A lagoon in Cajas National Park
Escuela Semillita is a K-12 school located near the Pacific coast of Ecuador in a suburban community of Guayaquil, the country’s largest and most populous city. I recently returned from an Alternative Winter Break trip to serve the community of Escuela Semillita with a team of JMU students (Alyssa, Cassandra, Dana, Jake, Kelly, Laura, Lauren, Megan, and Shelby with student co-leaders Paige Ganger and Jackie Sams) in a wonderful cultural exchange and community service adventure. We witnessed and experienced a community that was genuinely happy and full of life. From their oldest to their youngest, they did all they could to make our stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
We began our journey to Semillita in the morning with a car ride to the Dulles airport and with two connecting flights to Ecuador, arriving after midnight - it was a long day of traveling. After being introduced to our tour guide, Don Jorge, we drove to Escuela Semillita, the place that would be our home base for the week, for a few hours of sleep. Later that day we took a tour of the school and then of the city. The people of Guayaquil refer to the city as the Pearl of the Pacific. The beauty and warmth of its people and landscapes have been inspirational to many who have captured its essence in different artistic expressions.
Our days at Escuela Semillita were a combination of cultural immersion, service work, and touring. On the first morning of school, we were introduced to the entire school in an assembly. It was then that we presented the funds to inaugurate a scholarship in memory of one of the school's founders who passed away a couple of years ago. The donated $600 is enough to fund one financially stressed and academically deserving student for a year of study. We worked at the school, practiced Spanish, answered a lot of curious questions, and saw various cultural and historical sights in the city and surrounding area. We even wore some participants out with walking.
The team helped to serve the people of Semillita by sweeping and scrubbing the classrooms. We also took supplies to the children, helped them with their art projects, played tag and other games, and prepared for "Jornadas Culturales", an event put on by the school where students were tasked with creating visual aids and giving presentations on specific topics to people who come around to their "stand." We also enjoyed group presentations such as plays and dances. On Friday our group contributed by chanting the JMU fight song for the entire school! We also joined the teachers' dance, folkloric style complete with period dress. It was such a fun event and we were overjoyed to have participated.
Although the majority of our time was spent in service with the children, we also enjoyed many of the cultural and environmental wonders of Ecuador. We spent the first day sightseeing in Guayaquil, we ended our week visiting the beautiful beaches of the Pacific Ocean, and on Tuesday we drove into the spectacularly scenic Ecuadorian Andes mountains to Cuenca where we got to experience "La Sierra," Ecuador's mountainous region. On Thursday afternoon, after school, we did some sight-seeing in the city and went shopping in Guayaquil as well.
The student leaders were responsible for the trip logistics, team development, communicating with the partner service agency "Semillita," and facilitating group reflection sessions. I accompanied as the Learning Partner, to lend support to the trip as a "mature influence" to encourage students to make wise decisions and in this case as one who can communicate easily with the native population. I participated in all team activities and took lots of photos each day of our eventful adventures to help in documenting our service in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
It's not every day we go into a poverty-ridden nation and experience a community like Semillita. It reminds us to appreciate our abundances. The people there were surprisingly happy despite their relative poverty, and were exceedingly grateful for the little help we provided. The students all agreed this was a life-changing experience that taught them more than they would ever learn in a college classroom. I always love hearing the students come to that conclusion unanimously. To the students, these trips are once in a lifetime. To me, I find each year and each trip I am able to be a part of more rewarding than the last. I'm so thankful that we had such a great trip. The good people of Escuela Semillita were very welcoming and warm and we easily became friends with the community that surrounded us. While it was hard to say goodbye to our new friends, it was good to come back home to our family and friends.
With thankfulness and appreciation for this opportunity to witness the love of God and His mercy through His people, I am,
~Rosie McArthur, AWB Learning Partner
Photos:
Day One: We traveled to Guayaquil in Ecuador
https://www.facebook.com/mcarthrc/media_set?set=a.10101510287488639.1073741838.7824851&type=3
Day Two:
In the morning, we visited the Iguana Park for a real unique South American experience. Also Malecón 2000, and Las Peñas & Cerro Santa Ana. In the afternoon, we visited Malecón del Estero Salado.
https://www.facebook.com/mcarthrc/media_set?set=a.10101510315567369.1073741839.7824851&type=3
Day Three:
In the morning we worked with the children in the school of Semillita, and in the afternoon we visited Hormiga farm the land of plentiful fruits.
https://www.facebook.com/mcarthrc/media_set?set=a.10101510387872469.1073741840.7824851&type=3
Day Four:
We went to The sierra. Cuenca, Ecuador’s third-largest city and the economic center of the southern sierra, has long been known for a rich intellectual, artistic, and philosophical tradition that matches its colonial architecture.
https://www.facebook.com/mcarthrc/media_set?set=a.10101510479588669.1073741841.7824851&type=3
Day Five:
Cultural week at Escuela Semillita! In the morning we worked with the children
https://www.facebook.com/mcarthrc/media_set?set=a.10101510515032639.1073741842.7824851&type=3
Video:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10101523663762479&set=vb.7824851&type=2&theater
Day Six:
Cultural week at Escuela Semillita! In the morning we worked with the children
https://www.facebook.com/mcarthrc/media_set?set=a.10101510533031569.1073741843.7824851&type=3
Day Seven:
Cultural week at Escuela Semillita! In the morning we worked with the children
https://www.facebook.com/mcarthrc/media_set?set=a.10101510570830819.1073741844.7824851&type=3
Videos:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10101509415790529&set=vb.7824851&type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=496170403820801&set=vb.100002835385003&type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=695208753853219&set=p.695208753853219&type=2&theater
Last Day:
Going home!
https://www.facebook.com/mcarthrc/media_set?set=a.10101510595072239.1073741845.7824851&type=3
