My EcuaExperience

If you are looking for a program that will allow you to volunteer abroad, while also giving you enough leeway to truly take in and appreciate the majesty of the Nation you are visiting, while having the added benefit of witnessing several major aspects of medicine (an optional portion of the trip, which I as an aspiring medical professional partook in), I think you may have just found the right one. Because of HLD, I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to visit Ecuador and experience much of the Country's abundant beauty. In a mere 28 days I was able to explore the incredible city of Quito (the highest Capital in the world), where I witnessed conquistador era architecture, and then travel from Quito around to other drastically different regions of the Country including the Amazon rainforest in the East, to the coastal town of Canoa in the far West.

What really mattered however, was being able to see the living conditions and interact with the everyday people of Ecuador. The experience was enlightening and gave me much greater insight into the going-ons of the world outside of my own privileged Country. When my group and I finally entered the small poor community of Pujili, where we would be volunteering, I felt an overwhelming sense of humility as the community pooled their resources together and held a welcome dinner for us volunteers. That first night we played with the children and prepared ourselves for the hard work ahead.

Basically, I would just like to say that every aspect of the trip was exceedingly phenomenal, from the medical rotations which affirmed my career goals, to the “Help” and “Learn” portions of the trip where I learned to truly appreciate my life and the opportunities granted to me within it. In my opinion, if you have the chance, definitely go for it and take a month out of your life so that you can do something great which you’ll always have to look back on.