Hey everyone, I'm back!!! I currently have 2 weeks left down here in Ecuador, and for some reason I don't really comprehend I decided that climbing another mountain would be a great idea! So yes, one more time, 4th mountain in 3 months, and this one will be the hardest of all. There are only 2 volunteers left who accomplished the last challenge, and the both of us have decided that something more strenuous would be more...(fill in descriptive word. Maybe fun? exciting? hard? stupid? completely insane? Pick your favorite.) Anyways, this is to be my last hurrah this summer, and I hope that you will consider giving one more time for the wonderful kids I work with. Cheerio mate!

ps. read on for a funny and hopefully informative look into where and with whom I am working with!

Thanks for visiting the JustGiving page of me, Alan Henzy! Whether friend, family, enstranged uncle, or long lost half-step-great-grandma, I hope you will take the time to read what I am doing this summer and, hopefully, give as much as you can to our support our work here, even if it is only $5!

So as most of you know, I am currently working in the small indigenous city of Otavalo, Ecuador. I live in a homestay in town with my wonderful host-mother Monica, father Juan Carlos, brothers Andres and Alex, and of course, Abuela. This is my second trip to Otavalo, both of which have been 3 months long, and both of which have been with the same homestay. 

My normal work day consists of getting up at 5:30 am to catch the 6:15 public bus to a place called 4 Esquinas. From there my co-workers and I walk for about 35 minutes up a mountain to Larcacunga, the community where the school is located. (I have the record for fastest walk up to school, which I set last year, 19:36. Very proud.) But once we get to school is when the day really starts, and the reason why I came back. 

Our school has 40 kids, all of whom we feed, teach, and care for during our time here. At the moment I am working with nine 5 and 6 year olds, the first grade at Larc. There are more emotions that come from working with these kids than...something there is a lot of. On any given day I can feel frustrated, loved, confused, ecstatic, annoyed, accomplished, sad, appreciated and, most of all, happy. These kids have become pros at pushing the buttons of people like me. Think its a good idea to spend 2 hours planning and drawing a map of Ecuador so they can fill it in with animals and people and all kinds of fun stuff that 5 year olds like to do? Pfft, na, let's rip it in half for fun. Half an hour later, we will be walking in a circle singing songs when they will all decide they need to pile on top of me! In a loving way, of course. 

The goal of this challenge is, as a team, to raise money for these kids, and the ones at our other two schools, so that we can feed them in the upcoming school year. Through the donations we get in these challenges, we can successfully carry out all the projects we have for these kids. People are asked to support great causes all the time, but on the ground it is so much easier to see where the money goes and how much good it really does. A donation of $5 dollars will give every student in the school a piece of fruit. A donation of $20 dollars will give every student in the school lunch. No matter how little, every donation can help.

So, the challenge that I got signed up for, with a gun to my head....umm. So, the challenge that I put my name down on a list that I had no idea what it was for...ummm. So, the challenge I signed up for willingly and with love and happiness in my heart...yup, that's more like it!  Anyway, we're climbing 3 volcanoes in 3 days, a mean feat for a guy like Bear Grylls, let alone for someone like me. The first volcano, Fuya Fuya, is a measly 13,983 feet. (Wait, that doesnt sound like the right adjective...hmm.) The second, Imbabura, is a laughable 14,952 feet. (Hang on, I'm seeing some sort of pattern here.) And the last, Cotacachi, is 16,371 feet. (Holy @*&# that's high!!!!!) Yeah, 3 volcanoes in 3 days, with a bunch of other people here working with me, to raise money for awesome, fun, aggravating kids who deserve to grow up with oppurtunities that Western kids take for granted. Please, do what you can.

Sorry, it's an English company, so everyone has to donate in pounds. (You'll donate in pounds, but your bank will change it to dollars.)

5 pounds = $7.80

10 pounds = $15.59

25 pounds = $38.97

50 pounds = $77.93

100 pounds = $155.87

Thanks again, see ya'll on the flip side.

We are also undertaking a number of challenges and events over this next year in order to raise money for our 3 schools here in Ecuador. For the next academic year (2012-2013) we are looking to secure funds for the following:

- Sponsoring 19 children through high school ($3800/£2340)

- Supporting our Food Programme, each child receives a warm meal and a piece of fruit each day ($10,000/£6150)

- Set up 'Plan Ganado' -  Working with the Mums and Dads in our communities our goal is to set up our own cow herd with a view to creating a sustainable source of income to support the food programme at school ($3200/£1970)

- Continue Plan Moo - Buy 5 milk cows for the children to support their on going high school education. Money from the sale of milk and cheese goes straight towards their school resources. ($800/£492 per cow)

 

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