Still deciding whether to apply for Runa's fall internship? Read what our most recent group of interns have to say about their experience with Runa in the jungle.
Name: Samuel Weisbrod
University: University of San Francisco, International Studies - Development
Area of concentration in Ecuador: Agricultural Economics
What were you surprised by while you were conducting your research?
I was surprised by the openness of Runa members. My thesis project is a case study of Runa, and I thought it would be difficult to get honest answers to tough questions but that has not been the case at all. Even though I have only been here a short time I feel like my interviews were taken very seriously. I was also surprised by how holistic the organizational narrative is. Although people across the organization see things from different perspectives, they generally come back to a similar big picture view of Runa's mission.
What advice do you have for future interns/volunteers? Jump in. Really get to know the tecnicos as much as possible. They are the true representation of what Runa is trying to do in Ecuador. One of my regrets has been how poor my Spanish has been. In part this is because I am constantly surrounded by English speakers, so I would say get out in the field with tecnicos and work on your Spanish. Everything else will follow.
Name: Aliana H Piñeiro
University: The New School, M.A. in International Affairs, Concentration in Economic Development
Area of concentration in Ecuador: Community Development
Tell us one of the most memorable moments you had while you were working with Runa.
One of my favorite interactions here in Ecuador was with the 80-something year old president of a community called Centro Mamallacta. He was warm and open, and just exuded wisdom and knowledge about Kichwa culture and the needs of his community. He told us stories of when he was young and talked about the healing powers of the Amazonian medicinal plants.
What advice do you have for future interns/volunteers?
Be prepared for your expectations to change as you go through the internship. Working and living in a different country is an enriching experience, yet it will likely not be exactly what you expect it to be. So, keep an open mind and embrace the differences and the change.
Name: Paige Van Poppelen
University: Central Michigan University, International Business and Economics
Area of concentration in Ecuador: Agricultural Economics
As part of my research I needed to learn as much as possible about the agricultural activities performed on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. In order to do this I worked with a family in Atahualpa, a community working with Runa. At first I was a little timid towards them and while the mother and father were welcoming, they kept their distance. After a few days of planning out land, digging and planting I believe I was able to gain their trust and friendship. The mother of the family opened up to me one day while checking on recently planted cacao. She told me about her son that I had a similar cough as mine and how he passed away after weeks of refusing to see a doctor; and urged me not to do the same. Although observing allowed me to learn a lot, the father shared his methodology for planning out crops on different parts of his land and how he plans on getting a loan in the near future to prepare and use some of his land for cattle, which made a huge impact on the research. The time I spent with the family was great help for the research project, but it was also an exceptional cultural experience. Runa chose a perfect place to run its business because of the exceptional people it gets to form relationships with.
Go out and explore! Ecuador is such a biodiverse country with a lot of culture. Try working out in the field with the tecnicos or with farmers to learn about the Kichwa culture that Runa is sharing with the world. See as much of Tena and the surrounding jungle as possible. The work was a lot of fun on its own but the memories of people I met and places I´ve seen in Tena will last me a lifetime.
During the first week of our internship we went on a 7 1/2 hour hike through the jungle to find Chuncho tree seedlings to give to farmers for their agroforestry plots. It had rained heavily all morning, and the mud was ridiculously deep going in, then it rained more during the hike, so on the way back during the steep down hills we were pretty much sliding on our butts down the mountain and it was SUPER dificil! Then, as the icing on the cake, a nest of wasps got disturbed by our passage and we had to run, screaming, down the muddy slope! No one got stung, but it was quite the experience!
What advice do you have for future interns/volunteers?
No matter how much you try to prepare you do not really know what you are getting into. It will be confusing, and exciting, and frustrating, and awesome! Just come with an open mind, lots of bug spray, and a sense of adventure! Good luck : )
