AMBATO, ECUADOR
Located just two hours south of Quito, in the shadow of the active Tungurahua Volcano, the rural Andean village of Ambatillo is home to a culturally-rich indigenous people who, unfortunately, live in isolation and poverty. With limited resources and no government assistance, villagers survive on subsistence terrace farming, traveling once a week down to the city of Ambato to sell fruits, vegetables and colorful woven textiles, just as they did hundreds of years ago.
In 2008, MYX was welcomed into this community to help local students invigorate their school. Visiting students stayed with local families in Ambato and mad the 45-minute journey up into the mountains to Ambatillo each morning.
MYX participants worked with Ecuadorian teens from both Ambato and Ambatillo to improve the village's one-room school and playground. The project will included painting and re-decorating the interior of the classroom and collaborating on an art project for the playground walls.