Julia Stewart-David 24 September-15 October 2005

I spent three very tranquil weeks in the small, friendly community of Mushullacta, teaching English and participating in Community activities - learning a great deal about their way of life. Every morning I would wake up to the sounds of the children gathering at school - some walking almost an hour along muddy trails from their fincas. I taught two classes every day (levels 4-5, ages 8-9 and levels 6-7 ages 10-12) during the week. At first the children were curious but shy, but soon we were having plenty of fun learning English through songs, activities and games - which was a change from the normal chalk and board teaching style. I always spent the long breaktime talking with the teachers and playing with the children. At weekends I taught the young people attending 'collegio a distancia' which includes a module of English each week. The community educator is ill-equipped to help with this and the books are extremely old-fashioned. I concentrated on communicative activities so that some of the young people will actually have the confidence to use their English with future visitors. There were no teaching resources except for chalk and imagination, so I have left an outline syllabus and my teaching notes for following volunteers. Hopefully someone will be able to take a teaching book or two in the future.

The families in Mushullacta live from subsistence agriculture. Conditions and food are basic (no electricity or running water). It is a quiet simple life in lovely natural surroundings. I was impressed with the commitment to education and the sense of community that exists here. I would like to have done more to help in the afternoons and to have taught English to some of the adults involved in tourism - but they were often busy tending the crops and working on 'minga' (community tasks) to build a water pipe to the village centre and a new cabaña for tourists. The leisure highlights of my stay were the walks into the forest and learning about medicinal uses of plants; games of basketball and swimming in the river; and the gathering, cooking and eating of thousands of flying ants. Mmmm. I learnt a few words of kichwa too.

Muchas gracias a Leonidas, Estella, los profes y las famillias de Mushullacta para su amistad y repuestos a mis miles de preguntas. Era una experencia muy interessante en su communidad. ¡Que vayan bien!