Hi my name is Katherine. I’m a junior in high school and I went to Ecuador to work with RFI on a community space in Ricaurte (where our program was located.) I’m a passionate architecture student who enjoys learning about the sustainability aspect of the career, so this trip was very exciting to me. The project that we worked on was a gazebo-like structure in Ricaurte that would be a multipurpose community gathering space for the town. It was made of bamboo with a metal roof to protect from the elements.
Kathy (Redwood Class ‘24) with instructor Kelly Zembrano and other students in some Cacao at Los Arboleros Farm
The project was important because the town wanted a space to celebrate birthdays and in general, gather as a community. I was extremely nervous to go on this trip, in fact I think the hardest moment for me at least was the actual process of getting there. This trip was completely out of my comfort zone and nerve racking to say the least. I had never been to South America, nor had I ever been so far away from my family, I’d also never been to a jungle so I didn’t really know what to expect but once I got there it was almost like being with family. All the staff and my peers were amazing and I had a blast.
One of my favorite moments of the trip was the last day when we all hung out after having gotten to know each other over the course of the week. We had gone to this beautiful waterfall all together and had a fun day swimming and hiking. Seeing the structure complete on our way back to the town and getting to spend time with the community and play with the kids, and just to see so many smiling faces at our project was really rewarding.
Lucas Oshun speaking about bamboo supply chains, production and ecology to redwood group (Photo: Katherine Rostker)
This trip completely changed my worldview on sustainability and forming relationships. I learned so much about bamboo architecture and building sustainably. One of my biggest takeaways from this experience was the amazing bonds I formed with the people I went with, we still talk all the time and have forged amazing memories as a result of this experience. I would totally recommend coming to this magical place if you get a chance!