6:05 AM: The first of many planes takes off out of the Quito airport. While this was a staple of every early morning at the Working Boys Center, every day of our trip brought something new, exciting and challenging. Throughout my experience, there was no “normal” day. I got to experience all that Quito and the Working Boys Center had to offer me, and I enjoyed being surprised day by day.
Working at the Center gave me a unique perspective on the lives of the people of Ecuador. I got to experience how families learned together and worked together in order to make a living. From working in the carpentry shop with a seventy year old carpenter, to being taught by a five year old girl how to make the bracelets she was selling, I came to learn that both the young and old worked tirelessly to contribute to their family's well being. Whether I was teaching English to young children or teaching a mother of six to read Spanish for the first time, I gained a true appreciation for what these families went through on a daily basis to try and further their lives.
When we visited the homes of the families, a two and a half hour bus ride from the Center, it truly put things into perspective. Children would get up around 4:30 in the morning and not get home until around ten at night, just so that they could learn at the Center. They live in conditions with little running water and extremely cramped living space. The situations in which these people live gave me a true understanding of the sacrifices families make, and the importance of the work the Center is doing. By offering services for the entire family, the Center works to bring families out of poverty now, rather than educating the children and leaving the parents and elderly to inevitable poverty. I found this to be an amazing endeavor that I truly admire.
The Working Boys Center gave me new ideas, new experiences, and most of all an understanding of how hard families in Ecuador work to further themselves in life. Furthermore, my experiences in the city of Quito and the surrounding area showed me the beauty that the city, and the country as a whole, has to offer anyone who is willing to take the time to look. I sincerely recommend to anyone to take a visit to the Working Boys Center. No matter if you stay for a week or a year, you will be greeted with warm hospitality, smiling faces, and I guarantee you will walk away with more than you could have ever imagined.
God Bless,
Conner Boillat
McQuaid Jesuit Class of 2010
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