Activities from Olga Yan Pardo

Romerillos, a community in Cotopaxi, has lovely natural resources surrounding it which beautify it such as the Cotopaxi and the Ilinizas volcanos, and the people are kind and so warm in spite of the cold climate.

The experience of being here has been wonderful, and the work to be done is so much more due to it being a rural community.  Among the activities that I am carrying out, I am serving as a teacher in the Leopoldo Rivas School, which has 7 grades, 40 students, and only one teacher.  At the present time I am helping with the grades 1 to 4 with 19 children.

I am also developing themes to go with the Project of Integral Sexual Education such as:  Sexuality and Affection, Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Advisable Discipline, Children´s Rights, etc. for the parents of the community, the Children´s centers, and close by communities such as Pastocalle, a municipal center.

With the adolescent population of the School, Church, and Community in general, I am developing the themes Of Habits for living, making decisions, prevention of STD´s, and pregnancy in adolescence, and My Life Project.  In the afternoons I help with reinforcing school habits and helping with homework.

In the “Sweet Angels” Children´s Center, I am helping with English classes for the children who are 4 and 5 years old.

My stay here has also permitted me to know a little about the reality of each home of the associates of the Women´s Savings and Credit Union of the community who are dedicated to the raising of cattle, guinea pigs, rabbits, pigs, the milking of cows, the raising of crops such as potatoes, fava beans, mellocos (a type of potato), etc. 

Even though this community really is colder than the rest of the State, this has not been an impediment to contribute with everything possible and to learn about the children, adolescents, adults and older people who are all very valuable people.

Olga Yan-Pardo serves as a Long-term Volunteer with the Ecumenical Foundation for Integral Development Training and Education (FEDICE) in Ecuador. Her appointment is made possible by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund, Our Church’s Wider Mission, and your special gifts