There have been several times since I have been here that I take a step back and marvel at the opportunity I have been given to be in this place. Sustainable Roots hit the ground running in 2010 thanks to Toni Walters’ vision of bringing the community of Cosanga together to improve skills that help children realize that furthering their education will make them strong members in their surroundings and in this world. Toni is an incredible human who sees a big picture and puts it into action while considering the greater good of the people she works with – the people in Cosanga and others in the Napo province. Toni and her husband Eladio are working together to increase the economy in Cosanga as well as bringing awareness to the importance of the land to community members and others in this world. With the help of volunteers over the past years, they have created a relationship with the community that fosters understanding, appreciation, and growth.

Nothing could have exemplified this better than the community meeting we had at the Sustainable Roots organization on the evening of Thursday, March 2^nd. Toni invited everyone from the community to come discuss curso opportunities (English classes, creative endeavors, PEEK classes that utilize digital cameras and the cursos vacacionales summer camps) and to eat salchipapas (an Ecuadorian meal that is comprised of potatoes, sausage, a ton of mayonnaise and ketchup…yumm). Over 50 members from the community attended the meeting and sat attentively listening for 2 hours, even the children! I had goose bumps as the older generation that has worked with Sustainable Roots expressed how they improved their English and why it is important for them. I haven’t always understood why it is so important for others from different countries to speak English, but the more I learn from the children and from the mission statement here, the more I see the greater picture. More so, I see the excitement and the accomplishment that each child has when they truly understand what they are saying and even more when they light up in laughter with the fact that my gringo accent can’t say the word panadería (bakery); I have wonderful teachers.

Cosanga has become drenched in rain with the wet season arriving. We have already received more rain in the first week and a half of March than they received in all of February. However, that doesn’t stop people from being outside and working hard at improving their surroundings. Saturday, March 4^th 20+ people worked together to renovate/ spruce up the walking garden that welcomes others into Cosanga over el puente sobre del Rio Cosanga (The bridge over the Cosanga River). We worked hard at weeding, planting new jungle plants, putting a new path down with rocks and sand from the river and celebrating with a meal cooked by women who know what they are doing… have I mentioned that the food here is incredible??

The high attendance to the community meeting brought high attendance to our curso classes for the week of Sunday, March 5^th. The week consisted of English and creative/strength building classes for ages 4-64 (or higher?). We (my co-education volunteer, Kendra) pulled a few 14 hour days and planned like crazy to make sure that we had a good understanding of the rhythm of it all. A new role brings new responsibilities in which I expected to be working harder in the beginning. On top of planning for 22 hours of cursos, we dedicate at least one hour each day to the INCREDIBLE garden here. I have never lived in an environment that is thriving as much as it is here and I cherish the time that I can get my hands dirty. It was a little difficult last week for me to work as hard as I wanted to due to scraping my hands while rock climbing the previous Friday, but I did my best! We have a lot of upkeep to do from going from 7 people working on the garden to 3 people working on it, but little by little we are getting the work done.

I have learned a wealth of information about the process of growing crops, on what plants grow best where and how to distinguish one plant from the other. I have tended to potato crops, planted lettuce, replanted lettuce, harvested beans, weeded a bunch of raised beds and look forward to planting broccoli in the next few days and I’ve been here for only two weeks! I can’t wait to see what will continuously grow throughout the garden. I am sometime weary of if I am doing things right, and this might sound weird, but I rely on the plants for their wisdom of their relationship with the ground and that is seeming to help (along with all the information that Toni has given me… she knows so much!). I knew I would be learning about the planting process, but I didn’t know I would be learning this much, I am overjoyed.

I am also learning how to multitask better than ever. My intentions with communication have to be more thought out while I am planning on what to say next on top of teaching. It can be overwhelming at times, but it helps me sleep really well at night! Everyone is so patient. I am the least patient with myself, but I am getting better at telling myself that I won’t get better in one day. I try harder each day with the more that I’m learning. To celebrate International Women’s day, for instance, I worked on translating a song with two of the adults who come to our curso classes. It was a great synth-y 80s song and Klever (one of our most dedicated students) brought us a delightful cake, too!! It was very sweet and very fun working on something that they enjoy.

Speaking of cake… this past weekend was my 27^th birthday and I have probably eaten the best food of my life. I’ve had 3 cakes, multiple different Ecuadorian dishes and danced so much. It was the weekend of the 56^th Festival de Cosanga, too! There was music until the wee hours, a parade on my birthday and an agricultural fair fit for el gallo de gallos (the rooster of roosters). I started my 27^th year by jumping into el Rio Cosanga at 12:00 am and proceeded to celebrate throughout the weekend fueled by constant food. I hiked to a waterfall and was lead through the mud and muck to get there… supposedly there is a quicker and cleaner route which would have been great, but I was perfectly fine with being literally covered head to toe in mud. I had to take two showers and unearthing from the trek brought many strange glances from the people at the festival. They better get used to this loca gringa because she’s going to be here for a while! It was all in good fun. That evening I had my face shoved into my first cake. It was delicious!! Sunday evening, March 12^th, I had my face shoved into my second cake. It was just as delicious, if not better! Toni, Inez, Eladio and Klever made me a true Ecuadorian meal with a huge fish, papas, plantains, beans, and a rice salad. I love sitting around the table and listening to them talk. I’m beginning to understand more of what they are saying and have more confidence in speaking up from time to time. Ecuadorians sure know how to party!

My favorite thing about Cosanga so far, as touched upon before, is the sense of community and the unfamiliarity of the word “mine”. In the states, we are so territorial and so consuming of what we have earned and what is personal, however here in Ecuador, everything is shared. It doesn’t matter if it is food on the plate or the company to walk in the street. The kids share and understand the importance of being in it together which is possibly the most beautiful interaction I have ever witnessed. I have seen sharing among people, of course, but it is completely different here. There is no idea of expectation of a return. It just is. I am so honored to be able to witness this and, even more, to be a part of it. I go to bed each night with a multitude of gratitude for where I am and the people I get to share this life with. Thank you for being one of those people and for being the light in my world time and time again, whether you’ve known it or not.

Until next time,

With love,

Krysta