Name:                         
Email address:              
(please provide email only if it is ok for other volunteers to email you about project)
Partner organisation:   Jambi Huasi
Start date:                    26 de Mayo 2010
End date:                     9 de Junio 2010

1. What were the main tasks you undertook at the project? Did you have any prior experience or knowledge that helped you with these?

I did a lot of observing at the clinic, and learned a lot about traditional medicine.  I got to watch the partera, fregadora and shaman, as well as shadowing some of the western medicine practitioners, such as the nurses and obstetricians.  The main task we undertook at the site was helping to paint the new birth clinic.

1. Was the explanation and support you received from the organisation adequate to ensure you could carry out your work successfully? If not please explain why.

I felt that I had to be very forward in my volunteer experience.  If I didn't ask to do something, no one would set me up with any sort of shadowing or activity.  I think if I had a better handle on the Spanish language I may have been able to be more effective.  I was very thankful to have the birth clinic project, or else I'm not sure I would have had much to do for the two weeks.

1. Would you recommend working with this organisation to other volunteers? What are the main areas of skills and interests that volunteers need for this work? Please give reasons.

I would recommend the volunteer have fairly decent Spanish.  I would definitely recommend volunteers to shadow at the clinic for a few days, but I think more than a week might be a little long.  Unless the volunteer is able to speak Spanish well and perhaps lead some health groups or community visits, there is not much in the way to do at the clinic besides shadow.

1. Was the communication and support you received from Yanapuma, before and during your time volunteering adequate? Please comment on the initial orientation session, showing you to your site and communication throughout.  If not, please specify why and how it could be improved.

Fran helped us get set up in Otavalo, brought us to the clinic and gave us ideas for Spanish school.  She did a great job in making us feel at ease and in helping us get adjusted to the site.  When we visited the clinic it was closed, which did make our first day at the clinic a little bit difficult, but that definitely was not Yanapuma or Fran's fault.

1. How would rate your overall experience at this project?

I learned a lot about traditional medicine, but am not sure I needed to be there for 2 full weeks.  Wish I had known Spanish a little better.

Muchas gracias!!!
Volunteer Ecuador Evaluation

Name:
Email address:
***(please provide email only if it is ok for other volunteers to email you about project)
Partner organisation: Jambi Huasi
Start date: February 1 2010
End date: March 8 2010
 

1. What were the main tasks you undertook at the project? Did you have any prior experience or knowledge that helped you with these?

Primary assessment of patients, initiating medical file, managing existing files. Assisting with administrative tasks like initial greeting of patients and managing patient profiles. Organizing library and creating info and resources for future health teaching. Participating in community clinics. Had previous medical experience as nurse practitioner.

1. Was the explanation and support you received from the organisation adequate to ensure you could carry out your work successfully? If not please explain why.

Jambi Huasi was not really supporting or helpful in the introductory period…no orientation, no guidance, no instruction so I had to find my own way.

1. Would you recommend working with this organisation to other volunteers? What are the main areas of skills and interests that volunteers need for this work? Please give reasons.

I would recommend Jambi Huasi t ovolunteers with a lot of patience and ability to take initiative and be creative. There is a lot of opportunity to do positive work. Skills and interests should be medicine, working with people, decent Spanish, and organizational skills.

1. Was the communication and support you received from Yanapuma, before and during your time volunteering adequate? Please comment on the initial orientation session, showing you to your site and communication throughout.  If not, please specify why and how it could be improved.

I felt adequately supported by Yanapuma, however, would have been helpful to know more about my position and work before starting. Initial orientation session was helpful and informative. The “showing me to my site” could have been more elaborative/informative. Communication and support throughout was great. I knew I could always call or email with any issues or questions. Improvement suggestion would be for Yanapuma to have better understanding or the organization and functioning of Jambi Huasi.

1. How would rate your overall experience at this project?

Despite initial struggle, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and felt like an active member of the team. would have wanted to stay longer, as there is much opportunity to work with communities and initiate health teaching. Rating 10/10.

1. Any other comments?

1. If you would like, please write a short paragraph summing up your project and experience volunteering, as well as if and why you might recommend this volunteer site to others in the future. We will put this information on our Volunteer Ecuador website, as a direct quote from you to help others learn about your experience.

Muchas gracias!!!

Volunteer Ecuador Evaluation

Name:
Email address:
***(please provide email only if it is ok for other volunteers to email you about project)
Partner organisation: Jambi Huasi
Start date:
End date:

1. What were the main tasks you undertook at the project? Did you have any prior experience or knowledge that helped you with these?

Sitting in on consultations with traditional healers and Western doctors.
I am a qualified doctor.

1. Was the explanation and support you received from the organisation adequate to ensure you could carry out your work successfully? If not please explain why.

Yes.

1. Would you recommend working with this organisation to other volunteers? What are the main areas of skills and interests that volunteers need for this work? Please give reasons.

Probably yes. It would depend on what the potential volunteer wanted to get out of the project. For me this project was more a study trip than volunteering.
An in interest in traditional medicine and an open mind are essential for this project.

1. Was the communication and support you received from Yanapuma, before and during your time volunteering adequate? Please comment on the initial orientation session, showing you to your site and communication throughout.  If not, please specify why and how it could be improved.

I have no complaints about my initial orientation session, it covered everything  I needed to know about the project.

1. How would rate your overall experience at this project?

Good.

1. Any other comments?

As previously mentioned this project was more a study trip than volunteering.

1. If you would like, please write a short paragraph summing up your project and experience volunteering, as well as if and why you might recommend this volunteer site to others in the future. We will put this information on our Volunteer Ecuador website, as a direct quote from you to help others learn about your experience.