ECUADOR: ChimbORAzODiscover an inDigenous culture

Making the choice to come on a Me to We Trip will change the world.

When we were young, we were both lucky enough to travel to South Asia to witness the lives of kids our age in developing communities. These journeys changed our lives and helped forge a path for our life choices. We know that a Me to We Trip to a Free The Children community will give participants the same kind of eye-opening and inspirational experience we were so fortunate to experience in our teens. A Me to We Trip is just the beginning of a journey to make a difference—and we’re here to support travellers every step of the way.

Together, let’s change the world!

Marc KielburgerCo-Founder and Co-CEO, Me to We

Craig KielburgerCo-Founder, Me to We

Why mE tO WE tRips? A Me to We Trip is an unparalleled experience that changes travellers and the community visited.

Visit a Free The Children community: Work side-by-side with communities on development projects.

Make a difference: Help remove the barriers to education—lay bricks that will become a school, dig a well that will provide clean water, or plant crops that will grow into nourishing food.

Walk in the footsteps of locals: Experience the sights and sounds of a new culture, and experience one-of-a-kind adventures led by expert local guides on a journey off the beaten path.

Become a leader: Learn lifelong skills through meaningful workshops built around issues in the country visited. Build confidence and the ability to motivate others, and get the tools to turn the trip experience into action at home.

OUR ChARity pARtnER AnD bEst fRiEnD Participants volunteer in communities where our charity partner, Free The Children, works, finding their place in the long-standing relationship between these communities and Free The Children. An international charity and educational partner, Free The Children works domestically and internationally to empower youth to be agents of change. Internationally, Free The Children works in eight countries to implement the five pillars of its holistic and sustainable development model, Adopt a Village: Education, Clean Water and Sanitation, Health, Alternative Income and Livelihood, and Agriculture and Food Security. Together, the pillars address the root causes of poverty and break down the barriers to children’s education. Free The Children works closely with communities to ensure all projects are built on community need, and that community members are empowered to have ownership over each project.

1. Sharing smiles with a local child | 2. Me to We co-founders Marc and Craig Kielburger | 3. Playing a game with local students Me to We trips: eCUADor | 2

Words cannot begin to describe our gratitude to Me to We for giving our girls the opportunity of a lifetime! Both the legwork on the front end and the delivery of the experience demonstrated the passion, drive and determination that Me to We staff possess. You helped us create an experience that stayed true to our focus on empowering girls and women.

In Ecuador, Free The Children works with communities in the province of Chimborazo and the Amazon region. On a Me to We Trip to Chimborazo, participants may work on anything from school-building to a clean water system or school garden, and more.

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ADOpt A villAgE in ECUADOR

Kristina Blundon, Director of Community Service, Emma Willard School

EducationWith no nearby secondary schools, access to education in Chimborazo is limited, and existing school buildings are often unsafe. We work with communities to build new schools and repair existing structures, and ensure children can learn in both Spanish and the native Quichua language.

Clean Water and sanitationIn Chimborazo, the closest water sources are often a long distance away, and local schools frequently lack proper toilets and sanitation systems. Our projects in Chimborazo include school water piping, toilets and hand-washing systems, as well as hygiene and sanitation education.

healthOur projects in Chimborazo work to provide support and improvements to existing health infrastructure, with a goal of improving hygiene practices in tandem with the Clean Water and Sanitation pillar, introducing new habits to improve family health.

Alternative income and livelihoodWe work to empower young women through programs that provide women with the tools to become economically independent, with a focus on girls’ clubs, animal husbandry and artisans training.

Agriculture and food securityIn Chimborazo, the high altitude, cold weather and rising global food prices contribute to poorer crop production, lower nutritional value of food and limited income-generating options. Our projects include setting up school gardens and safe, clean dining halls, helping give children the fuel they need to learn and grow.

1. Students at a local school | 2. A new clean water project | 3. Students enjoying lunch at school | 4. Caring for a school garden

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tRip spECifiCsgetting thereParticipants travel together to the city of Quito on group flights booked through Me to We. Our facilitators will meet the group at the airport in Quito and accompany them to their accommodations.

Where We stayGroups spend their first and last nights at a hotel in Quito. We select hotels that are safe and frequented by Westerners, and regularly book at the same hotels. Participants always share rooms with one or more participants of the same gender, and males and females sleep in different areas. Educators stay in a separate room from students.

All washrooms are cleaned daily, are Western-style, have sinks with running water, and showers available daily. Some rooms have private washrooms; others will have shared facilities. The majority of the trip will be spent at accommodations near the host community in Chimborazo. At the Amazon Rainforest retreat, groups stay at Minga Lodge, an eco-lodge owned and operated by Me to We.

What We EatParticipants will enjoy meals prepared with care by our local staff, including beans, rice, meat, salads, soups and potatoes. Bottled or filtered drinking water will be readily available throughout the trip.

getting Around Groups travel together by bus, followed by another vehicle available in case of emergency. All drivers used by Me to We are the same trusted transportation providers used for all our trips.

$language• Learn Spanish• Local staff speak English,

Spanish and Quichua, the local indigenous language

Climate• Groups will experience

warm weather while in the capital of Quito and on the Amazon retreat

• Cooler temperatures will be experienced in the Andes Mountains

Currency • The currency in Ecuador

is the U.S. dollar (USD)• We recommend that

participants bring about $200 USD as spending money

1. A women’s group performing a traditional dance | 2. The local accommodations | 3. A local community member riding a donkey | 4. The stunning landscape of the Andes Mountains5 | Me to We trips: eCUADor

itinERARy AnD tRip highlights sample activities:

Visit a local market: Head to an authentic Ecuadorian market and mingle with local residents to get a sense of the economic realities that people in the community encounter.

Spend time with a women’s group: Meet Maria Angela Pacheco, who will share her personal story and talk about challenges faced by the Puruhua people, one of Ecuador’s many indigenous nationalities.

Sightsee in Quito: Explore Old Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on a walking tour of the area with a local guide.

Go on a retreat: Take an unforgettable journey to the Amazon Rainforest.

A typiCAl DAy:8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: Breakfast.

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Visit with Sumak Ahuana and Maria Angela Pacheco.

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Lunchtime!

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Get to know the group better with a fun team-building activity.

2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Volunteer on a Free The Children project.

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.: Head back to the accommodations for dinner.

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: Action planning! Get ready to make a difference at home.

8:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m: Free time—read, relax and reflect on the day.

1. Weaving traditional Ecuadorian cintas | 2. Having fun on the build site | 3. Getting to know the local wildlife

Tina Valuzzi, Me to We Trip participant

The trip to Ecuador was incredible! Being able to be part of a school-building project is something that I will always carry with me. Our group also grew into a family on this trip and I can’t even begin to describe how strong of a connection we had with one another and the various communities we were able to come in contact with.

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My daughter is already a mature individual, but when she came home from Ecuador I noticed that was definitely increased. She took back a greater appreciation for what she has. I wouldn’t hesitate to send her on another trip!

sAfEty: OUR tOp pRiORityMe to We has been facilitating volunteer trips overseas since 2002. Since then, we have taken more than 6,500 youth to Ecuador, Kenya, rural China, India, Ghana, Nicaragua and Arizona without incident. We take serious measures and precautions to ensure all our participants are safe throughout their trip.

In Ecuador, our safety measures include:

• All participants are registered with their respective embassy before departure to ensure accountability in case of emergency. Travel advisories are monitored by our international and country offices

• Copies of all passports, medical and travel insurance, emergency contact information, and dietary and medical requirements are collected well in advance of the trip

• Emergency communication is open 24 hours a day between our Ecuador team and our Toronto office

• Our extensive facilitator training program includes emergency evacuation protocols, standard operating procedures and crisis prevention/management

• All facilitators are trained in first aid and carry a first-aid kit at all times• Local hospitals with Western medical standards are notified of our trips and prepared

to handle any minor or major medical situations• All transportation is run by Me to We staff and all travel within Ecuador occurs by day,

under the guidance of our team• During all building activities, participants are given thorough instructions on the use

of equipment and wear protective equipment at all times• 24-hour security system at all facilities

EnviROnmEntAl impACtsAt Me to We, we understand the impact of international travel on our planet, and are committed to reducing our ecological footprint as much as possible. In all countries where we work, we run green initiatives that benefit local ecosystems. In Ecuador, this includes school environmental clubs, carbon offsetting for flights through tree planting, use of solar power and community wood lots.

1 - 3. Laying bricks and spending time with local children on the build site

Shayu Talbot, parent of Me to We Trip participant

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Me to We Intl. Office225 Carlton StreetToronto, ONM5A 2L2 Canada

tico #: 50017614

Youth Volunteer TripsTel: 416.964.8942 x 510Toll-free: 1.877.638.6931 x 510Fax: 1.416.925.2199Email: trips@metowe.com

School Volunteer TripsTel: 416.964.8942 x 524Toll-free: 1.877.638.6931 x 524Fax: 1.416.925.2199Email: trips@metowe.com

Photographs courtesy of Matt Finlin, v. tony Hauser, Michael rajzman and scott ramsay

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Learn more at metowe.com/trips