Minga by Landon

When faced with tough physical work around the house, the average American takes the subconscious action to hire help. Contrary to the United States, for the people in Ecuador this kind of help is not as easily accessible or affordable. Instead of hired help, indigenous people participate in an act called "Minga". The Minga is collaborative work in which friends and neighbors volunteer their time, effort, and sometimes funds to achieve a shared goal for the betterment of the community or themselves.

Today our group participated in a Minga. We took the public bus (a very cultural experience) and arrived at the location about 20 minutes away from the center. We walked to a house in an urban neighborhood and split into two groups. The smaller group stayed at the house and helped move sand and rocks. The larger group walked a few blocks to a lot filled with weeds and had to clear them all out for the family to make their home this coming year. Both jobs were long and tiring, but an enlightening experience where we learned the value of teamwork. Four hours later we headed back on an extremely crowded bus. After battling to stand securely while traveling through steep terrain, and holding on to our personal belongings for our dear lives, we made it back to the center. We were filthy and took showers, in preparation for mass later in the day. After attending mass in Spanish, we ordered pizza at the house. The pizza was a nice treat after a two weeks of non-american food - it tasted the same but lacked sauce. We had a great day, and an even better two weeks! See you in two days!

Landon