was also begun for the Kori-Maounde school garden, which Tandana helped to start last year. The well restoration project in Kansongho was completed, and the villagers are thrilled to have a secure, year-round water source.

2007

In February 2007, The Tandana Foundation coordinated a weeklong village stay and service project in highland Ecuador for The Traveling School. Students and teachers lived in the homes of families and shared in daily activities in the village of Agualongo. They taught English to the local children and helped the community pave a muddy area next to the community center. Meanwhile, they also learned to peel potatoes, hiked to the peak above the village to take in the amazing Andean landscape, celebrated Carnaval by joining in a huge water fight, and gained new "parents, brothers, and sisters," whom they can't wait to visit again. 

Then, later in March, a group of adults traveled to Ecuador to provide healthcare for underserved villagers. They saw hundreds of patients in four communities and also found time to experience the culture and area in amazing depth for a visit of just one week. They met with traditional healers, indigenous leaders, students, and a master weaver and hiked to sacred sites such as the Lechero tree and the Peguche waterfall. Throughout their stay, they reveled in the opportunity to interact as friends rather than tourists and to take in the region's natural beauty.

We have also begun work in Mali, where we have funded the creation of a school garden and the reconstruction of a well. We hope to offer volunteer ventures and service projects there in the future. Correspondence programs and sister city or school relationships are also available, and we are working on a Malian folktale book project that will benefit the village of those who shared the stories with us.

2004-2006

In 2004, The Tandana Foundation was begun with the goal of promoting cross-cultural learning opportunities and service projects. Operating under the auspices of the Deer Hill Foundation, in July 2005 we were able to include two Ecuadorian participants in the Deer Hill Expeditions Expedicion Ecuador program, allowing them to travel around their country with North American students and then host these new friends in their village as they all worked together on community projects. It was an experience that still resonates in their hearts; Claudia, one of the local scholarship recipients, recently sent an email saying, "I wrote like a book about the trip and this year I reread it, saying last year I was there and there.... this is something unforgettable that I have experienced and I will never experience it again. Thank you so much again for everything." We were also able to provide partial scholarships to several North American students, enabling them to participate in this exciting program and experience Ecuadorian culture as few visitors are able.

In the summer of 2006, we offered two Ecuadorian students the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to the United States and participate in Deer Hill's Canyon Country program. Cristina and Elsa, who had never dreamed they would travel on an airplane, flew from Quito to Houston, Denver, and then Cortez, Colorado. Smiling in the sun in their traditional Otavelena dress, they awaited my pickup and the adventure of their lives. Joining their North American and French groupmates, they set off on a week-long raft trip on the Green River. They loved running the rapids in inflatable kayaks, cooking strange new American foods when it was their turn in the kitchen, and making friends with the young people in their group. After hiking in the La Sal Mountains and taking in an alpine beauty different from that of their Andean home, they journeyed to the village of Lower Moencopi on the Hopi Nation, where they encountered the highlight of their trip. Both they and the Hopi hosts were thrilled with the opportunity to share customs, traditions, and techniques with people of another indigenous American culture. Corn is central to the lifestyles of both, and they traded beliefs, processing techniques, and favorite dishes related to that crop. During our stay there, Lower Moencopi was also visited by Native Youth Cultural Exchange, a group of Native Hawaiian, Californian, and Hopi youth. Cristina and Elsa were able to join the young people from each of those cultures in presenting songs, dances, and traditions from their homeland at a cultural exchange potluck.  

Their experience in the United States not only gave them a chance to learn about other cultures and make new friends, it also helped them value their own culture more, enlarged their perspective on the world, and gave them experience that will help in their future careers in the tourism industry in Ecuador. After the trip, Cristina wrote, "I am so happy and grateful to all of those who made possible my dream. I had many wonderful experiences, I learned to converse in English, and I also got to know the Hopi culture, in which they have conserved many of their ancestral traditions. I learned to value my culture... I know that this experience will serve me in my professional and personal life, because my dream is to become a professional tourism guide. This experience was a great practical and observation trip and I learned much more than I have in the classroom." The other members of their group also enjoyed and benefited from the opportunity their presence offered to form cross-cultural friendships and learn about a different perspective.

In addition to making possible these amazing experiences for Cristina and Elsa, we were also able to coordinate a week-long village stay and service project for The Traveling School and a month-long volunteer venture for a family from Montana. The Traveling School students and teachers stayed with host families in the village of Agualongo, taught English to the local children, helped the village paint their community center, played soccer with the mothers, and were amazed by the appreciation feast they were offered. The week there was a highlight of their three-month journey through the Andes because of the unique opportunity it offered for real cultural experience, friendship, and the chance to make a difference. Then, in June, a family of four from Montana journeyed to Ecuador and stayed with a family in the community of Rey Loma. They joined in festival activities with their hosts, supported the community soccer team, helped a school replace a badly-damaged roof, prepared Elsa and Cristina for their trip to the United States, and experienced so much that a typical visitor would never see.