Ecuador: Robbi Varona
Program: Ceiba Water for Life, Summer
Robbi’s Major: Health Promotion and Health Equity
What is your most memorable experience?
The most memorable experience from my program is engaging, discussing, and asking questions to and with people in small communities on the Ecuadorian Coast. It was extremely insightful and meaningful to me that I received their opinions on water in Ecuador as these people often do not get their voices heard, especially to foreigners.
I would tell another student like me to not be afraid of going to Ecuador. They were all extremely welcoming and I felt as though I belonged.
How did your identities impact your experience?
I am a Black woman. As someone who has faced anti-Blackness by many different communities, it was nice to go to Ecuador and not be discriminated against as I would in some settings the United States. I would tell another student like me to not be afraid of going to Ecuador. They were all extremely welcoming and I felt as though I belonged. Although there is a language barrier—and you should go into this program knowing Spanish basics—I never felt too prejudiced against.
How will this experience benefit you in the future?
I have experience of meeting, talking, and learning from people in small communities from a Latin American country. I will take this everywhere in life and apply the skills I learned and experienced in every way I can.