Los primeros pasos en Ecuador -- Our first week

We arrived in Ecuador on Saturday night to the open arms of our host family.  After acclimatizing to the altitude and getting acquainted with Cumabaya (or reacquainted for Annette), we got in contact with the president of the foundation that runs Burbujitas de Luz.  We toured the facilities, met some of the children, and then got right down to business with the president and the vice-president/main teacher in the preschool.  Sitting down in the office with the sounds of kids playing next door, we discussed the viability of our program.  We learned about how daycares in Ecuador are run and how this daycare stands out.  The non-profit foundation devotes itself to providing quality childcare for families with limited resources.  The daycare focuses on all aspects of child development through play, with the overall wellbeing of the child as the foremost priority.  They are even strict with the parents so that this type of treatment and care is reinforced in all parts of their lives.  We hope that our program, as a part of this foundation, can continue this mission.  It's safe to say that we had a lot to think about when we got home.

The rest of the week we helped out at the daycare as teacher's assistants, along with the numerous volunteers from the University of San Fransisco here in Quito, in order to learn more about how it runs on a daily basis.  We got to know some of the volunteers and learned about how the University works as well.  The teachers and the cook gave us great examples for how best to manage the children in a fun way.  Wednesday was El Día del Niño (Children's Day) and we had a lovely party with some treats, and sang songs and danced all day long. The children were so happy and we realized even further what an important role this daycare plays in the lives of the children and the huge difference this attention and joy can make.

The town of Cumbaya also has so much to offer.  We went to a market yesterday with rows and rows of fresh fruits and vegetables, and freshly caught seafood.  Hopefully we can incorporate some of these resources into our program.

Next week we will continue going to the daycare and will also meet with the foundation to discuss our plans in greater detail.  It's been hard work but we are so excited for everything to come.

Annette on our scenic walk back from the daycare in Santa Ines

Our first day in Cumbaya with Mica and Nancy, our host sister and mom