I arrived at the Arajuno Road project after spending a few weeks in Quito, so living in the jungle was going to be a completely new experience and I couldn’t wait. A friend had just spent a month on the same project so she told me all about it and sounded so excited that I knew it was going to be great. She wished that she could have stayed longer which is now what I'm looking into because I dont want to leave!

The coordinator Simon picked me up from the bus stop/street corner in Puyo in a jeep that has seen better days and is going to be replaced soon, but theres never a dull journey in it down the bumpy roads! On the way to the house the views got more and more stunning, you can see for miles over the jungle below and the mountains in the distance. On a clear day if you’re lucky you can see the volcano Sangay which is quite amazing. The volunteer house is impressively homely for a wooden building in the middle of the jungle! I instantly loved the feel of it. The hammocks around the verandah are a nice sight as soon as you walk through the door and the favourite place for relaxing after a mornings teaching.

Things at the house changed quite a lot during my stay because firstly it was packed with 15 of us, which was a bit crazy but meant a lot of company which is good fun. It then went down to 4 and built up again to 8/9. There is a lot of company and I found everyone welcoming and friendly which helps settling in. I started on the same day as an english guy my age and the week after a couple of girls also on a gap year came which is great because having people similar to you around makes the experience better.The set up is great because living with the other volunteers and the coordinators means that you get to know each other really well so there's no lonely moments. And theres always someone around to remove bugs from the bathroom for me or deal with any tarantulas lurking around the house! We take it in turns to cook and wash up, we sometimes treat ourselves to some alcohol and cake! Down-time is always really nice, we have taken to candlelit table tennis matches when the power goes off at night. I like the weekly trips to Puyo to use internet - you can have contact with the outside world so its not like being stuck in the middle of the jungle.

My first day teaching was at kilometer 35, the closest school to the house and the first one to be founded by the project. The kids really made my day, as soon as I got there they were really keen to get to know me and all of them are so open and fun to be with. When I was next at the school they greeted me by shouting "Natalie!" and coming to shake my hand and say good morning! I knew I was going to love working with them. I have a couple of favourites that I want to take home with me but as a group they are beautiful. As for the teaching, I observed and helped out for the first couple of lessons so that I could get used to how things run and then helped with lesson plans and leading classes for the next time. As a volunteer you get completely involved and can take on as much responsibility as you like with the classes. Recapping the lessons afterwards in our groups helps so that I can see what could go better next time and so we can give the best and most enjoyable lessons we can.

You can see the huge influence that the project has throughout the community already, after a year or so of working there. I noticed that the locals wave and greet you as you drive past which shows the good relationship that has been made with them. As Simon introduced everything to me over my first few days I was surprised at how much hard work is put in and I feel happy to be part of it especially when spending time with the kids which makes it all worthwhile. There are new ideas to branch out of the current network of schools and start classes in other places too. We also teach adult classes on Wednesday evenings, which is a nice change, followed by a beer and a chat with them. Getting to practice Spanish this way! Its great to get to know the locals, they are all lovely people and they are going to take us on a trek into the jungle which should be interesting.

Every day is busy and different to the last, so I haven't had time to think about missing home! We either teach or support at the schools in the morning then have free time in the afternoon for cleaning, planning, projects or whatever we fancy. The projects are things that have been thought of to do, at the moment we are looking at making a vegetable patch and barbeque. There are other things to do in the community too like staying with a local family, which I'm going to do for a weekend, learn the local language, paint schools, even help with farming! I like that although teaching is the main focus of my stay I can get involved in other things and experience as much as possible because I think what other chance will I get to do these things! It has become a really nice routine and I know I will be sad to leave, especially saying bye to the kids.

Natalie Pearson