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VOLUNTEER IN LATIN AMERICA
PAGE 2
BY LIZ HARRIS
© Copyright 1999 by Parents' Press
ECUADOR
A Spirit of Adventure
Andrew Hagen's stay in Ecuador, on the other hand, was anything but tranquilidad.
It started off routinely enough. Just a week after completing his sophomore year at Sir Francis Drake High School (the same school Niki Clarke attends), Hagen flew to Miami for a few days of Amigos orientation and training, then on to the "very rural" Tunguruhua, located 12,000 feet above sea level. There, he stayed with an elderly couple, bedding down in the dining room.
The primary task for Hagen and his two female partners was to build latrines. "Our goal was for everyone to have a latrine." Hagen favored latrine-building because "there would be more of a concrete result."
The Americans were also to teach villagers organic farming and composting methods, and provide English classes to local students ranging from 4 to 16 years old.
And that they did. For the first few weeks, "it was pretty much what I expected," says Hagen. Then, he continues, "I had an interesting experience."
Political unrest in the country led to protests and a prolonged strike. Roads were blocked and supplies halted making visits by Amigos supervisors and the shipment of supplies impossible. Hastily made plans called for an evacuation of all Amigos volunteers.
"It was an adventure," says the easygoing Fairfax, CA resident. "It was really exciting."
After spending the night at a local health clinic, the group of volunteers at 2 a.m. began walking to a town nearby, nine miles through the Andes.
"The first two miles we got a ride on a truck, but we hit roadblocks, and everyone had to jump out," Hagen says. The group eventually met up with others in the town of Ambato, where they stayed for a few days until boarding a small plane to Quito, the capital, then on to the States.
Hagen intends to try Amigos again, maybe this summer. He acknowledges the program is not for everyone.
What does it take? "A spirit of adventure," he replies, adding that one should be "flexible, motivated, a leader."
