2010 Projects 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.
In April, the eighth grade class from Headwaters Academy in Montana spent a week living and working with the rural community of Padre Chupa. After a breathtaking ride to reach the community, they were put to work right away. They joined local parents in creating a school garden by preparing the soil, building a protective fence, and planting seeds. In the following days everyone stayed very active while participating in hikes led by the school children to a nearby waterfall, to visit a sugar cane press, and to a ridge with a beautiful view of the surrounding area. Together, the two groups of students also baked bread, built a campfire to make s'mores, and painted a sign for the school. The week concluded with a trip to the Chachimbiro hot springs where many of the students from Padre Chupa got the chance to go swimming for the first time in their lives.In February and March, Tandana coordinated 2
service projects, hosted a
benefit trip, and put on 2
health care volunteer vacations 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,
In the Sierra of Ecuador, 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 woodcarving 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 Vacations. 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 January 2010, Tandana's
Mali Volunteer Vacation 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.
2009 Projects
In September 2009, Tandana held its sixth round of Health Care Volunteer Vacations. 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.
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.
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 health care, two for Tandana's Health Care Volunteer Vacations 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.
Meanwhile, we have great news for Mali also. Julie and Mick, who participated in the Mali Volunteer Vacation returned to their community, shared photos and stories, and raised over $7000 to purchase more millet for the Kansongho grain bank. The bank's managing committee received this news as a miracle; they have already sold over half of their original stock and knew they would run out before the next harvest. The villagers and their relatives in the cities were very worried about how to feed their families through the year. Aware of the global economic difficulties, they did not expect such a boon in this time. They are thrilled and so grateful for the additional 16 tons of millet that will be added to the bank's stock.
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 villagers 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 villagers 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 villagers' 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 Vacation 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.
Past Projects
In September, 2008, The Tandana Foundation hosted its fourth round of Health Care Volunteer Vacations. Volunteers from all over the United States joined with Ecuadorian professionals to offer affordable, accessible, and respectful health care to five communties 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.
From June 25 - August 7, 2008, the Tandana Foundation held its first Ecuador Summer Volunteer Program. Volunteers lived with indigenous families in a small community near Otavalo, Ecuador. Work projects included teaching summer school English classes to students in the community, assisting public health workers in administering vaccinations to children and dogs, and translating a book of traditional Quichua legends into English. Volunteers also took part in the indigenous celebration of Inti Raymi, visited a sacred waterfall, hiked around Cuicocha Lake, shopped in the world-famous Otavalo market, and learned how to prepare several traditional indigenous dishes. For the final week of the program, volunteers ventured to the Amazon, where they stayed in a jungle lodge, viewed wildlife, and went hiking and river rafting.
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.
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 vacations. 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.
See the Columbus Dispatch article about The Tandana Foundation
In September 2007, a second group of volunteers traveled to Ecuador to provide health care to rural villagers. They saw hundreds of patients in five communities and enjoyed working with local professionals, meeting with community members, and taking in the amazing natural beauty of the Andes. Building on our experience in March, we improved our techniques in this second health care volunteer vacation, creating better patient records and strategies for organizing our pharmacy.
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 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 vacations 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.
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 vacation 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.
--Anna Taft, founder
