Week Twelve – My Last Week In Ecuador

Author: Masha

Photos by the Masha & the group

Week Twelve – My Last Week in Ecuador

August 2019

On Saturday, we made the long trip from Tena back to Quito. On Sunday, all I did was homework. On Monday, we went to a home for elderly women, who had been brought there by family or local law enforcement. The home was run by nuns in the same order as Mother Teresa. In the afternoon, we had Spanish classes, we gave our mini-presentations on our articles, and then we had a debrief.

The visit to the home for elderly women was interesting, many students mentioned feeling more useful about going there than the home for teen moms. Some of the women there were close to 100 years old. It would have been fascinating to get to talk to then longer, because I imagine many are just a wealth of information

 

On Tuesday, we went to the Quito Sur Hospital, which was amazing. This afternoon we had Spanish classes, and the mini-lectures of students presenting on articles.

I was so impressed by the hospital, it was so clean, the waiting times were short (relative to the U.S.), and watching two births (part of one and all of the other via cesarean) was a beautiful experience and I found the doctors calm and supportive.

Finally today, we had our debrief/article summary session. It was a fascinating discussion, and actually I think the most in-depth discussion we have had thus far. Specifically because the discussions extended beyond “we should do X,Y, and Z.” and into the complexities of the problems, like oil money in Ecuador and becoming politically active ourselves not just talking about it in an abstract sense. During this conversation a white student said, “I’m not into politics, I don’t like it.” Which made me think about what a HUGE statement of privilege that is, and I would like to quote Imaanasim from her blog #Muslimgirl:

“The only reason why you, as an individual, can choose to not talk about politics is because you have the privilege to do so. You have been born with the privilege of a different race, or gender, or religion that allows you to disregard political issues as they won’t directly affect you. You have the privilege to not be “into” politics because you won’t have dealt with micro-aggressions, online hate, or blatant discrimination thrown to your face.”

http://muslimgirl.com/53733/for-my-friend-who-isnt-into-politics/

    It negates the suffering of others in a way that is well intentioned and totally ignorant; so, I’m not mad at this student for stating what she stated, but it needs to begin a much longer discussion.

On Thursday, we traveled to Otavalo, and went to Jambi Huasi, had lunch, and many students went to the stores by the Plaza De los Ponchos. This week we also had a farewell dinner.

It is strange to think that these are my last couple days in Ecuador. I have really enjoyed my time here and am sad to be leaving. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have taken the three classes I have taken in Ecuador. Ecuador’s healthcare system, the system, the facilities themselves, and the infrastructure is the best I have ever encountered outside of the U.S., I say that as both a student and as someone who has accessed Ecuador’s private clinics and government-run free clinics for both emergencies and non-emergencies.

I have also enjoyed talking with the other UWM students, for many of them this is either their first time out of the U.S. or their first study abroad. Everything is new, everything is different, and everything is thought-provoking. It has been a privilege to listen and talk with them as they think out loud about what they’re experiencing.

Finally, one of my favorite moments from this week was when the UDLA coordinator told me “you are Ecuadorian.” While I realize that I am not Ecuadorian and could never say “well my Ecuadorian friend said I was Ecuadorian!” The recognition as more of an insider was extremely flattering, and I think all the students, not just myself, have a responsibility to address the negative stereotypes about Ecuador form the U.S. once we are back in the U.S., especially in the age of Trump I would like to end with a quote from Dr. Mkandawire-Valhmu from UWM from her book, Cultural Safety, Healthcare, and Vulnerable Populations (2018):

“In connecting with those outside our geographic borders, we also recognize how lives that we lead and the choices that we make, or those that are made on our behalf, impact the lives of others in faraway lands. We must therefore find our common humanity across geographic borders while not denying the reality of existing power structures that lead to inequality between one geographic space or another.”

On my last morning in Quito before catching an evening flight, two WUM nursing students and I summitted Volcan Pichincha (15,400 ft). It’s normally a 4 hour hike to the top if you’re walking briskly, we did it in 2 hours and 45 minutes. It was a blast, and a great way to wrap up my time in Ecuador.

What a summer.