This year, Hank Fincken, a long-time supporter of The Tandana Foundation, who usually teaches theater in the organization’s Summer School in Ecuador, had a new assignment: writing stories for The Tandana Foundation Blog. In the following post, he shares about his experience living and working in rural highland Ecuador.
Continue reading “Listening, learning, and feeling useful again in Ecuador”
The following blog was written by Aaron DiMartino, The Tandana Foundation’s Senior Operations Director, who has been an important part of the Tandana community for more than 14 years. He reflects on his longtime friendship with his host family in Panecillo, Ecuador.
Continue reading “20 Years of Friendship: What I’ve learned through shared meals with my host family”
The following blog was written by Chelsea Rothert, who participated with her family in a Trip with Intention that was organized by The Tandana Foundation to Ecuador.
Continue reading “Something for everyone: Traveling to Ecuador for a family reunion with Tandana far exceeded our expectations”
Margarita Fuerez is The Tandana Foundation’s accountant and leader of its new Andean Cultural Journey program in Ecuador. Fuerez was Tandana’s first Ecuadorian scholarship recipient, and she discusses her personal growth following a trip to the U.S. in 2024, alongside other members of the organization’s global team, in the following blog.
Continue reading “20 Years of Friendship: A journey of growth and courage”
The students and teachers from Stephen T. Badin High School had the most incredible experience with The Tandana Foundation in Ecuador!Â
Continue reading “Why we wished we could stay forever on our trip to Ecuador”
Claudia Fuerez, founder and owner of Kawsaymi Cocina and longtime partner of The Tandana Foundation, has received a well-deserved recognition from the National Tourism Forum of Ecuador for helping revitalize the country’s tourism industry through dedication, innovation, and leadership.Â
Continue reading “20 Years of Friendship: Longtime Tandana partner Claudia Fuerez honored by Ecuador tourism forum”
Groups from my high school, The Wellington School in Columbus, Ohio, have been going to Ecuador for many years on cultural exchange trips organized by The Tandana Foundation. Last school year, I made the choice to become a part of that legacy along with five other classmates.
Continue reading “Go for it: Traveling to Ecuador was a life-changing experience”
Students and faculty from The Wellington School in Columbus Ohio recently returned from a trip to Ecuador with The Tandana Foundation. The following blog shares reflections from the trip.
Continue reading “Much more than a study abroad trip: Traveling to Ecuador with Tandana”
The following letter was written by Esteban Alejandro Castañeda Iza, a scholarship recipient of The Tandana Foundation from Ecuador. Each year, Tandana provides over 100 high-school and university students with scholarship support and in exchange the students participate in service projects that benefit their rural communities.
Continue reading “Cultivating success: A scholarship student’s academic and professional journey”
The following blog was written by a student from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, about a week-long volunteer trip to Ecuador organized by The Tandana Foundation. The trip was led by Miami faculty members Juan Carlos Albarrán and Jenny Minier.
Continue reading “My trip to Ecuador: From uncertainty to mutual trust and partnership”
The following letter was written by Mayra Perugachi, a scholarship recipient of The Tandana Foundation from Ecuador. Each year, Tandana provides over 100 high-school and university students with scholarship support. In exchange, the students participate in service projects that benefit their rural communities.
Continue reading “Scholar story: Excellent grades and a grateful heart”
The Tandana Foundation has been great for me and great for the citizens and students of Otavalo Ecuador, too. This nonprofit organization is all about communication and service to others. This summer will be my eleventh trip to Otavalo, where I teach theater to indigenous rural junior high and high school students for four weeks. The goal is to give these students the skills and confidence to continue their education through high school and college.
Continue reading “Hard work and cooperation make us all winners: Lessons learned from teaching theatre in Otavalo”
My husband and I set off on our first travel experience with The Tandana Foundation on Valentine’s Day in 2026. This was an adventure that we will never forget! We came to serve, but what we received in return was both unexpected and far greater than what we gave. Our hearts were expanded, and we learned and grew in so many ways.
Continue reading “Travel with intention to Ecuador: What you may not know until you go”
Eleven people from the Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program boarded various planes on January 31, 2026, with one shared mission: to experience, learn, and cultivate. After long hours of travel and building anticipation for the week ahead, everyone finally smelled the fresh and damp air of Otavalo, Ecuador. We were greeted with the ornate, charming, and brick-built building of our home for the week, along with our first introductions to the beautiful hospitality of the Ecuadorian people.
Continue reading “Feeling at home on my gardening volunteer trip to Ecuador”
In the community of Yambiro, Ecuador, a group of women started to dream of a better future. Little by little, their ideas materialized until they succeeded in organizing themselves to establish the Yambiro Fish Farming and Irrigation Group (CPRY).
Continue reading “With their community and international volunteers, women’s group in Ecuador realizes their dream”
On the 10th anniversary of The Tandana Foundation, the dream of an exchange program from Ecuador to the United States was born. A group of university students at that time requested the opportunity to participate in a cultural exchange and share their culture.
Continue reading “A dream come true: The Eagle and the Condor exchange”
Even though a month has passed since the panel at Whitman College, I still find myself thinking about the moment I first saw Anna Taft, Madjalia Seynou, and Khai Zar Oo walk into the room. Their calm, unhurried presence left me with a quiet, settled feeling—the kind that comes after listening to people who don’t just talk about justice, but live it: steady, honest, and, in its own way, gently demanding.
Continue reading “A panel that ignited my desire to make a positive impact on communities”
I want to focus this blog on telling one of the most important experiences of my life, something that marked my heart forever: my participation in the first cultural exchange between Ecuadorian students to the United States, which was organized by The Tandana Foundation.
Continue reading “A journey that transformed my life: Cultural exchange in the U.S.”
A year ago, life gave me an unforgettable experience: I was able to visit the United States and visit Miami University. From the first moment, everything was wonderful. I felt so fortunate to be there, in such a prestigious place, hosted with such warmth… It was a dream come true.
This trip to the United States was much more than a simple academic or cultural experience: it was an adventure of the soul. During my stay, I had the opportunity to live moments that deeply sparked my emotions, learning and encounters that took my heart to different corners of that country. I want to share the most significant and emotional moments of this intercultural experience. These are moments that inspired me, made me reflect, and reminded me who I am and where I come from.
Continue reading “What I learned during my trip to the U.S. through the Eagle and Condor program”
My name is Joselyn Perugachi. I am a Kichwa woman from Otavalo and I live in the community of Cachicullá, which is part of the beautiful canton of Otavalo. I study agricultural engineering and I am one of the scholarship recipients of The Tandana Foundation.
Continue reading “My journey through culture: a journey between traditions and discoveries”
The International Alliance for Women – a global charitable foundation dedicated to the economic empowerment and advancement of women all over the globe – has selected Anna Taft, Founding Director of The Tandana Foundation, as a 2025 World of Difference Awardee. The TIAW World of Difference Award recognizes extraordinary women, and men, whose efforts have advanced the economic empowerment of women locally, regionally or globally.
Continue reading “Tandana’s Founding Director receives World of Difference Award for advancing women’s economic empowerment”
Hello, my name is Fredy Xavier Panama, and I am 22 years old. I belong to the community of Padre Chupa, and I live in Quichinche. I study agricultural engineering at the Technical University of Cotopaxi. I am a scholarship recipient of The Tandana Foundation. Thanks to this scholarship, I had the opportunity to experience something I will never forget: traveling to the United States to participate in a cultural exchange that allowed me to learn, share, and grow in many ways.
Traveling to the United States was a dream come true. This trip was not only my first trip abroad – it was also an unforgettable experience thanks to the cultural exchange organized by The Tandana Foundation. I went on this unforgettable adventure with a group of colleagues who belong to this prestigious foundation. During the trip, we visited places steeped in history, culture, and unique landscapes: Durango, Mancos, Zuni, and Arizona. Each place left me with profound lessons and memories that I will treasure forever.
Continue reading “My first trip to the U.S.: A cultural exchange experience”
My name is Vanessa Escobar, and I participated in a volunteer trip to Ecuador in 2018 which was organized by The Tandana Foundation. While on the trip, I worked alongside a group of my peers and two professors from Colgate University, as well as the Tandana staff and community members we met onsite.
Continue reading “7 years later, I’m still witnessing the impact of my volunteer trip to Ecuador”
Last month at the Sunflower Theatre in Cortez, Colorado, The Tandana Foundation hosted an exciting event – The Eagle and the Condor Flying Together – that immersed attendees in the indigenous Kichwa Otavalo culture of Ecuador. The Kichwa Otavalo are one of Ecuador’s indigenous groups most successful at maintaining their cultural identity and traditions.Â
Continue reading “Showcasing the indigenous Kichwa Otavalo culture at immersive event in Colorado”
To begin to understand one another, we must listen, share, and be heard. But who would venture to speak, when no one has cared to listen?
Continue reading “The indigenous community of Agualongo endeavors to record and share its own knowledge, stories, and voices”
It may be hard to understand how the daily routines differ for North and South American students, but it’s something I’m learning and appreciating first hand. From meals to hobbies to family, each unique aspect of our lives makes up a broader cultural experience, of which no two places are quite the same. Yet are our lives truly so different?
Continue reading “Bridging the gap: Student life and culture in California and Ecuador”
The Tandana Foundation is inviting new and old friends to join hands in support of realizing the dreams of communities in rural Mali and highland Ecuador for important healthcare projects at a celebratory event in Cincinnati on Nov. 14.Â
As the last volunteer group wraps up, we wanted to check in with Omar Flores, The Tandana Foundation’s Program Manager in Ecuador, on what volunteer groups have been up to on trips in 2025.
Continue reading “All about the volunteer trips to Ecuador this year”
The Tandana Foundation recently lost a very special member of its family, Susan Napier.
Continue reading “Tandana strives to build health center in Mali in honor of longtime friend”
Growing up, I always wanted to be in a place that nurtured and cultivated change, whether I was aware of it or not. As a child, I often volunteered around my community from mundane tasks at the library to helping out at the food shelter. I tried to give my time to all things. As my youth subsided and college rolled around, I found it challenging to participate in service activities and struggled to find the meaning and purpose behind the degree I was pursuing. When I was introduced to the ETHOS program offered by my school, I took a leap of faith and opened myself up to an opportunity that would expand my worldview.
Continue reading “Engineering that matters: Helping communities achieve their dreams”
As I dialed the number to call my student Mariuxi for the first time, I was filled with anxiety. Anxiety about whether I would be able to sufficiently communicate or explain a whole language in an entirely different one. And then Mariuxi answered the phone. During that first call, though there were starts and stops – times of confusion and times of certainty – we were able to convey the essentials. Spanish and English flowed in a complex dance of syllables, enunciations, and pauses. Over time, we would grow together.
Continue reading “Lessons in translation from a Remote ESL Intern”
In October 2024, in one of the mobile medical clinics supported by The Tandana Foundation, we visited the community of Moraspungo in the parish of Quichinche. There I had the opportunity to see Nayry Flores Cachimuel again. Now 14 years old, she was born without the ear canal in her left ear. Her mother noticed she couldn’t hear when she was 4 years old. At the age of 8, she was referred to the San Vicente de Ibarra Hospital. The hospital did not have a solution to her problem, so they referred her to the Baca Ortiz Hospital in Quito, which specializes in children. Unfortunately, the specialists explained to her family that she was born without an auditory canal and that it was not possible to do any surgery to help her, so she could only use a hearing aid to help her hear. They provided her with one, but it did not last long.
Continue reading “Ready to achieve her dreams thanks to a new hearing aid”
Last fall, members of The Tandana Foundation led a workshop exploring the Andean worldview and philosophy as well as the Kichwa Otavalo culture and language at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.