ECUADOR: ANDES ConneCt with the indigenous people of the Andes mountAins

1. Sharing smiles with a local child | 2. Me to We co-founders Marc and Craig Kielburger | 3. Playing a game with local students

There is no other trip like a Me to We Trip.

When we were young, we were both lucky enough to travel to South Asia to witness the lives of kids our age in developing communities. These journeys changed our lives and helped forge a path for our life choices. We know that a Me to We Trip to a Free The Children community will give participants the same kind of eye-opening and inspirational experience we were so fortunate to experience in our teens. A Me to We Trip is just the beginning of a journey to make a difference—and we’re here to support travelers every step of the way.

Together, let’s change the world!

Marc KielburgerCo-Founder and Co-CEO, Me to We

Craig KielburgerCo-Founder, Me to We

Why ME tO WE tRipS? A Me to We Trip is the start of a life-long journey—and is unlike any other volunteer travel program.

Help leave a lasting legacy: Visit a Free The Children community and work side-by-side with locals on development projects that help remove the barriers to education.

Connect with communities: Spend time with local community members and put real faces, names and stories to the impact of your volunteer work.

Walk in the footsteps of locals: Experience the sights and sounds of a new culture, and have one-of-a-kind adventures led by expert local guides on a journey off the beaten path.

Become a leader: Learn lifelong leadership skills through meaningful workshops built around issues in the country visited. Build confidence and the ability to motivate others, and get the tools to turn the trip experience into action at home.

OUR ChARity pARtNER AND bESt fRiEND Me to We Trips support the work of our charity partner, Free The Children, giving travelers a unique opportunity to engage in activities that directly contribute to Free The Children’s holistic and sustainable development model, Adopt a Village. Designed to meet the basic needs of all members of a community and eliminate the obstacles preventing children from accessing education, this model is made up of five core pillars: Education, Clean Water and Sanitation, Health, Alternative Income and Livelihood, and Agriculture and Food Security. Free The Children works closely with community members to develop holistic solutions that work and will have lasting impacts.

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3 | Me to We Trips - Nicaragua1. Students at a local school | 2. A new clean water project | 3. Students enjoying lunch at school | 4. Caring for a school garden

Words cannot begin to describe our gratitude to Me to We for giving our girls the opportunity of a lifetime! Both the legwork on the front end and the delivery of the experience demonstrated the passion, drive and determination that Me to We staff possess. You helped us create an experience that stayed true to our focus on empowering girls and women.

In Ecuador, Free The Children works with communities in the Andes and Amazon regions. On a Me to We Trip to the Andes, participants may work on anything from school-building to a clean water system or school garden, and more.

ADOpt A villAgE iN ECUADOR

Kristina Blundon, Director of Community Service, Emma Willard School

EducationWith no nearby secondary schools, access to education in the Andes is limited, and existing school buildings are often unsafe. We work with communities to build new schools and repair existing structures, and ensure children can learn in both Spanish and the native Quichua language.

Clean Water and SanitationIn the Andes, the closest water sources are often a long distance away, and local schools frequently lack proper toilets and sanitation systems. Projects in the Andes include school water piping, toilets and hand-washing systems, as well as hygiene and sanitation education.

healthProjects in the Andes work to provide support and improvements to existing health infrastructure, with a goal of improving hygiene practices in tandem with the Clean Water and Sanitation pillar, introducing new habits to improve family health.

Alternative income and livelihoodFree The Children works to empower young women through programs that provide women with the tools to become economically independent, with a focus on girls’ clubs, animal husbandry and artisans training.

Agriculture and food SecurityIn the Andes, the high altitude, cold weather and rising global food prices contribute to poorer crop production, lower nutritional value of food and limited income-generating options. Projects include setting up school gardens and safe, clean dining halls, helping give children the fuel needed to learn and grow.

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tRip SpECifiCSgetting thereParticipants travel together to the city of Quito on group flights booked through Me to We. The trip facilitators will meet the group at the arrivals gate at the airport in Quito and accompany them to their accommodations.

Where We StayGroups spend their first and last nights at a hotel in Quito. We select hotels that are safe and frequented by Westerners, and regularly book at the same hotels. Participants always share rooms with one or more participants of the same gender, and males and females sleep in different areas. Educators stay in a separate room from students.

All washrooms are Western-style and have sinks with running water, as well as showers available daily. Some rooms will have private washrooms with showers and toilets, others will have shared facilities. All facilities are cleaned daily. The majority of the trip will be spent at accommodations near the host community in Chimborazo. At the Amazon Rainforest retreat, groups stay at Minga Lodge, an eco-lodge owned and operated by Me to We.

What We EatParticipants will enjoy meals provided with care by our trusted local providers. Meals will include dishes such as beans, rice, meat, salads, soups and potatoes. Filtered drinking water will be readily available.

getting Around Groups will travel together by bus and boat. All drivers used by Me to We are the same trusted transportation providers we use for all of our trips.

$language• Learn Spanish• Local staff speak English,

Spanish and Quichua (the local indigenous language)

Climate• Groups will experience

cool temperatures in the Andes Mountains, and warmer weather on the Amazon retreat

• The average temperature in Quito is 18 C

Currency • The currency in Ecuador

is the U.S. Dollar (USD)• We recommend that

participants bring about $200 USD as spending money

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1. A women’s group performing a traditional dance | 2. The local accommodations | 3. A local community member riding a donkey | 4. The stunning landscape of the Andes Mountains

1. Weaving traditional Ecuadorian cintas | 2. Having fun on the build site | 3. Getting to know the local wildlife

itiNERARy AND tRip highlightS Sample activities:

Head to an authentic Ecuadorian market: Practice your Spanish, immerse yourself in local culture and get a sense of the economic realities encountered in the region.

Spend time with a women’s group: Meet Maria Angela Pacheco, who will share her personal story and talk about challenges faced by the Puruhua people, one of Ecuador’s many indigenous nationalities.

Sightsee in Quito: Explore Old Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on a walking tour of the area with a local guide.

Go on a retreat: Take an unforgettable journey to the Amazon Rainforest.

A typiCAl DAy:8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: Breakfast.

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Visit with Sumak Ahuana and Maria Angela Pacheco.

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Lunchtime!

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Get to know the group better with a fun team-building activity.

2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Volunteer on a Free The Children project.

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.: Head back to the accommodations for dinner.

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: Action planning! Get ready to make a difference at home.

8:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m: Free time—read, relax and reflect on the day.

Tina Valuzzi, Me to We Trip participant

The trip to Ecuador was incredible! Being able to be part of a school-building project is something that I will always carry with me. Our group also grew into a family on this trip and I can’t even begin to describe how strong of a connection we had with one another and the various communities we were able to come in contact with.

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My daughter is already a mature individual, but when she came home from Ecuador I noticed that was definitely increased. She took back a greater appreciation for what she has. I wouldn’t hesitate to send her on another trip!

SAfEty: OUR tOp pRiORityMe to We has been facilitating volunteer trips overseas since 2002. Since then, we have taken more than 6,500 youth to Ecuador, Kenya/Tanzania, rural China, India, Ghana, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Arizona without incident.

In Ecuador, our safety measures include:

• Me to We Trips abides by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs travel advisories and monitors these updates prior to and during travel.

• Canadian and American participants are registered with their respective embassy before departure to ensure accountability in case of emergency. For all other nationalities, Me to We strongly recommends participants register with their embassy before travel.

• Copies of all passports, medical and travel insurance, and emergency contact information are collected well in advance of the trip.

• Our extensive facilitator training program includes emergency evacuation protocols, standard operating procedures and crisis prevention/management. All facilitators are trained in first aid and carry a first-aid kit at all times.

• Local hospitals with Western medical standards are notified of our trips and prepared to handle any minor or major medical situations.

• All accommodations have a 24-hour security system. Participants are given an orientation to know where to find resources.

• All transportation is run by our trusted private transportation providers. All travel within Ecuador occurs under the guidance of our in-country team.

• All food is prepared by cooks who are trained in proper food preparation.• During all building activities, participants are given thorough instructions on the use

of equipment and wear protective gear at all times.

ENviRONMENtAl iMpACtSAt Me to We, we understand the impact of international travel on our planet, and are committed to reducing our ecological footprint as much as possible. In all countries where we work, we run green initiatives that benefit local ecosystems. In Ecuador, this includes school environmental clubs, carbon offsetting for flights through tree planting, use of solar power and community wood lots.

Shayu Talbot, parent of Me to We Trip participant

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1 - 3. Laying bricks and spending time with local children on the build site

Me to We Intl. Office225 Carlton StreetToronto, ONM5A 2L2 Canada

tiCo #: 50017614

Youth Volunteer TripsTel: 416.964.8942 x 510Toll-free: 1.877.638.6931 x 510Fax: 1.416.925.2199Email: trips@metowe.com

School Volunteer TripsTel: 416.964.8942 x 524Toll-free: 1.877.638.6931 x 524Fax: 1.416.925.2199Email: trips@metowe.com

photographs courtesy of matt finlin, V. tony hauser, michael Rajzman and scott Ramsay

Questions?Ready to book?

Contact us today.

Learn more at metowe.com/trips