El Terreno

I spent 12 weeks at El Terreno and I really enjoyed it & found it very valuable. I was part of a project about Indigenous maternal health, and we were working with stakeholders from the community including Kichwa midwives and healthcare staff from local centres. I feel like I got a lot out of it, especially the hands-on work in a changing, unfamiliar environment and picking up new skills. At times it was challenging, but I got great support from Cristian.

Outside of the project, I also really enjoyed my time at Quilico - everybody from the El Terreno team is lovely, the intern community was great and I met lots of awesome people, and there were lots of opportunities to get involved with the local culture - you can stay with a homestay, take Spanish and Kichwa classes, and in February we even got to be involved in the annual Carnaval festival! The internship is flexible, it's self-led and you are encouraged to come up with plans and adapt them according to community needs. I found it a really valuable experience.

Specifically speaking from a point of view of an Architectural Intern, I enjoyed a lot working on the projects and gaining hands-on experience with Gina and her family. I learned so much by being fully immersed in the culture and by spending time with the people in the community. I am also grateful for the encouragement, guidance, and support that the mentors, volunteers, and other interns gave me while working on the projects.

This experience allowed me to better understand how architecture can create a meaningful impact when it is developed together with the community. Being involved in every stage of the process, from design ideas to on-site work, was incredibly rewarding. I leave Ecuador with new skills, unforgettable memories, and friendships that I will always cherish.

El Terreno is a wonderful project, created by a wonderful person. The goal is to help the community without doing the work for them: to accompany them, explain things, manage... to do what they couldn't do themselves and give them the tools to improve their quality of life. It was a pleasure working there with the people. Joshua has a big heart and needs other people like him to support this great project. Thank you for everything you do! I hope all this work continues. I wish you all the best.

Original:
El Terreno es un proyecto maravilloso, creado por una persona maravillosa. El objectivo es ayudar a la comunidad sin hacerles el trabajo : acompanar, explicar, gestionar... Hacer lo que ellos no podrian hacer y darles las herramientas para mejorar su calidad de vida. Fue un placer trabajar alli con la gente. Joshua tiene un gran corazon y necesita a otras personas como él para sopartar ese gran proyecto. Gracias por todo lo que hacéis ! Espero que continuara todo ese trabajo. Os deseo todo lo mejor

I had a wonderful time at the El Terreno Foundation. I was able to participate in several different projects, which allowed me to learn a lot and contribute in various areas. I also had the opportunity to have enriching experiences with the people of the community and learn about their culture and way of life firsthand. I met some amazing people with whom it was fantastic to share these moments, and Karina and Nelly's meals are always delicious. Without a doubt, it was an unforgettable and very special experience for me.

Original:
Lo pasé genial en la fundación El Terreno. Pude participar en varios proyectos diferentes, lo que me permitió aprender mucho y aportar en distintas áreas. También tuve la oportunidad de vivir experiencias muy enriquecedoras con la gente de la comunidad y conocer de cerca su cultura y forma de vida. Conocí a personas maravillosas con las que fue fantástico compartir estos momentos, y las comidas de Karina y Nelly siempre están deliciosas. Sin duda, fue una experiencia inolvidable y muy especial para mí.

My 10 weeks at El Terreno felt like a carnivalistic rollercoaster (we arrived just before the Carnival week, so the first weeks were literally ruled by Carnival music, dances and Pajaro Azul, phenomenal experience!!). Already after the first week I felt very at home, mainly because of the other interns and people working at the foundation but also because of the very welcoming and warm attitude of the community members from Atandahua and San Juan de Llullundongo.

Starting into the gender project was a little rough at first because of the complexity of the situation concerning maternal health in the region but also because of the circumstance that my team mates had been working on the project already for a couple of weeks so I felt like I needed to catch up on a lot of context based research in a very short time, but I managed! I cannot highlight enough how important I believe it to be to have an advanced level of Spanish (~B1) when joining this project. From interviews to field visits to the organisation of meetings and initiatives with the collaborating stakeholders language knowledge really is a decisive factor and in my case allowed me to really feel like I was capable of organizing a project independently without having to rely on the availability of others to translate for me.

Overall I would recommend an internship with El Terreno to everyone who is looking to work very independently and has a great commitment to finding solution approaches to very complex and sensitive issues that require endurance as well as openness and respect for a cultural reality that is probably different to what most interns are used to.