Project Ecuador Family Adventure

Arrive in Quito at any time. There are no planned activities, so check into our hotel and enjoy the city.

Located 2850m (9348 ft) above sea level, the Ecuadorian capital of Quito enjoys a wonderful spring-like climate, despite the fact that it is only 22km (14 miles) south of the Equator. Nestled in a valley flanked by mountains, on a clear day several snow-capped volcanoes are visible from the city centre. Add to its beautiful location a rich history and well-preserved colonial district, and you begin to understand Quito’s appeal to thousands of tourists every year.

In 1978 UNESCO declared Quito a World Heritage site, and any new development in Quito's old town is now strictly controlled. Life in Quito tends to be peaceful, though the drivers are fond of using their car horns! There are approximately 2,000,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area, but the pace is relaxed and the residents hospitable. Quito is separated into two basic sections, the old and the new cities. The old city is full of historical buildings and churches. One of the more noteworthy is the Catedral de Quito, located on the Plaza de la Independencia. Built between 1550 and 1562, it was one of the first neoclassical works in Quito. La Compañía de Jésus Church is considered one of the most beautiful in the Americas. The decorations in the Compañía contain approximately one and one-half tons of gold, and construction of the church took 170 years (1605-1775).

Quito’s large foreign population and steady stream of travellers have given it a varied and vibrant nightlife, and salsotecas and other dance clubs abound. For a real Ecuadorian experience though, be sure and drop by a peña if you can; these are great places for meeting locals and dancing, as well as enjoying local cooking.

Morning flight to the Ecuadorian coast and travel by taxi to Bahía de Caráquez, known as Ecuador’s eco-city. Enjoy an afternoon city tour including panoramic lookout points, the local market and Bahia’s oldest resident Miguelito, the 96 year old Galapagos turtle.

In 1998 the whole coast of Ecuador was affected by the El Niño phenomenon. Bahia was the most severely affected by the torrential rains and mud slides, leaving the town isolated and without basic services and food supplies. Shortly after El Niño, the town was struck by an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale. Many buildings fell to the ground and almost all were severely damaged. During the reconstruction, local residents with the support of foreign NGOs aimed their efforts towards more sustainable development. As a result in 1999 Bahia was declared an ecocity. This was partly justifiable at the time due to the ecoprojects that existed in recycling of paper and organic waste and reforestation. The declaration meant a conscious decision by the Municipality and local residents to support and consolidate this process on a long term basis. Since the declaration many new projects have been created and reinforced by initiatives in environmental education.

We will spend our days enjoying all that the Rio Muchacho Farm has to offer with time spent helping out on the organic farm and assisting at the primary school (in school season). Activities on the farm may include planting and harvesting crops, maintaining vegetable gardens, composting, weeding, nursery work and reforestation. Time is also spent interacting with the children at the school through the organization of soccer matches, educational games, arts & crafts, and teaching basic English. Other activities include a guided tour of the farm, making handicrafts from local materials, horseback riding to see the howler monkeys, swimming at the waterfalls and relaxing around the campfire.

Accommodation at Rio Muchacho is in a cabin by the stream or in one of the other creatively built sleeping areas. The best of typical food is prepared from the harvest and cooked over an open fire.

Rio Muchacho Organic Farm is situated in the river valley of the same name on the mid coast of Ecuador just north of Bahía de Caráquez. The trip to Rio Muchacho is a unique adventure with a rich interaction between environment and culture. It is not only a chance to see rural Ecuador but to share, learn, and participate in a different culture.

The area of Río Muchacho was once dense rain forest, some of which has been cleared for cattle farming and cropping. The combination of cropped areas with the remaining humid forest has created a picturesque landscape punctuated with huge umbrella shaped saman and palm trees. The people who now inhabit and farm the area are the Montubio people (coastal farmers). The Montubios live from and with the land, producing most of their food needs, and cash crops like peanuts, corn, coffee, cocoa, and passion fruit. The families live in small bamboo houses scattered along the river. The main form of transport for the local people is by horse or mule.

They are ingenious people who do marvels with a machete and the natural materials at hand. Although they work very closely with the phases of the moon and tides, the farming practices in the area are conventional and to some degree destructive, as in most parts of the world. Clearing, burning, monocropping and the use of chemicals are common practices, which in tropical areas only guarantee the impoverishment of the soil. Rio Muchacho Organic Farm was no exception until 1992 when work began to convert it to a non polluting sustainable system. It is now not only being developed as a productive organic farm but as a model for the community. It demonstrates reforestation, permaculture, alternative technologies and organic farming techniques.

This work is further enhanced in the environmental primary school coordinated by the farm. Here the children not only have a more creative, practical education but they learn new techniques for sustainable farming and practice recycling and waste management, vegetable growing, reforestation etc. There have been many positive repercussions from the creation of the School. The community, once very dispersed, now works together in many projects. The School has created a centre for the community, a place which is used for meetings, courses, talks as well as fiestas and social gatherings.

The School is registered with the Ministry of Education, which means that the graduates are able to go on to High School. The school often receives visits from groups of teachers who come to learn about how to implement environmental education in their own schools. While the School has been very successful, funding is always a problem. Even though the school is registered, it receives no funding from the government. Parents pay a fixed amount each month, regardless of how many children they have in the School, however they are unable to pay very much. Other funds come from farmers in the area, supporters in Bahia, friends, family, volunteers and tourists.

How You Can Help
If you have access to any school supplies for the environmental school this is always much appreciated. At the moment items needed include:

* New or second-hand laptops
* New or second-hand children & adult clothing
* Story books in Spanish for early teen reading
* Sets of 10 books so that the whole class can read the same book
* Environmental Education books for teachers and students
* Scissors, puzzles, art supplies
* Educational toys for 5-7 year olds
* Tooth brushes, tooth paste
* Donations

Return flight to Quito and free time to explore the City.

Depart Quito at any time.