Que Viva La Reina!

Not even hail storms and power outages could keep the people of Rumiloma away from the election of the Queen of Rumiloma last Friday. After making friends with the new town President, Luis Ñacata, Manna Project was invited to participate in this important event and I was invited to sit on the judging board! I must admit that although I have been living here for 2 and a half years I have never had the privilege of participating in a queen election and I really had no idea what to expect. I definitely didn't expect to be sitting at the judging table from 7pm to 12:30am but hey... this is Ecuador!

The 11 candidates for Reina de Rumiloma were judged on their casual wear, a traditional outfit, formal wear, their overall presentation and their answer to one important question about the future of their town. The coolest part for me was seeing all the familiar faces of community members and library regulars cheering on their favorite queens. Since Rumiloma is not a very big place, it seemed like all the candidates were sisters, cousins, daughters, friends, and neighbors of someone that I knew from the community center. The highlight for me was seeing Isaac, a library regular and one of my personal favorites, accompany his older sister on stage and dance behind her wearing a "traditional outfit" of one of Ecuador's Amazonian tribes.

The candidates were asked questions about personal values and role models and also about important topics such as how to tackle bullying and alcoholism in their community. The winner will serve as an ambassador and representative of Rumiloma at important events during the next year. She is to also serve as a role model for the community. I am hoping we can get her to make an appearance at our library 5th anniversary party in March!

Unfortunately the photos didn't come out great... the lighting was borrowed via extension cords from the next block over and the weather was dark and rainy. Here are a few anyways:

 All of Rumiloma came out to see who would be their future reina

 Not sure the Incans really dressed like that...

 A DJ kept us entertained while the girls changed outfits

 The beautiful candidates in their formal wear

The fate of Rumiloma rests on my shoulders! Thats me in the middle judging away

To Drill or Not

Check out this great article written by Maddie Gootman, one of our Fall Break volunteers from Vanderbilt. I am so proud of her for taking some of the issues we discussed last week and raising awareness at home! (Article originally posted here)

There is a major battle surrounding a large part of the world’s biodiversity, and many Americans don’t even know it. The Yasuni, a large Amazonian region in Ecuador, is home to substantial oil reserves, and the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, wants to tap into this resource and put the money towards social programs, but others fear the cost to the Amazon and to the indigenous peoples who live there.

Because of the complexities of the decision the Ecuadorian people havecalled for a referendum to vote on the drilling issue. However, this choice will have to overcome the drawbacks of freedom of expression and the press in Ecuador. True democratic decisions hinge on the ability for people to communicate their viewpoints, and, given the state of censorship in Ecuador, I fear the livelihoods of Ecuadorians, particularly the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, may be at stake.

Previously, the Ecuadorian government had offered world leaders an opportunity to pay it a portion of the potential benefit of the oil reserves in return for protection of the Yasuni. Enthusiasm for this plan worldwide did not pan out. President Correa decided to end the offer short of its full time span because of what he considered to be lackluster progress on raising the funds to provide the support for what he feels are much-needed social programs. A big drawback to his plan, though, is the environmental and health costs it would have for Ecuador, especially given what past drilling has cost the Amazon.

Despite the lessened flow of information in Ecuador, people still seem to have a variety of opinions on the matter. While I was in Quito, I witnessed an older man protest in the plaza about the damage that drilling for oil does to the land and people. I also met people who were enamored with Correa and trusted him to lead the country (despite accusations ofmanipulating the constitution to allow him a longer term) because of the economic improvements since he took office.

Students in particular seemed to be split on the issue. I had the opportunity to visit with students at ESPE, a college outside of Quito, and I asked them what they thought about the plan to drill in the Yasuni. Some were invested in the president’s plan to use the money from the oil reserves to invest in development for public schools and infrastructure. Others were concerned about protecting the environment, finding sustainable development, and respecting the health and rights of the indigenous people who still live in the Yasuni region of the Amazon.

These students tapped into the complexities of the development versus environment debate that is occurring in Ecuador. Their discussion with me was thoughtful and shows the benefits that the marketplace of ideas can have on difficult decisions such as the future of the Yasuni. But these contrasting opinions definitely do not get equal airtime with the public due to government influence and control on the press, and that is concerning for those who are interested in Ecuador’s democratic process.

After spending time around Quito during the Thanksgiving holiday, I understand much better how torn Ecuador is over this issue; I myself still cannot decide what I think of the plan to sell off parts of the Yasuni to companies (primarily Chinese companies) to drill. But it’s not my decision to make, ultimately. The people who know the issue and area best should make the call: the Ecuadorian people.

Ultimately, democracy and the marketplace of ideas are the best way to determine the future of environmentalism and development in Ecuador, the first nation to include the rights of nature in its constitution. Clearly, environmental protection is important to the people, but development and growth is also essential to their livelihoods. Correa might think he knows best for the people, but he should let them speak and listen to their wishes for their own future.

Happy Thanksgiving from Ecuador!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Ecuador Manna Crew! 

We are very excited to be celebrating this Thanksgiving holiday with a group of 12 volunteers from Vanderbilt University! As many of you know, the new Environmental Health program has been working hard to collect bottles and this week our wonderful group of vols is beginning the construction on our plastic bottle greenhouse. They spent the beginning of the week washing, cutting, and separating the bottles and building the frame. Yesterday bottles were finally attached to the roof! Construction is coming along nicely and it has been really fun showing them around Quito and the Valley. Keep posted to get the inside scoop from one of volunteers as the wrap up their work and share their personal experiences from throughout the week!

Women's Charla

Last Thursday the female members of MPIE hosted the second-ever Women's Only charla.  The first charla was centered around the hard-hitting topic of children's nutrition, but this time the topic was a bit more risqué.  The theme was how to talk to your children about sex and sensitive subjects.  Over quinoa apple bread and instant coffee, we the women of the Valley de los Chillos discussed everything from how to talk to your kids about sex, to safe sex methods, to stereotypes in Ecuador involving teenagers and sex, to even religion.  Things got real, but as we all know, the only way to erode negative stereotypes and inaccurate information is to normalize these themes through discussion and positive affirmation!  With quite the variety of beliefs and backgrounds hosted at last week's talk, there was the full gamut of opposing opinions, but I'd say overall the charla was a huge success.  The topic for the third MPIE women's charla is still pending but it's definitely sure to push the envelope of informative discussion as has it's predecessors!

Small Business Development Indiegogo Campaign

Although it may seem that the majority of our time here in Ecuador is spent playing with adorable children and cute puppies, we've have in fact also been working diligently at improving and expanding all of our programs.  Of late, the Small Business Development team has taken on with great ambition the goal of doubling their lending capacity for the upcoming lending cycle to start in January.  In an effort to raise enough money to do this, the SBD team has launched an Indiegogo Campaign with the goal of raising $2,800 in sixty days through in-kind donations.  This would give our humble, yet highly effective, sustainable micro-finance program the opportunity to grant up to twice as many loans (with 7 loan recipients in the current loan cycle) as well as the opportunity to look outside of granting solely to agricultural based small businesses and to perhaps expand their portfolio of loan recipients.  The campaign was officially launched around 8pm EST last night and as of this moment has raised $110- a great start, but we still have a long way to go!  This is a very exciting time for the Small Business Development program in Ecuador so spread the word to everyone you know!