Post Originally Published on Go Abroad, 2023
Carolina began teaching English 15 years ago in the Central area of Ecuador. Now she supports an important project called "El Terreno" in the community of Atandahua, where she teaches English and helps children improve their communication with foreigners.
What inspired you to work for El Terreno?
First of all, the impact of being a teacher on the lives of students inspired me. The best reason to be a teacher was that I wanted to have a positive, inspiring impact on children's lives. I achieved this by being kind, caring, empathic, passionate, and funny.
My greatest inspiration to work on this project is to help children learn a new language. I think they are our future and for me, it's very gratifying to receive their love and to know that through this project we can help many children improve their lifestyle.
Understanding English opens up a wealth of cultural insights, allowing access to a vast array of books, music, movies, and internet content. Bilingualism equals control. Being bilingual means having total command of two languages, offering significant cognitive and social advantages.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Ecuador has everything for everyone! It has amazing volcanoes, beautiful mountains, fascinating Amazonia, delicious fruits, and magical places!
Without a doubt, coming to Ecuador is going to be a great option because you will have the chance to know a wonderful country. In addition, you will be able to help people who need it.
Ecuador is well worth visiting as a backpacker for so many reasons. Here are our four top reasons why you should visit Ecuador: It's cheap and your money goes a long way. The hiking opportunities are everywhere and it's easily accessible to beginners.
Why should someone choose El Terreno over competitors?
Working on this project "El Terreno" will give you the chance to learn a lot about our community "Atandahua'. This is the only project found in this place where the people and its landscape make it a perfect place to start your professional goals.
Volunteering for this project will give you the chance to gain new skills, and make new friends. It's the contribution of time, effort, and talent to a need, cause, or mission
without financial gain. Volunteering is all about being able to contribute some of your own time to help people in our community.
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
The mission of our project is to improve the education, health, and employment quality of our community, as well as to maintain the local culture and ecosystem. For that reason, I will continue teaching a new language, because it will give children the chance to improve their lifestyle and employment in the future.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope that all the participants take away the experience of having lived in a small but amazing place in Ecuador. And they can feel that through their work they can help others, giving something back.
Opportunities may be more interesting, fulfilling, and inspiring than paid work. This is an important benefit for you, who wants to learn something new and likes to share with others.
A team that works together stays together. Here a group of students are working together to help others
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Travel provides a learning experience like no other. It inspires people to seek out new places, keeping their pool of knowledge constantly topped up. It's a great way to not only learn new things and immerse yourself in a new culture, but it also provides a constant urge to continue learning.
By immersing ourselves in other cultures beyond our own, we can learn about each other, where people came from, what their traditions are, and what they struggle with as a community. It also forces us to think critically about our own daily lives and practices, which encourages incredible personal growth!
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To me, meaningful travel is when travel enriches your life in some way. That could be done by focusing on making your own life better by discovering and learning new things about the world and yourself! Meaningful travel is when you dive into a culture and leave with a greater understanding of a country, its culture, people, language, and social atmosphere.