Partners Visit

For those who don't know much about Partners Worldwide (PW), let me preface this post by explaining a little about the structure of PW.  Instead of going to a country and setting up an office and staff and following a set model for international development, PW works internationally by connecting Christian businesspeople from the US (or another more developed country) with Christian businesspeople already living and serving in a given country (like Ecuador).  Really we're all about relationships.  We want to build a strong international partnership between those 2 groups of businesspeople.  We foster relationships with the businesspeople we serve.  This year we're also putting a special emphasis on mentoring relationships, both locally and with international mentors.  All that said, face-to-face contact in a weeklong visit from the North American partners is an important part of strengthening the partnering relationship.

Thus, the end of June/beginning of July was a time of lots of meetings, visits to businesses, and dinners with the various people with whom I work.

The day after everyone arrived, the North American and Ecuadorian leaders talked over plans for the year and had an evening dinner with trainers who help out with the business course.


About 2/3 of our binational team

A special musical surprise during dinner

The second day, we split into two groups to visit businesses in North Quito, South Quito, and the two valleys.  A few of the businesses we visited...

 That evening, the two groups met up in the Old Town colonial area for dinner, and we had a view of the city from the 5th floor Vista Hermosa Restaurant.

Dinner entertainment--halfway thru dinner an elderly man took over the piano at the back of the restaurant.

Looking south--Independence square with Panecillo in the background.

Looking north--La Basilica on the horizon with Toma de Asis in the foreground.

After two days in Quito, I headed to Las Mercedes on the coast with 3 members of the North American team and Edwin, who had led a training course there at the start of this year.  Since Las Mercedes is an agricultural community, we saw lots of cows, pigs, and chickens and ate food that was picked that same day.

Eating fresh cheese at the production site

At the Las Mercedes rice mill

Motorcycle repair--in the past 10 years motorcycles have replaced horses as the main form of transportation within the community.

Lester chopped open a few coconuts so we could finish the day with coconut milk

Scooping out the fleshy coconut meat

 After a quick flight back to Quito and some time together in the airport, most of the team left to spend the 4th of July with family.  A few of us had one last meal together until next time.

 

Three Weeks in Review

My apologies to any still- faithful blog follower—three weeks without a single post is quite pathetic.  I find it interesting that just when I have so much to write about, I end up being nearly too busy to write anything.  I hope to change that soon, and you can look for a number of blog posts in the coming week to detail the interesting and exciting things that have consumed my time since I last wrote.  In the meantime, here’s a 3-week review, with details to follow.

Week 1: Medical Interpreting

Thanks to a stint working as a Steward for the World Communion of Reformed Churches, I can inform you of the difference between translating and interpreting.  In my line of work, most of my bilingual skills go into translating—taking the written word in one language and transferring it into another.  The key word is written (or I suppose, typed)!  Interpreting, on the other hand is all about listening and speaking, and most importantly, remembering in between.  I had never spent a prolonged amount of time facilitating the verbal communication between two groups, so agreeing to do so with medical terminology mixed in was a bit of a stretch (bringing  back memories of AP bio—my last life science class).  I can now say that I have interpreting experience, though translating entire 5 minute run-on paragraphs in a satisfactory manner is still a struggle.  I like to think it would be for anyone, though.

Week 2: Quito Training Graduation and Las Mercedes Business Plan Reviews

I got back from medical interpreting on Friday evening so that I could attend the Quito business training class graduation on Saturday.  That class was a bit of a whirlwind because the Partners Worldwide local affiliate that I work for, Partners for Christian Development – Ecuador (PCD-E), decided to teach the entire class in 3 full Saturdays, instead of 12 mornings.  The class went extremely well and I think we will keep the new format with some tweaks, but it sure helped to make the last month fly by.

That Wednesday my co-worker, Edwin, left for another trip to Las Mercedes.  He has been making monthly trips since January to teach the business classes, and since the March class, 12 people submitted business plans.  I helped Edwin review a couple, and he spent 3 days last week in Las Mercedes to hold a graduation ceremony and go over edits and questions on the business plans.  I’m looking forward to visiting personally either in May or June to see the results of all Edwin’s work.

Week 3: Looking Ahead

I never knew that April was the prime time to plan the next year, but I’m finding out quite quickly.  This afternoon we are reviewing the annual plan with the PCD-E board of directors, I’m gathering documents to renew my visa for another year, and plans are moving along for the annual visit from the Global Business Affiliate (US business supporters and mentors) that will happen in June.

In the meantime, I figure I might as well start the countdown to two other events:

11 days until my parents arrive for a week-long visit to Ecuador, and

75 days until I arrive in the US and get to meet a new baby niece or nephew!

I’m not usually one for countdowns, but these two events definitely are worth being excited about.  So there’s the quick summary of life as I know it, and watch for posts on Medical Interpreting in Santo Domingo, an Interview on Asomavision, Business Training in Quito, Businesses in Las Mercedes, A Weekend in Sardinas, and Fanesca--a Holy Week Treat.

Training in Las Mercedes (Take 3)

Las Mercedes Training Class - ready for the next step

The thing about working with businesses is that if you do your job well, you're never finished.  The whole line about "working yourself out of a job" never applies.  I could write a great story about how the last of 3 training visits to Las Mercedes was completed (finished) two weeks ago, but the truth is that I'm thinking more about the 8 business plans that those training participants already sent, the visit another participant is going to make to Quito next week to work with us directly on his plan, and the 7 or more other people who are calling Edwin at least once a week with questions about details of what they learned in the business training class.  So I can tell a little about the training, but the important thing is what comes next.

Working on conference planning a couple years back, I ran in the question of what follow up means.  For a conference, the responsibility is next to nothing.  Each participant decides herself what to do with her learnings.  However, as an organization that focuses on business development, we make it our business to follow up with participants to help them put what they learned into practice.  As a caveat, we still have much to learn ourselves and in practice, follow up is difficult.  However, that is exactly what we are doing with the training group in Las Mercedes.

Working on activities in groups

During the last training session, the participants divided up into groups according to the sector they work in--pig farming, dairy farming, mechanics, and commerce--and they have been working together to write down their plans for their businesses.  Since Las Mercedes is so far from where we are based in Quito (a 45 minute flight and then a 3 hour drive), the ability of participants to reinforce the ideas of the training for each other is essential.

At the same time, the wonders of email allow them to send their business plans, and in the next trip to Las Mercedes in April, Edwin and a board member will be able to visit their businesses and talk through their plans to help them form realistic goals and continue improving their businesses and farms.

And after that, there will definitely be more follow up work.  More questions, more decisions to consult on.  The truth is that unless a business fails, there are always new challenges and opportunities to consider, and as long as a business owner wants to consult with us in making decisions, we have a job to do.  And that's a good thing.

Training in Las Mercedes (Take 2)

My coworker, Edwin, was back in Las Mercedes for the second of three business training trips, and here are some pictures and stories to the stories from the January trip.

Rice fields in Las Mercedes

 To give some background on Las Mercedes, this community is located in the coastal region of Ecuador.  Unlike the mountainous Quito, which has very mild, almost constantly spring weather, Las Mercedes has a tropical climate with distinct rainy and dry seasons and higher temperatures.  Since Ecuador is currently in the rainy season, a farming community like Las Mercedes adjusts by planting rice to take advantage of the weather.  They also keep some corn and vegetables year round, and some farmers even have cocoa growing on their land.  With hard rains recently, the rivers are swollen.  One farmer told Edwin that his pastures are on the other side of the river from his house and farm.  Since he has several cows, this means that the animals must swim across the river each morning and evening for milking.  When asked, the farmer proudly stated that he had never lost a cow to that river.

Cows are not the only animals that are raised in Las Mercedes.  Edwin visited a young girl who raises chickens to pay for her education.  Since she was in high school, she has cared for the chickens with minimal assistance from her parents.  Not only is she gaining a great education, but she is learning responsibility and a strong work ethic as well.

Leonel is another hard worker from Las Mercedes, and he has also learned how to adapt to different environments.  For seven years he worked as an executive chauffer in Guayaquil, earning top dollar for his line of work.  When the business failed, he lost his job and was unable to find another in the large coastal city.  Moving back to the land of his birth, Leonel, his wife, and two children returned to agriculture to create a livelihood.  Leonel now raises pigs and dairy cows while also growing cocoa and oranges.

These are just a few of the many stories of those who are part of the Las Mercedes community.  Together they raise crops and animals that will feed the rest of their country, and they live, work, and learn together from week to week.  During the recent training visit, the 20 participants worked on homework and activities together, but also taught each other important lessons in other ways.  Half of the group arrived late on the first day, so as a “punishment” they had to stay late and create a skit to entertain the rest of the group.  To ensure that everyone understood the lesson on customer attention, the group rounded up some items from the room, divided into groups, and exhibited the extremes of excellent and horrible customer service.  Needless to say, everyone arrived punctually the next day and knew exactly what excellent customer service entails.

Training in Las Mercedes

Last month my coworker, Edwin, went to a rural farming community called Las Mercedes to give the first 4 of 12 sessions on business basics.  Back in July, I visited this community with two North American businessmen to spend time with a current loan recipient and consider the proposal to hold business training classes in Las Mercedes.  Obviously, that proposal was approved, and the following is a summary of the report Edwin wrote on his time in Las Mercedes.

On January 19 through 21, the Las Mercedes training class began with the introduction to PCD-Ecuador (Partners for Christian Development) and the introduction of each of the participants.  There were 20 participants, including 10 women, who represented businesses such as livestock and agriculture, auto mechanics, convenience stores, rice processing, cheese production, and commerce.  Each participant owns a business that provides for the owner's family and meets the needs of others in the community.

During sessions on topics such as "Planning Biblical Goals" and "The Executive Summary," participants formed groups of 4-5 people to work on activities and later share with the whole group their ideas and comments on the topics they discussed.

Outside of the training classes, there was a visit to the cheese factory owned by Freddy.  He has 6 years of experience and processes 6 kg (13.25 lbs) of cheese each day from locally-produced milk.  In the future, he hopes to increase the technology of his cheese production process.

 There also was a visit to the community's recycling project.  Initiated in June with the help of a Peace Corp volunteer, the project ensures that the community remains clean, prevents the contamination of the river, and brings in funds from the sale of recycled materials.

PCD-Ecuador has a long history of working in agriculture and farming with the community of Las Mercedes through partner organizations, and it's exciting to now be able to offer business training as well in this community.

Snapshots of Life in Ecuador

Over the past month, I have seen a glimpse of the beauty of Ecuador.  From the snow-capped volcano Cotopaxi that greets me in the morning on clear days to the fish markets that characterize coastal towns like Manta, Ecuador is at once filled with the sleeping peace of ancient peaks alongside the bustle of commerce and barter that fill each new morning.

Quito is ringed by volcanoes, and during my first weekend in Ecuador I had the opportunity to take a cable car and then hike to a point at the base of Pichincha.  Reaching an elevation of over 4,100 meters, I climbed to the highest point I have ever visited, and the view of the city and the surrounding farmland was majestic.

The day before that, I took a quick ride to the middle of the world...er...the equator.  They call it the mitad del mundo here to distinguish from the name of the country.  As I stood with one foot in the Southern Hemisphere and one in the Northern Hemisphere, it struck me how far I had traveled.  Michigan is halfway between the equator and the North Pole, and I had crossed the 45th parallel several times.  Yet suddenly I found myself at that geographical landmark that I had previously only known as a line on a world map.

Besides the natural wonders of Ecuador, I am always intrigued by the daily life here.  When I was on the Pacific Coast to visit Las Mercedes, we visited a fish market where one could purchase anything from sharks to $800 tuna to shellfish.









Gaviota birds swooped down to steal fish as they were carried from the motorboats to the shore, and pelicans did their own fishing in the distance.














Competing with the calls of fish sellers was the constant hum of chainsaws and hammers at the shipyard a few meters down the beach.









 Back in Quito, there is a part of the city called La Ronda, which comes alive at nightfall with all the charm of the colonial era.  Over the rofs of the ancient buildings gleams the clock tower of the cathedral, and down the twisting cobblestone road one can purchase traditional drinks and appetizers from the doorways of shops.  These are just a flavor of the rich culture and geography of Ecuador, and I look forward to experiencing more of this country in the coming months.

Next up: Monica's Restaurant

Welcome to Ecuador

It has now been nine days since I arrived in Ecuador, and I am finally starting to settle into life here in Quito. I came in on a flight with two Californian dairy farmers who were part of a group of six people from the North American affiliate of Partners Worldwide (PW) who support Partners for Christian Development, the Ecuadorian organization that PW works with in Ecuador.

The last members of the North American group left yesterday, but before then, we jointly visited three cities, six businesses, participated in the graduation of a business training class, and had many conversations about the achievements over the past year and the goals for the future relationship between the Ecuadorian and North American group.

One of the highlights of the last week for me was a trip out to the rural community of Las Mercedes in the western part of the country. Four of us made the trek by car, plane, bus, and truck to reach this community of just over 100 families. In a country where recycling is rare and littering is still common, this community was spotlessly clean, had organic gardening classes, and was even working on plans for a recycling center. Leaders from the community were searching for new ways to improve their community, and one of those was the reason why we had come.

Several years before, three people from the community had been given financial support for businesses such as a dairy farm and a furniture leg shop. During our time in Mercedes we visited these two businesses, and I even got to milk one of the dairy cows! However, a meeting with over 20 community members was the highlight of the day. This past year there have been two business training classes offered in Quito, and when the community in Mercedes heard about these classes, they were excited to receive the training too. During our meeting, we heard from store owners, farmers, mechanics, and others who were all excited to have us visit and consider the possibility of offering training. We took stories from our visit to Mercedes back to Quito, and in the coming weeks I'll be able to report whether we will be able to offer business classes in Mercedes.

Coming soon: Snapshots of Life in Ecuador