Tandana plans health care trip

0

SPRING VALLEY — The Tandana Foundation is offering individuals a unique opportunity to combine their desire to see the world with their desire to help others.

Tandana will hold its 24th Health Care Volunteer Venture in highland Ecuador Sept. 22 to Oct. 6. Interested volunteers can register to participate in either of the two weeks, or both. This volunteer venture will give participants a chance to experience the culture of highland Ecuador as guests rather than tourists and form cross-cultural friendships.

Volunteers will work as a team along with Ecuadorian medical professionals to provide medical care to individuals in indigenous communities surrounding the city of Otavalo. Both healthcare providers and other willing volunteers are needed.

An orientation and welcome session will be held on the first day, where volunteers will be trained in their roles and learn basic Spanish and Kichwa phrases. On the remaining days, the team will visit different communities to provide medical care in the mornings. The team will work out of either an elementary school or a community center.

In the afternoons, volunteers will have the opportunity to learn more about the region’s culture through guided activities, optional hikes, and through meeting friends of The Tandana Foundation. Afternoon activities may include short hikes to sacred sites or waterfalls, cooking classes, a trip to the world-renowned Otavalo market, and visits to craftspeople and traditional healers. At night, volunteers will relax and socialize together at a comfortable hotel in Otavalo.

This trip costs $1,650 for one week and $2,900 for both weeks, based on double occupancy. The single supplement is $150 per week. These costs do not include airfare but do include transportation in Ecuador, food, lodging, and all planned group activities. For more information on the Health Care Volunteer Venture or to register for the trip, visit Tandana’s Health Care Volunteer Venture webpage http://www.tandanafoundation.org/health_care_volunteer_vacation.html.

No posts to display