Me to We: Crestwood in Ecuador

See pictures and read more about the Me to We trip to Ecuador, written by Grade 12 student, Marina Morris.

On March 11th, some of Crestwood’s students woke up in the early morning and headed to Pearson Airport to begin their Me to We journey to Ecuador. It was a long day, filled with flights and a 6-hour layover. On our first day of being in Ecuador, we travelled to the city and historical centre of Quito, visiting a cultural museum, which displayed their ancestral and colonial heritage. We then visited the Equator, in which several students became an Egg Master, by being able to balance an egg on a nail right on the equator! The next day, we set out to the rainforest! Unfortunately, due to the high levels of water in the river, we could not go to our accommodations. However, we stayed in another gorgeous Amazonian lodge, which I am sure everyone enjoyed. Our first official day of helping the community had arrived! We went to community and our first job was to get materials ready and actually help with building a new high school building for the students. It was a long day of tough work. The next day, we spent half the day spending quality time with the members of the community, in which we played soccer with them and even tried to practice our Spanish! We also visited a family living in the remote areas of the rainforest, learning how they live their everyday lives, as well as visiting a women’s artisan group, learning how they make their crafts and even having the opportunity to buy what they have made! Lastly, going back to Quito, we visited a local market where we got to browse around, looking for some neat souvenirs to buy. Overall, it was an amazing experience, and I was glad to have been part of something that helped others for the greater good of their society!

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