Greetings from Otavalo, Ecuador. We arrived to this beautiful mountain town this afternoon and we are awed by the tall and steep mountains that surround this magical settlement.
Last night we went to the Folkloric Ballet and it was so beautiful that I cried. The group is internationally famous and they have won many awards for their indigenous live music band, their colorful costumes, their symbolic dancing and their preservation of culture. They represent peace.
This morning we went to a street children project in the South of Quito, and it was a special visit because a current Friends World Student has been doing her independent study at this non-profit organization since September, so she was an inspiration for the students in the group. Diana Cummings works with children that are forced to work in the market and she also gives art classes to mothers of children that are involved the numerous varieties of programs. We toured the building and felt amazed at the solidarity of the organization and how much help is provided to so many under-privileged people. There are so many programs ranging from a gynecologist that gives out free birth control shots, to a card-making workshop, to tutoring, to psychological counseling, to free dentist services, to a free lunch program, to a colorful library, to sewing classes, to a beauty shop, and much much more. We also walked around one of the markets and I felt shocked at how many children, of all ages, are selling gum, vegetables, fruit, anything. It was an eye-opening experience because we saw an indentified social problem and experiences a successful attempt to help children and their families.
So, now we are in Otavalo and our topics of study will be indigenous movements, holistic healing, craft making and cleansing ceremonies by shamans.
Beautiful.
No comments:
Post a Comment