Azalia is responsible for the design, execution, and monitoring of all the projects that Yanapuma carries out in different communities. She collaborates with local directors and organizations, and coordinates the work of research students, interns and volunteers as they carry out their work.
Conurrently, she also volunteers as Coordinator for the Department of
Communication of COMFEMEC (Confederation of Ecuadorian Women for
Change). She speaks some English and French.
Her passion is the production and
co-production of radio short stories. Other interests include
literature, theater, music, political caricatures, agriculture, and
travel writing. Pastimes include cycling, hiking, camping, singing, and
discussion of various themes.
MARIA CABRERA, ADMINISTRATOR
Maria is responsible for the administration of both the Spanish school and the foundation, organizing the day-to-day running of both. She holds a degree in
Administration of Travel Agencies from the Univerisdad Tecnológica
Equinoccial and a diploma in Teaching Spanish for Foreigners and is currently completing a Masters in Education and Social Development. She has
worked in several different positions, including in the Ministry of
Tourism in the Human Resources department and in various travel
agencies. She has a good knowledge of English.
She loves to travel, hike, spend
time at the beach, and most anything that puts her in contact with the
natural world. She also enjoys volleyball.
ELIZABETH GAROFALO, Treasurer
Elizabeth's responsibilities include organizing and overseeing the accounts of both the Spanish school and foundation. In addition she is regularly involved in training workshops for community members in basic accounting, financing and organizational skills and in program monitoring. She has a medium level of proficiency in
English.
In her free time, she enjoys
walking around Quito and surroundings, camping, and discussions of
diverse subjects such as politics, economics, tourism, and culture. She
loves to travel, listen to music, and dance salsa.
DAVID DE LA HOUSSAYE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
David is currently mostly involved with Eos Ecuador, a travel agency linked to Yanapuma that promotes community-run tourism projects and which donates a portion of its profits to the work of the foundation. He also develops and maintains the information systems of the school and foundation.
He is
from the United States. He is currently a Master's candidate in Urban and
Regional Planning, with a BA in International Studies from Portland
State University.
His active
interests include hiking, camping, and of course, travel. He is also
interested in politics, economics, and how policy impacts people's
lives. David also loves music, swimming, good food, and experiencing
different cultures.
ANDY KIRBY,
PRESIDENT OF YANAPUMA FOUNDATION
Andy's responsibilities include oversight of the development and growth of the Spanish school, development of the work and growth of the foundation, direct management of construction projects, and financial management and promotion of both the foundation and the Spanish school.
He is from
Scotland, and holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology from the
Graduate Center of the City University of New York. After many years in
furniture production, cabinet making and lumber milling, he decided to
work to keep trees standing rather than cutting them down.
Interests
include playing flamenco and classical guitar, indigenous music from all
around the world, fine green teas, yoga, running, and exploring
different cultures.
Vinicio holds a degree in languages
and linguistics from the Universidad Central de Ecuador. An indigenous
Quichua, he also speaks and teaches this native language. Vinicio has
taught Spanish to foreigners for 6 years, while also teaching language
at a Quito high school. He speaks and understands English well, and
also studied French
He loves to make friends from all
parts of the world, and also enjoys travel, dancing (especially salsa),
and working with communities.
GIOVANNI
MARCELO TOAPANTA PAUTA, LOCAL PROJECT DIRECTOR - Bua
Giovanni holds a degree in
agriculture from the Colegio Nacional Tecnico Agropecuario Luz de
America. He has worked on a variety of development projects in Ecuador.
He supervises and coordinates Yanapuma's agricultural projects with the community of
Bua de los Tsachila.
KYLE MUTHER, PROJECTS COORDINATOR
Kyle is from Philadelphia, PA but has lived most of the last five years in Scotland while attending the University of St. Andrews. There he studied International Relations and Social Anthropology completing a dissertation which probed the successes and failutes of participatory development methodologies. His interest in development work and South America more generally arose during volunteer work in Chile, Guatemala, Mexico and most recently in Ecuador. Here he increased his proficiency in Spanish and gained on the ground experience. He is excited to continue the work he started last summer with the Yanapuma Foundation in the areas of health, education and water management, strengthening the ability of community members to build sustainable livelihoods.
He is actively seeking funding to make his position with Yanapuma permanent.
STEPHEN BARNES,
INTERN AND VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Stephen is from London, England. He holds and undergraduate degree in Politics and International Studies and a Master´s degree in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. He worked for seven months as group projects leader, traveling to various communities all throughout Ecuador, and is now the Intern and Volunteer Coordinator
FRAN HENRY, GROUP VOLUNTEER PROJECT LEADER
Fran (Melbourne, Australia) is currently completing an internship as the Volunteer Group Leader at Yanapuma. She has a Bachelor of Media Studies (La Trobe University, Melbourne) and a Bachelor of International Studies (RMIT University, Melbourne). While completing her second degree, she worked at an indigenous community center in Australia and became passionate about indigenous rights and community development.
In her spare time, she likes to lie on beaches, read, eat yoghurt, watch Malcolm in the middle and, no matter the weather, she is always wearing flip flops.
LINDA WESTBERG, University of Sydney, Australia
I have a degree in Commerce (Liberal Studies), with majors in International Relations, Political Economy and International Business from the University of Sydney. I am from Sweden, but I have spent most of my life moving around the world. I have previously worked in various development organisations in India and Australia. Within development my main research interests are cultural preservation, social entrepreneurship and post-conflict development.
MATHEW TASKER, University of Sydney, Australia
I have an undergraduate degree majoring in Philosophy and Social Anthropology and an honour´s degree in Social Anthropology. I previously worked with NTSCORP, a native title services organisation committed to securing the recognition of native title rights and interests for traditional owners throughout the Australian states of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. I also tried my hand at being a psuedo journalist writing for an NGO´s developmental magazine.
NOEMIE PEDROT, Instituto de Ciencias Políticas de Aix-en-Provence (France)
Noémie is carrying out a nine month internship with Yanapuma and is writing her thesis on development strategies and the struggle against poverty in indigenous communities. Her work with the foundation focuses firstly on workshops on self-esteem, leadership and organization with communities, and also on the further development of the manual that Yanapuma is developing to put its methodology into practice. She is also involved in evaluation of the difficulties that interns face in their work, and why some strategies are successful in one community but not in another.
TATIANA ESPINOSA, Facultad de Geología Minas y Petróleo, Escuela de Ingeniería Medio Ambiental de la Universidad Central del Ecuador
KATHRYN BAWDEN, University of Michigan
I studied international development, environmental science, and creative writing. My 5 month internship with Yanapuma currently entails researching fundraising and partnership possibilities for the organization and applying for grants to fund projects. Other life-in-Ecuador activities include traveling,
improving my Spanish, writing, and learning flamenco.
JENNY JOUSSEMENT,
I am a French student in International Relations in Paris (ILERI), after my degree I wish to specialize in Human Rights that is why Yanapuma's project to work with indigenous communities really interested me. I did a two months internship in Quito during which I wrote a report on the situation of the human and linguistic indigenous rights in the current Ecuadorian society. This internship is without any doubt the best experience I ever had !
JANE HIGGINS
I am from Melbourne, Australia where I work as an economics consultant, evaluating social policy, government programs and carrying out country and political risk assessments. When this is not occupying my time I love to travel the world, particularity to Latin America. I have danced salsa in Cuba, studied at university in Mexico, worked at an eco-lodge in Guatemala, played capoeira in Brazil, and generally eaten every kind of empanada on offer. Now in Ecuador I am working to develop the programs and opportunities that Yanapuma can offer volunteers, along with enjoying all the natural beauty and fun times the country has to offer!
SHANTI FREITAS, Smith College - Massachusetts
Shanti is from Chicago, IL and has just graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts with a BA in Sociology and minor in Education. During her junior year, she studied abroad in Ecuador and completed an independent project in Tena focusing on domestic abuse against women in the indigenous community. During the semester abroad, she fell in love with Ecuador and has decided to return for the year to work for Yanapuma, where she will be supporting interns and volunteers and helping Azalia with the many things she juggles. Outside of work, Shanti loves the outdoors, hiking, playing sports like soccer and frisbee, dancing, and traveling to new places.
