Sustainable Agriculture Projects, Operation Expansion, and Fútbol...

In other Ascend Ecuador news, Mark, Tyler and I met with an agricultural specialist this past week to discuss the logistical side of our proposed sustainable agriculture project in Quingeo. Luckily, Mark has a degree in Agriculture, because I doubt that Tyler nor I would have understood the technical details of that conversation any better in English.


We'll begin with test patches of soil, one here in Cuenca and the other high in the mountains, in Allpacruz. We must be meticulous in which crops we choose to promote in this project in order to achieve long-term sustainability. The climatology of the Azuay Province here in the Ecuadorian Andes is intriguing and peculiar. Here in Cuenca, we are surrounded by a multitude of micro-climates. For example, a 1-hour jaunt to the northeast leaves you in a drier, fertile valley, where you will probably want to go swimming because of the heat. Here in Cuenca, on the other hand, the nights are relatively cold, it rains almost every day, and the temperature hovers around 60 degrees constantly. You'll probably want to go out with a jacket. If we head 30 km west of the city, into Cajas National Park, we'll find ourselves in a jagged tundra landscape of hills and valleys that tops out at 14,599 ft above sea level, where no one in their right mind would plant anything.


Consequently, before we promote certain seeds for our agricultural project in Quingeo, we are going to test short-cycle crops and compare results in the different micro-climates, in order to achieve the maximum long-term benefit in Allpacruz. Please check back for updates on this project.


Additionally, Ascend Ecuador is planning to expand operations to some new communities. The whole crew went on a scouting mission to nearby Paute last Friday, where we met with a few community leaders to discuss potential projects and assess the needs of the area. We'll be meeting again with the communities this weeks to further explore options in Tomebamba and Gualaceo. This is the first step for Ascend in initiating a new operation: meet with the villagers, assess their needs, listen to their personal accounts of the situation, and determine how we can most effectively assist local residents to ascend out of poverty.


On the lighter side, I am being put to shame by 7 year-olds on the concrete fútbol field after English classes each week in Quingeo. Playing soccer with little kids in the mountain villages is by far the most fun thing to do in Ecuador, besides eating Guinea Pigs. Please stay tuned for updates on our new communities and the sustainable agriculture projects. If you are reading this, please share this blog with a friend!

Tomebamba/Allpacruz, Ecuador. May 2009. (Photos: Caleb Braley/Judd Hardy)

Community Response and Togetherness

Community cohesion is the most integral component of Ascend's programs. Our ventures in Enterprise, Education and Technology are most successful when we receive organized, genuinely enthusiastic responses from the communities where we are working. Consequently, communication between Ascend and local residents, which leads to accurate assessments of real individual needs, is the other crucial component which allows us to address specific necessities in each locale and provide projects and programs that result in tangible benefits for the townspeople.

At this week's graduation in Allpacruz, I witnessed the closure and success of an Ascend Education program. Throughout the past year, Ascend Ecuador has offered various workshops on personal physical/mental heath, domestic violence, substance abuse, marital issues, among other relevant topics. The attendees were comprised of local mothers, who consistently gathered with the will to learn.


While these educational workshops constituted a relatively slow process, they are one of the most important impacts Ascend has made in the mountainous province of Quingeo. The best thing that we can possibly hand out for free is the opportunity to learn, and when appreciated and utilized, this gift leads to a direct improvement in the quality of life for the recipient.

As a newcomer to the nonprofit world, I find myself grappling with the tendency to want to see drastic change, misguidedly wanting to tear everything down and rebuild it in order to make it better. Yet my continued commitment to Ascend is teaching me that real impact is made in the exact opposite manner; through patience and a deep understanding with the beneficiaries of the aid we are offering, and more importantly a deep respect for their indigenous culture and traditions. Far from an imposition of culture, a genuine humanitarian impact is realized through a real comprehension of the reality of the people with whom we are working, leading to the maximal utilization of the opportunity Ascend strives to provide.


As they received their diplomas, the women were grateful to have had access to information that they would not have found elsewhere, and to have participated in the creation of a local forum where they were able to exchange ideas and experiences, foment their sense of community and grow stronger as a group. They are all eager to continue with community projects, and this is the legacy that Ascend works to create with all of our missions.

Allpacruz, Quingeo, Ecuador. May 2009. (Photos: Caleb Braley)

Hello, My Name is Roberto

As Mark's 1975 Datsun pickup chattered through the cobblestone streets of old colonial Cuenca, the vibrations eased the retention bolt out of the shifting linkage, rendering the gear lever useless. It was two-thirty in the morning on a Tuesday, and we were stuck in second gear.

Tyler was hard to miss when we finally reached the deserted bus station. He towers above most people in Ecuador–myself included–and his american clothes and cumbersome bags left us with little doubt that this was our new intern. We heaved his luggage into the truck bed, squeezed into the cab and headed back to Ascend Headquarters.


We were both glad to be two interns strong when we arrived in the small hillside village of San Vicente the following morning to begin teaching English classes. Unsure of what to expect, I had prepared rough curricula for two different age groups, 4-6 graders/anyone younger, and brought some basic materials.

Tyler went off with the "wawas" (affectionate name given to youngsters in Ecuador) and I took charge of the older kids. I was nervous; I have minimal teaching experience and even after hours of reading "ESL for Children" resources online I wasn't sure how to begin; how to connect with the pupils. My gut told to just be myself and let things happen.


It worked. Not necessarily on my behalf; the children demonstrated a pure love for learning, especially English. Perhaps they were excited to escape their everyday teacher and see a different face in front of their chalkboard, or maybe deep inside they realize that English could be their gateway to a new and exciting world...I'm hoping that it is a combination of both. Anyhow, Tyler fittingly commented, and I concurred, that neither of us could remember ever being so excited inside a classroom when we ourselves were wawas.

For now the English classes will take place weekly in the Quingeo villages of San Vicente and Yanallpa, continuing for the rest of the summer. The scholastic year ends earlier in the nearby village of Allpacruz, but Ascend is communicating with the professor, and if we can garner enough interest we will begin weekly summer English classes there as well. The preparedness and zeal that I have seen in all of the local students leaves me optimistic that we'll soon be teaching in Allpacruz as well.


Stay tuned for updates on our first annual Ascend Gala here in Cuenca and our self-sufficient farm projects in Quingeo. Peace.

San Vicente/Yanallpa, Quingeo, Ecuador. May 2009. (Photos: Caleb Braley)