In an earlier blog about Morochos I promised Ecuador pictures of the village children. While in Morochos to check out the sustainable gardening projects that Paige Fisher is creating through the Peace Corps, I found another garden. Colorful pre-schoolers were blossoming in profusion.
The children were only too accommodating, having become accustomed to visitors who like to snap their pictures. They would come running and pose for me, vying for attention and pushing each other out of the way. Their school building is in the background.
This little girl insisted that I take her picture and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She managed to get in front of each shot until I took her picture and showed it to her.
Only a few were shy.
Little boy with his dog.
The kids have little in the way of playground equipment. There are some swings behind the school building. This old mattress seems to provide plenty of fun and exercise.
Toddlers on a straw mat.
Unlike some mothers who don’t want me to photograph them or their offspring, this mother gathered up her daughter, straightened her pony tails and sat down near me so I could get a good shot.
A thatched house in the village. It is made of bahareque, an ancient technique using cane for the basic structure and filling in the gaps with mud and straw.
The pre-school will soon have a new feature–a dry composting toilet. Although the parents were in favor when Paige suggested it, before long they began to fear that the children might fall through the composting toilet seat and drown.
It took some diplomatic negotiating before Paige could convince them to take on the project. Soon they will organize into teams and help a local man build the toilet. Paige arranged for a Peace Corps grant that will donate $700 to pay for the toilet.
Right now there is only one toilet for the entire school and all the children and teachers. Sometimes there is no water to flush the toilet, so the situation has become extremely unsanitary.
Click here to read Part I of the blogs about Morochos and Paige’s sustainable gardening projects.
Read Part II about the alpaca project for Morochos and the craft store that sells authentic hand-made alpaca items.
Read here and here about how Paige and Gary have raised over $12000 for the 2012 Cotacachi indigenous high school scholarship recipients.
Interested in donating to this worthy cause?