Welcome to the new Yachana Blog, sponsored by the Yachana Technical High School. The first article is below, and we will try to post a new article every week or so. Enjoy…!

Every Sunday at Yachana Technical High School, our students become teachers, our students become leaders and our students become pioneers. With the help of the Ecuadorian government, the Quinto course at Yachana High School visits small communities along the Rio Napo to teach adults how to read and write.  The illiteracy rate of adults in the Amazon region borders around 65% and another 25% having only a basic education.

Thanks to the progressive government that President Rafael Correa has established in Ecuador and the recently passed constitution, education is going through somewhat of a rebirth in the country. Our students are supplied with text books and teaching guides specifically geared toward the Amazon region. Topics in the program include basic health and medical practices, recycling, and environmental education Yachana students are learning at a very young age the importance of community development and spreading quality education to the most rural parts of Ecuador.

Along with the education part of the program, Yachana students are also partaking in community developmental projects to enhance leadership abilities as well as promote a healthy lifestyle. Projects include but are not limited to community trash clean up, recycling, first aid practices and the construction and maintenance of organic composting.

This is a unique experience for the Yachana students to put into practice the principals and techniques being taught at the High School. As each week of the program passes, the students are feeling more confident and comfortable going into the communities and sharing their knowledge and experiences with the program participants as well as learning effective techniques to apply to their own communities. The program lasts throughout the school year, so please keep posted for future updates. Gracias!