Learn how we build a sustainable and inclusive landscape in the Andean Chocó of Pichincha with the help of Enseña Ecuador.
Classes began in the communities of Mashpi, Pachijal and Guayabillas located in the Andean Chocó region of Pichincha. Despite this important area being in the highlands, its school schedule is aligned with the coastal region’s cycle. For this reason, the schools in these communities joyfully began their activities at the end of April. The beginning of this school year brought an even greater expectation than usual given that the community received some very special guests, the professionals from Enseña Ecuador (PECs).
Photograph: PEC surrounded by the students of the Mashpi community
These teachers with diverse backgrounds such as lawyers, communicators, architects, and others, have left their hometown of Quito to immerse themselves in the communities that need them the most. Their mission is to contribute with the conservation of the Andean Chocó through an integral education program that transcends the classrooms and generates virtuous relations between communities and nature. To achieve that purpose, they have received the constant guidance of two organizations, Fundación Futuro and Enseña Ecuador.
The PECs have taken charge of the subjects of Math and English in the schools of Mashpi, Pachijal and Guayabillas. But their work goes beyond giving classes. During the next two years, the PECs have the mission of building a culture of respect, solidarity and teamwork in the classrooms. As Jimena Guerra, PEC coordinator, mentions:
Photograph: Recreational activity taking place during the beginning of classes in the community of Guayabillas.
This great challenge began for the PECs with a series of community gatherings organized by the school’s parents. All the members of the communities assisted, as if it were a great party. The PECs stay at the school’s facilities; therefore, the communities and them worked together to create comfortable and inhabitable spaces. These gatherings were very important to strengthen the PECs’ relation with the students, their families and the community leaders before the beginning of classes.
The PECs are carrying out an important task in the area’s schools, each one has a range of 30 to 150 students. Besides there being a lack of teachers, students have also faced having an intermittency of teachers in past years. For this reason, counting with the presence of PECs is a very important starting point to transform education in the area. Carolina Dávalos, our Sustainable Landscape Coordinator highlights that:
Photograph: Teamwork performed by students during the first days of class in Mashpi
To be able to teach, the PECs went through an extensive 7-month selection and formation process that guarantees that they have the commitment and skills not only to teach, but also to generate high-impact community projects. While they teach class and play with their students, they are also developing a social mapping of the communities that allows them to deeply understand them. Through these mappings, the PECs will develop pertinent strategies and projects for each of the communities.
Photograph: Map of Ecuador made collaboratively by students
The holistic work that is being done in the area is a key tool to guarantee that the children who graduate have a higher capacity of critical thinking and to become empowered to manage sustainable productive and touristic projects when finishing their studies. The work done by the PECs has been greatly welcomed by the communities. As Jimena Guerra, PEC coordinator, mentions:
The production and consumption of local agroecological products protect the ecosystems of the Andean Chocó
The agroecological transition promotes sustainable production models and responsible consumption that both improve people’s living conditions and contribute to the integral conservation of the Chocó Andino’s forests.
Nature’s Jenga Towers
Across the planet, every continent has its own collection of plants and animals that are specific to each region. So, for example, in Africa we find rhinos, giraffes and hippos; in Australia koalas and kangaroos; in South America jaguars, pumas and llamas. On a smaller scale, these differences also exist, although they are less obvious and sometimes found in areas with much greater rates of biodiversity than others.
Biodiversity in the Andean Chocó: Quito’s forests
How many times have you read or heard that Ecuador is a megadiverse country? No matter where we go in the country, we will always be surrounded by an endless number of species swamped in their daily activities to obtain nutrients and energy. Perhaps, it could be hard for us to notice how those species interact with each other, and even more challenging if they are not visible to our eyes (bacteria, small insects, etc).