Cultural Centre Creation

THE PROJECT

As a centre of cultural exchange and social innovation, we bring together local Ecuadorians and others from around the world through sustainable tourism, culture, education and ecology – to create a more meaningful, sustainable and prosperous world.

We’re in the early stages - starting in July 2021 - but we have big ambitions! We aspire to regenerate local ecosystems, build pride in indigenous culture, provide dignified employment opportunities, offer a wide variety of unique eco & community tourism experiences, and ensure volunteers like you learn new skills, meet extraordinary people and leave with unforgettable memories.

THE REGION

The project is on a hillside in the little-known province of Bolívar, just outside of the quaint colonial town of Guaranda in central Ecuador. It's nestled in a valley surrounded by traditional farmland and indigenous communities, with a spectacular view of the majestic Chimborazo Volcano (the point on earth closest to the sun!).

Although in the centre of the country and stunningly beautiful, the province is one of Ecuador’s poorest. There is a high rate of malnutrition, illiteracy and poverty. With few employment opportunities, most high-school graduates quickly leave to the larger cities and the indigenous language and culture is under threat.

Here you can help make a real, lasting difference to the surrounding communities, so that they can access future opportunities, prosper as a society and share pride in exchanging their culture with yours.

THE FAMILY

My name is Joshua; I’m 34 and from the UK. I first came as a backpacker to Ecuador in 2013 and fell in love with the place - the people, the culture, the biodiversity and of course, with my Ecuadorian partner, Karina. In 2017, I returned on a one-way ticket and after time spending 3 years searching the country looking for land, we found the perfect spot to begin building a vision we had been nurturing for many years. We are also expecting our first child un June 2022!

More recently, we've been building a team of locals and international volunteers to help our programme grow and thrive. We have Tania, a local woman with a huge heart who loves to share her culture with the volunteers who visit. We have Wilson, from another part of Ecuador who's a passionate English teacher and cares deeply about the community. Kasper is from Denmark, he brings some valuable organisational skills, experience and a positive attitude to take the project forwards. From France, Elea is bubbly and fun, she leads the classes and personal projects!

We’re delighted to receive you as a valued part of creating a more prosperous and meaningful world, while making your stay warm and welcoming.

FREE TIME ACTIVITIES

With your time off, you can take a walk around any of the beautiful local trails around the communities, down to the river or jump in a taxi to savor the spectacular could-covered sunset. There are regular buses into town if you would like to go shopping, try the local food or learn about Guaranda’s Carnaval - the most infamous in the country.

For a day’s outing, don’t miss hiking up to Chimborazo’s refuge and enjoying a hot chocolate at over 5,000m above sea level. Alternatively, take a tour around the salt mines and micro-businesses of the nationally renowned village of Salinas de Guaranda. If you prefer warmer climates, within an hour you can drop down to sea level and go hiking in protected virgin forests in the search of pristine rivers, tropical birds and immense waterfalls. Bolívar really has it all (minus the tourist traps!).

CLIMATE

We are at almost 3,000m (10,000ft) above sea level and the average temperature is 13°C (55°F). Below is a list of typical weather patterns throughout the year, though climate change is definately throwing these off, so be ready for anything!

• Summer (Jun - Sep, around Christmas): hot sunny days (leading to water shortages), colder cloudless nights and often a strong wind
• Winter (Feb - Apr): Often dry mornings and heavy rain in the afternoon. Less day/night temperature change and no wind.
• Spring/Autumn (May, Oct - Jan): Somewhere between summer and winter!

Due to the high altitude, the sun feels cooler but will burn you more easily - so be prepared with a hat and sun screen. The temperature is cool at night and ecuadorian houses have no insulation/central heating, we have blankets and hot water bottles to help keep you cosey. Fortunately there are no mosquitos at this elevation!