Mi sitio en Ecuador!

From the begenning until Now

Miami May, 2015

Finally, a year after applying we found out that our country of service would be Ecuador. Time flies! It seems like just yesterday that we were in a hotel in Miami signing documents and getting detailed information about our new adventure: Peace Corps Ecuador. Forty-one strangers got together to become Omnibus 114. We spent our first three days living together at the Peace Corps training Center in Nayón. During our time there we found out where to find a good meal, where to play soccer, and even about each other's talents. 

Quito, August 2015

We were divided into two programs Community Health and Youth and Families. Justin was assigned Community Health, and he was trained in nutrition, hygiene, and sexual education. I was assigned Youth and Family, and I was trained on life skills for youth, preparing them for the professional world , and how to increase leadership, volunteerism and services learning among youth. 

In addition, for three months we received training in Ecuadorean culture, what to do in case we get sick, and how to be safe. Finally, on August 18, after being Peace Corps Trainees we finally finished the longest job interview of our lives. 

On that day thirty -seven of the original forty-one Peace Corps Trainees attended a swearing in ceremony at US Ambassador Nam's Quito home.It was then that thirty seven of us, aspiring to help the Ecuadorean people and educate our new communities on what it is to be from the United States and still a citizen of the world, started our paths to achieve those goals. It was then that we became Peace Corps Volunteers.

Officially Peace Corps Volunteer

Ecuador Peace Corps Director and Ambassador Nam 

Ecuador Peace Corps Director and Ambassador Nam

  

Youth and Family OMNI 114 

Community Health OMNI 114

   

Brianna, Julia, Jay, and Ambassador Nam

  

As Peace Corps Volunteers,  we all went on different paths begin an individual journey. Justin and I were assigned to live in Ibarra, Imbabura. Now I am working at  HIAS a nonprofit organization that helps refugees. Justin works in Otavalo, a city about 45 minutes away from Ibarra. He works with CEMOPLAF at one of their many clinics spread throughout Ecuador. Their focus is on sexual health and family planning. 

Volcan Imbabura and view of Ibarra. 

We are lucky enough to live in our own apartment, and it has become our first project on site together. We painted it, we bought a bed and a mattress, and we built a closet. We still have a lot of things to get done. But we are very excited about Ibarra and our new projects.