Update from our Ecuador Leapers:

The first week of volunteering  in the Andes has gone really well. Everyone is settled into our comfortable homestay and the food is great. This week we seem to have done more work destroying than actually building! Much of the land arouend the village has become overgrown with eucalyptus spouts – an invasive species that was planted in reforestation efforts in the 1980s but is now replacing native plants and invading farm land. We spent days hacking at and removing tree sprouts from overgrown fields.

Our new housemates!

We have also seen some of the work from past LEAP groups, notably a house built for an old woman living alone whose old mud house was crumbling. She is really happy in her new house but the dilapadated one was still taking up space next door. We all hacked at the crumbling walls with pick axes until they were weak enough to push down. The following day we flattened the walls to dust and now the land is ready for planting.

Everyone in the team is healthy and happy…except for a bit of sunburn and some pick axe blisters! Ciao for now : )