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WildAid Working to End Sea Turtle Trade in China #WATWB
In Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, we are blessed. Four of the seven sea turtle species in the world live and breed here. The four species that live here are endangered (I wrote about them here) so breeding is critical.
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Preserving Ecuador’s Tsachila Indigenous Customs Through Heritage Center #WATWB
Indigenous Tsachila Tribe The Tsachila people are an indigenous tribe in Ecuador with under 3000 people remaining. They are located in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas (highlighted on map here). Albertina, a Shaman living in one of their communities runs a Tsachila heritage center in an effort to introduce their culture and traditions to world travelers. She is helping prevent the loss of their old way of life as technology and other cultures blend with theirs. Albertina’s Story Excerpt from the story on South American Backpacker, which you can read in its entirety here: Contently sitting next to the fire, Albertina began sharing her own story. At a young age she…
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eXpat Creates Kids Skating Club in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge #WATWB
Skating and rollerblading are relatively uncommon in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. It is becoming more common thanks to one man. Matthew Meinzer, a former semi-professional hockey player, has introduced Puerto Lopez kids to the joys of skating with a kids skating club. Kids flock to his practices and the participation level increases weekly. I have watched many girls transform from unsure on their wheels to beaming, confident skaters. The following 2:10 video is from March 9, 2018. (You can watch on YouTube here.) With more than 10 years of coaching experience in New York City, Matthew is able to adapt practices to the skill level of the participants. Each skater receives…
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Revitalizing an Ecuadorian Coastal Village #WATWB
Residents of La Entrada are revitalizing their poor Ecuadorian village with a new destination wedding church, artwork and town improvements. Shell and Marsha Spivey, expat owners of a popular bed and breakfast, Villa de Los Sueños, have been vital to the efforts. From this article about the revitalization: From March 5 to March 11, artists from all over Ecuador came to La Entrada to paint giant murals throughout the village, in what is Phase 2 of an innovative renewal project for the small town aimed at revitalizing the spirit of the people and the town’s economy. Artwork in La Entrada Photo from CuencaHighLife article Later in the article:…
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Godfather Ecuador Links Donors with Families in Need #WATWB
It is the last Friday of the month, which means it is time for the We Are The World Blogfest when we bring you positive stories from around the world. Thank you to this month’s co-hosts Shilpa Garg, Peter Nena, Eric Lahti, Roshan Radhakrishnan and Inderpreet Kaur Uppal. Please visit their blogs for more positive stories. —————————————————————————- A Free Education is Not Cost Free Education in Ecuador is free for all children but it is not without cost for families. The children need uniforms, pens, markers, crayons, notebooks, backpacks, etc. in order to attend. Purchasing these supplies is a financial burden some families are unable to meet. Heartbreaking choices are made – if you can afford…
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Single Father Getting New Home With Indoor Bathroom #WATWB
It is the last Friday of the month, which means it is time for the We Are The World Blogfest when we bring you positive stories from around the world. Thank you to this month’s co-hosts Shilpa Garg, Simon Falk, Lynn Hallbrooks, Eric Lahti, Damyanti Biswas and Guilie Castillo. Please visit their blogs for more positive stories. —————————————————————————- Improving Living Conditions for Father and Daughter Canadian Dodie Schadlich lives in La Libertad, Ecuador and helps those in her community who could use a bit of assistance. The following project to rebuild a father and daughter’s home is an example. Current home occupied by father and daughter, to be replaced in February Photo courtesy of Dodie Schadlich In…
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Cotacachi, Ecuador Expats Give Back to Community #WATWB
It is the last Friday of the month, which means it is time for the We Are The World Blogfest when we bring you positive stories from around the world. Thank you to this month’s co-hosts Shilpa Garg, Inderpreet Uppal, Sylvia Stein, Susan Scott, Andrea Michaels and Damyanti Biswas. Please visit their blogs for more positive stories. Ecuador Expats Giving Back to Community Introducing Micky Enright, an 81 year old long time Ecuador expat from the United States, who opened the doors to Lugar de Esperanza in Cotacachi, Ecuador three years ago. She and her volunteers provide breakfast, medical care, baths, and changes of clothing to senior citizens who have limited resources. Photo courtesy of El Comercio newspaper…
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Dutch Band Donating Album Proceeds To Benefit Ecuador Orphanage #WATWB
It is the last Friday of the month, which means it is time for the We Are The World Blogfest when we bring you positive stories from around the world. Thank you to this month’s co-hosts Shilpa Garg, Sylvia McGrath, Mary Giese, Belinda Witzenhausen, and Guilie Castillo for all you do! Please visit their blogs for more positive news. VANDERLINDE Live Trails Album Proceeds To Benefit Ecuador Orphanage This is the story of an incredibly generous gift to the orphanage in Olon, Ecuador by Dutch band VANDERLINDE. All band members, the producer, the recording and mixing engineers, and the studio are donating all proceeds from their latest album, Live Trails, to benefit…
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Messages of Solidarity from Ecuador to Mexico After Earthquakes #WATWB
“The healing power of even the most microscopic exchange with someone who knows in a flash precisely what you’re talking about because she experienced that thing too cannot be overestimated.” ― Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar Welcome to September’s installment of the We are the World Blogfest, where we share positive news on the last Friday of each month. Thank you to this month’s WATWB co-hosts: Michelle Wallace, Shilpa Garg, Andrea Michaels, Peter Nena, and Emerald Barnes. Once your life has been turned upside down by a natural disaster and you have recovered, you are in a unique position to assist…
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DoMinga – Volunteers Cleaning Beaches #WATWB
Welcome to August’s installment of the We Are The World Blogfest, when we share positive news on the last Friday of each month. Thank you to this month’s WATWB co-hosts: Simon Falk, Roshan Radhakrishnan, Inderpreet Uppal, Lynn Hallbrooks, Eric Lahti, and Mary J Giese. DoMinga – Weekly Puerto Lopez beach cleanup This month I am writing about a weekly Puerto Lopez, Ecuador beach cleanup effort. I have no article to link to so I will just tell you about it. Where plastic bags thrown on the ground go Dead or dying whales, dolphins and sea turtles periodically wash up on shore, stomachs full of plastic. A plastic bag tossed out a car window miles from shore flows…
