Today, me and my fellow Glimpsers, as well as our program coordinators, visited a quinoa factory managed by COPROBICH (Corporation of Organic Producers and Traders Bio Taita Chimborazo). COPROBICH is an association of local farmers and their families with the goal of making local farming sustainable and profitable so that more young people can stay in their traditional lands and have a quality life. We were given a tour of the fields around the factory where the quinoa was grown. We were also given a tour of the facilities where the quinoa was processed for sale. After the tour, we were given an opportunity to purchase some of their processed quinoa to bring back home for our families. What surprised us was how there were no chemicals added to the quinoa to enhance its quality. While a business tactic like that can be seen in the U.S., here in Ecuador they are committed to being organic. This is one of the reasons as to why people should support their small local businesses as most times they care about the quality of the products rather than just profits.

Later in the evening, we conducted our first-ever English tutoring session at Colegio Maldonado. Even though not all of the students were focusing and there were some language barriers, I am proud of my fellow peers for persevering and maintaining a positive attitude throughout, especially Cate, despite not getting enough attention still was happy to teach the students.

As for being the Lider Del Dia, I felt confident in being able to lead the group in our daily activities and making sure everyone was on schedule. I feel that I can still improve my communication skills among my peers. Nevertheless, I still have lots of room to grow as a leader.