On Saturday, June 20, our students departed for a new host family and a new setting to begin their Service Term, the second half of SST. Stay tuned for more updates about the communities in which the students are living and the volunteer work they're doing with nonprofits, community organizations, and municipal governments!
News
María Aurora
Mar 25 2026
At the foundation, “Su cambio por el cambio,” I work with elderly people in the mornings. I enjoy playing games, leading activities, and learning about their lives every day. The majority of the elderly who go to the foundation live alone, having had their siblings and spouses pass away before them. Their children have moved away to cities far away and can’t visit often. The foundation offers them a community, access to mental health care, physical therapy, and activities that stimulate the brain, use fine motor skills, and have them move their bodies. They are also given a meal each day that consists of soup, rice, protein, and juice. The employees take care to ensure everyone’s needs are met, making sugar-free juice and low-sodium soup available, as well as cutting up food so it is easy to eat.
There is a large group of indigenous elders who go to the foundation, some of whom speak little to no Spanish. The indigenous women are especially close to one other, sitting and doing activities together daily. I have found myself drawn to this group and have connected especially with Maria Aurora. The second day I was working at the foundation, she pulled me aside and asked for my name. Our SST group was lucky enough to learn some Kichwa, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to use the one sentence I managed to remember: “Nuka shutimi Christinami Ka”. From then on, I was “Mamita Christina” to her, and the indigenous women tried to slowly teach me more Kichwa. The relationships I have made with the Kichwa women in San Simon are some of the most meaningful to me. Although I feel like my language skills are lacking, both in Spanish and Kichwa, the women are patient and kind, allowing us to slowly get to know each other.
Note: Maria Aurora gave permission for me to take a photo of her and to use her photo on the blog.
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