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Except where otherwise specified, all photos are by Chaya Spector.
Every donation contributed today is an extraordinary gift to the people of Ecuador!
Since my return to the US, I have spent several days quietly reminiscing. This trip to Ecuador is neither my first journey nor my last. But my personal experience this summer merits some reflection. I knew that to lead a group, I must provide purpose and direction. I had been clarifying our purpose for years, raising the funds, planning, and implementing. I had my sight on Ecuador since our visit last summer. Surely, I was prepared to set the pace and guide the way. Yet, as I set out on the road, I couldn't help but notice a signpost that read "Empowerment, this way!" How could I resist? As assistive technology specialists, our creed is to empower others to live up to ones potential, regardless of the barriers. Then it became clear. Where the road led was on a quest for my own empowerment. The ability to live up to my own potential. With 16 people in tow, I pushed forward.
Expanding from a small team to a tribe in one year did not happen without its growing pains. Granted, they are the kind of aches one gets when working out new muscles. A bit sore, but it feels good. Expanding the team this year meant more. More talent, more insights, more perspectives. It also meant extra accommodations, larger restaurants, and a bigger bus. It meant being personally responsible for 16 fellow travelers. It meant staying present and open to the process that 16 people were each forming and shaping. It meant being accountable for the things that were said and the deeds that were done. It meant exhaling at the relief of assembling a remarkable group of people. Not once did I wince!
There is a great deal that goes into the success of a project like this. It goes beyond the logistics and event planning. For the CITTI Project to be successful, I knew from the beginning, it must be community based, culturally appropriate, and ultimately sustainable. It's one thing to envision the outcome, another to live up to it. I attribute the success of the CITTI Project to these guiding values, but also to those learned along the way. I learned about the meaning of respect as I was greeted by friends made a year ago. Last year, I was seen as a North American who had good intensions, like all the others. But then I came back! With 16 friends! A lifetime of lessons fulfilled me as I looked evenly into the eyes of the parents acknowledging my return.
Ultimately, the empowerment, success, and respect are for all of us to share. They belong to the families who have taught me how to cope with so little, and yet thrive so graciously. They belong to the teachers and therapists who model enormous commitment, compelled by their own personal desire. They belong to the children whose unconditional love was shared without measure. They also belong to those of us who came to share of ourselves, without knowing exactly how deep that would go.
It's incredible to imagine the affects of Tungurahua on our friends throughout Ecuador: Banos, Quero, Pelileo, Salasaca, and our dear Huambalo. Since we have come home, the volcano has transformed the land and possibly the lives of our "community." What is it that I can do from so far away? Short of aide, relief, supplies, we continue to find ourselves at a loss when such natural disasters take place. It is especially so when we were just standing there on the soil, among our friends, only a week ago. Our hearts are still there.
I find myself in transition. This past week feels like a metamorphosis. I am in a cocoon, waiting for what will emerge. I am not the same person as when I started this journey. I am incredibly grateful to be empowered and touched by the world around me. I am thankful to the talented team who joined me in this vision and gave their all to this effort. I welcome the ongoing challenges and pleasures of transforming my dreams to reality. The successes of the CITTI Project are just the beginning. And just as a gloating parent, I couldn't be more proud.
Un fuerte abrazo,Bridgett
"…as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." Marianne Williamson
What we learned... Contributed by Heather Burns and CITTI project members
Now that the trip, the project, the dream is finished for this year. I think each of us know that brought us to Ecuador, but none of us knew what we would bring back. Apart from souvenirs, pictures, fun stories, and cherished memories, each one of us brought back new or deeper friendships. For me, along with the previously mentioned, I have taken with me new and deeper understandings.
Understandings of cultures, beliefs, values, definitions, languages, and the many ways to show love. On one of the last days of the trip, I sent around a small notebook of blank pages. I simply titled the top, "What I learned in Ecuador." Each member of the CITTI project took their moment to reflect and place one or two of their own lessons learned. The list I returned with is moving and funny and just makes me love and respect my fellow group members on a whole new level.
What I learned in Ecuador by: CITTI Project Member 2006:
No matter where in the world you are, the sun still feels good on your face
All people smile
Bunny ears in pictures is funny to all
Love is universal
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Every child in the family takes care of their siblings
Community is everything
Inclusion is a value
The children are all BEAUTIFUL!!!
Family is everything & always comes first
Lunches are a family/community even and are filling
Everyone pitches in to help
What family means
That language is only a barrier if you want it to be
The language is the way to understand the culture while at another level people are people
One person + one person + families + children + workers = community which is powerful and can move the world
Being gentle and polite is strong ? not weak
That THINGS are not what makes life rich
That generosity can be a cultural norm
That emerging design? can be applied to dwellings as well as actions
That baby steps can be enormous
That you can listen with your eyes
Two pair of socks is a luxury
Roosters have no sense of time in Ecuador!
That there is a place on this earth where life is how I always thought is could be ? filled with unconditional love and acceptance
A chicken has more parts and uses then one ever thought possible
With love and patience everyone wins!
Leaving the United States does not guarantee freedom from Easy Listening music
Bananas are cheap; pancakes are time-consuming; people are priceless; roosters must be destroyed
Remember we don't get to choose where we are born!
Never order the Austrian Crepe Dumpling soup
It's an honor to have an entire pig killed and cooked for you
Vehicles often pass on the left on two lane roads
It's necessary to have small bills
Aguacafe (avocado) ice cream is tasty
The temperature can become quite chilled at the equator
Hugs are free; coffee is extra
Medical care is thorough and inexpensive
Thank you with a smile is understood anywhere
Be observant and help
Determination is a human trait, but how you use it is individual
I am sure there are more lessons out there and more realizations that each of us will come to in future days. Many of these lessons seem like things that you would find on an All I ever needed to know I learned in Kindergarten? poster. I am almost saddened that it took us going to a whole new county and culture to learn things that should be out our front door. Basically, human life and the relationships we form are priceless. There are no regrets, just lessons learned. I was blessed to be picked to go on this trip, and I have been blessed 100 fold for going.
I love you all, Ecuador, America, CITTI project, friends, now family.
I've been home for two days now. My little house in the north woods looks so much more elegant than it used to. Huge by comparison to those in Ecuador and there are only two of us who live here.
Yesterday I did my laundry from the trip and thought about socks. For me, socks are coming to represent many things about the CITTI Project trip. When I think of socks, I think of Norma.
Norma is one of the adults we met in Ecuador. She had a brain tumor that caused significant muscle weakness over most of her body. Stacey and Lori and Andrea went to visit her home at Norma's request. She's a beautiful young woman with many skills and abilities. When someone asked her to write something, she wrote in English. She had a list of things that she was having trouble doing and wanted help with them. Stacey referred to the visit as "Classic OT" becasue they were working to help Norma figure out how to do the things she had been used to doing before her illeness and also to discuss possible work opportunities for her future.
During the course of the visit, Norma mentioned that her feet were cold a lot. Poor circulation because of the tumor. It should have been an easy answer. Someone suggested that she wear two or three pairs of socks. But then came the reality. She only had one pair of socks.
As we shared the story among the CITTI project folks, we also shared socks with Norma. At last count, she now has nine pair and on our last day celebration, she was wearing two of them at the same time to keep her feet warm.
I keep thinking of those socks. When I packed to go to Ecuador, I packed enough clothes for a week. But that didn't make a dent in my very full closet and dresser. As I unpacked, I counted the socks. I had taken twelve pair, some for warm days, some for hiking and a couple pair for days when I dressed for more formal events in town. I am wealthy in socks.
I used to think that I live fairly simply. By U.S. standards my house and my wardrobe are small. But Huambalo taught me more about how rich I truly am.
Because of the CITTI Project trip, I have a wealth of new friends. I was gifted with hundreds of hugs. Children met me at the bus and shared their love with me every day in Huambalo. Parents smiled and encouraged me. Teachers tried to help me with my inadequate Spanish and children taught me how to pronounce their words correctly so that I would not sound silly. CITTI project members taught me more than they will ever know about love and caring. I came home a woman wealthy in love and caring.
Today I will count all the pairs of socks in my drawer. I want to know how many pair I have and to remember that number when I feel a lack in any part of my life. I want to always be grateful for the abundance in my life. I am a wealthy woman. I have good friends who love me, children who smile when they see me and many, many pairs of socks!
Up early to a bright sunny day. Packed for our trip to Quito. Ran for the laundry, but it was not open yet. Ran for café and was more successful. After breakfast, ran for laundry again and was successful. Bus was leaving at nine am, so I was just lucky to get my clothes before the bus left.More café.Boarded the bus, no problems on the ride to Huambalo.Went right to the ramp. Hauled cement and water, and sawed boards for the railing. Victor our Ecuadorian cement friend had two Ecuadorian women with him when we arrived. They were hauling rocks and adding them to the ramp. For the rest of the day these two women mixed the sand, rocks, and cement. They did this from 11 to 2 pm when we finished. None of the rest of us could keep up with these two.In Ecuadorian culture women may have jobs, but they are still expected to come home and make the meals, take care of the children, clean the house, etc. for their men. When I explained how I helped with laundry and washing dishes to the school physical therapist, she could not believe it. Now she would like to find an American husband.About 1 pm the director of the school pitched in and helped mix cement. WOW!By 2 pm we had finished pouring all the cement for the ramp. Later a thin smooth coat of cement will be added to it. We had started the hand rails, but Osima will come back next week to help finish that.Another very filling lunch prepared by women of the community. Then it was time to say goodbye. Took quite a time to leave this very special group of children and parents and teachers!!Just before we left Tungurahua, the nearby volcano, rumbled quite loudly. Tungurahua is a female volcano so I do not actually know why she rumbled, but I am assuming that she was simply pleased with our work on the ramp.The ride home offered some fantastic photo opportunities with the Cotopaxi volcano. Hope to be able to show you.Bus took a little more than three hours to reach Quito in the dark. We were assigned rooms in the Sierra Nevada Hotel, then dinner at a buffet. Joy and I left early so we could recount the day.I thought I had solved the picture problem, but the Papaya Net Internet cafe here in Quito does not have the Microsoft photo editor on their computers, so I will try to find another cafe tomorrow.I was convinced that we could not possibly finish the ramp today, but we did. We did it because of several teams of people working very very hard.
What an amazing day! Bridgett, Maggie, and myself went to a couple of homes today for some children whose family goals necessitated home visits. We were also accompanied by Adam, our translator, as well as Monica, an amazing mother and advocate for the village of Huambalo who started the school foundation. The first visits were arranged since afterwards the two mothers needed to go to the school to cook our lunches!
We first went to Miguel´s home, a 12 year old bright young boy with cerebral palsy. His family indicated that toileting was a high priority. Before going to the home, many were talking about fabricating an adapted commode, trying to figure out what materials to purchase, and such.
Although we could have bought some materials, I didn't feel comfortable buying any materials before actually going to his home. As an OT, I discussed that we couldn't do that since we didn't know how big his bathroom was, how close the wall was, where it was in relation to his room, etc. Well - I was on the right path in my thinking, but still way off base...
When we arrived at Miguel´s home, the family's bathroom is not in their house - its around the corner, down a small hill, and is fabricated out of 4 wooden tree posts with burlap bags as the walls and a round cement commode. A true example of how environment, both social and physical, can not be assumed or imagined without actually being there. We are still working through ways to modify and adapt Miguel´s bathroom using culturally available and relevant materials while still meeting the needs of Miguel and his family.
The next home visit was to Santiago's home, an adorable young 3 year old with cerebral palsy, whose family's goals included feeding and bathing. Again, his bathtub was vastly different from our cultural experiences; it was a round plastic basin. His mother explained that since Santiago has difficulties with balance, she has to hold him with one hand while bathing him with another. Our team came up with the low-tech tool of using a rope that could be fixed through either side of the basin. The family had one nearby in which Santiago was able to grasp with both of his hands while we held it across the basin. The family seemed pleased with this simple low tech idea that was able to be immediately implemented and easily replicable.
For feeding, it was an amazing process in which all of our perspectives, backgrounds, and expertise collaborated to suggest and implement supports for improving Santiago's independence with spoon feeding. Looking around quickly for materials in the home, Maggie and myself found a cardboard box in which we ripped off a piece, wrapped it around his spoon and then Bridgett had an elastic hair band to keep it in place.
This showed the family that they can find and adapt materials that they have and not needing commercially available materials. Bridgett and Maggie suggested having a lower, more shallow bowl that also increased Santiago's ability to scoop the yogurt onto his spoon. There were so many things that we were having interpreted from the family and then consulting and trying to suggest ideas in a way that empowered the family as the experts and not the 'professionals'.
Visiting the family's homes was an incredibly humbling experience. They welcomed us with open arms and offerings of food. Understanding again how each piece of the puzzle is completely interlinked and dependent on another. Our team was comprised of different disciplines & expertise - this is in part what I believe makes AT so powerful... collaborating together, blurring traditional lines and roles, to support the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families.
