Club Meeting May 7, 2025 Equador Cultural and Food Forest Excursion

Five Medford Rogue Rotarians spoke about their trip to Equador to support the purchase and planting of over 4000 Cacao Trees.  President Rachel Torres, Incoming president George Prokop, Linda Brown, Tim Chesley, Lorenzo Mejia along with a few other non-Rotarians took on the adventure.  The economic impact of this project is felt in several surrounding communities and the trees bring financial gain as well as native animal habitats to the region.

The volunteers visited five Kichwa communities near Tena, Ecuador: Saschawaysa, Chaupishunga, La Libertad, Ayapata, and Illianchaiki.  Each Rotarian spoke of personal moments exchanged with the people they met and the impact of the project to them.  The communities they visited were in deep rural areas and the time spent there was insightful and life changing.  Despite the heavy rain and mishaps along the way, the group returned with joy and praises of the overall experience.  Knowing that the work they did while they were there was greatly needed and appreciated for decades to come.