Volunteer Positions Available in Baños.

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of being a judge at an English poetry contest taking place between the different high schools in the Canton of Baños. My name had been submitted by my English teacher friend, to the Foreign Language Department of the Tungurahua Education Department in Ambato.

When I received the invitation, I was a little apprehensive and somewhat nervous because I have always felt uncomfortable being in the spotlight of anything. I was assured that I would not be asked to make any remarks unless I was chosen to be the spokesman for the three judges. It was with more then a little trepidation that I arrived at the designated place on the 25th of May. As it turned out, it was a pleasant experience and I was happy that I had been invited. In addition, the judges received a very large basket of fruit, (about 25 kilos), as a gift for our participation. These baskets were donated by the Patate students. (Patate is a small agricultural center outside of the city proper), We were told during the presentation that all of these fruits were products of their town of which they were very proud.

During the event, I had the pleasure of meeting Lic. Susana Mayorga, the Director of the Foreign Language Department for the Province of Tungurahua. Since that meeting I have met with her in her office in Ambato where we discussed at length the need for volunteer English teachers in the province. I will meet again with her and her associates on the 10th of June when we will formulate descriptions of the kind of help that is most needed. I will have more details next week.

In the meantime….think about this wonderful opportunity to see a new country, immerse yourself in a different culture, while having a wonderful time doing so.