"The Daily Grind"

So I suppose I will join Phil to break the ice and write about what everyone here spends about 75% of their waking hours doing, working. I know it is surprising to learn that between our weekly weekend getaways, our lives are not all that interesting. It is not all fun and games here in Quito! For 8 hours a day, five days a week we split up from our tight knit travel group and go off to our individual internships. Though a few people work at the same organizations, we all have different supervisors and completely different projects to work on. Once a week we gather at our hostel, the Owl’s Inn, to exchange internship experiences and discuss with Professor Clark the projects we are working on. These discussions offer the perfect time to learn from one another, offer advice on projects, find opportunities for collaboration, and receive general words of encouragement for each other. From these meetings I have realized that everyone is having their own unique work experience, some better than others, but all with positive and negative experiences that they can take away from their time here.

As our class came to an end last June, I was not sure what to expect when beginning my internship here at Fundación Natura Regional (FNR). I had had minimal contact with my future supervisor, Gabriel Lucio, and the FNR website offered very general information about their work. What exactly would I have to do? Who would I work with? Would I be qualified for the work they would give?! I was nervous and excited, but determined to put on a brave face and do my best. J I soon came to find out that FNR is a wonderful place to work and Gabriel is the most friendly, enthusiastic, and fun person that I could have as a supervisor.

FNR is an Ecuadorian NGO that works for “sustainable development through the creation of an equal, socially responsible, and economically viable society.” This organization is a relatively new NGO, founded within the past few years, which has completed projects working with binacional issues pertaining to the Ecuadorian-Colombian border. The main collaborators of their projects include people from FNR, Fundación Natura Ecuador, and Fundación Natura Colombia. It has recently completed a very successful project, “El Medio Ambiente y la Biodiversidad como Punto de Encuentro entre Actores Sociales deColombia y Ecuador,” that focused on binational dialogue between communities that share this border and using nature as a point of collaboration. As they look to begin new projects, they also hope to expand the scope of the organization to be more regional and include the Fundación Naturas of Bolivia and Peru. Other likely projects that the FNR hopes to implement include a project for the “Strengthening of social organization for environmental management and the development of governance, human rights, and ‘el buen vivir’ for the Épera nationality” and a project to develop a “Demonstrative system of alternative energy (bio-oil and biogas) for the farmers of the Sucumbíos province.”

I really believe in the work of this organization. It has been exciting, and sometimes confusing, being a part of their work during this time of transition. As Gabriel told me on my first day of work, “An NGO is nothing without its projects,” and I know that the work I do for them, reviewing project proposals and looking for possible funders, is critical for the future of the organization. Much of the information that I deal with is environmentally based, which I have little to no background in, but other research I do deals with the preservation of indigenous cultures and local development of their communities, a topic which I am most passionate about.

This internship has been more than just dipping my toe into an area I am unfamiliar with; it has been a cannonball into a sea of the unknown! I know I am growing and learning during every minute of this experience, and, though I do not envision myself working specifically with environmental issues in the future, I recognize the many skills that I am gaining from my work here that I will use in the future. My favorite part of my job is working with projects that address cultural issues as well as the basic language practice that I get everyday; from reading, writing, and daily interactions with the people in my office, as no one here speaks English. Also, learning the organizational structure of an NGO, practicing the proposal of projects for possible funders, as well as discussing projects with stakeholders are all priceless skills and experiences to have. All in all, my internship in Quito offers me an unforgettable experience that I appreciate and will remember for the rest of my life.