On Monday, May 17, 2021, Caemba welcomed its first group of volunteers. Seven young individuals from France arrived in the country to experience firsthand the work carried out by Caemba. They chose package 2 «Vive Caemba,» which includes participating in the construction of a Caemba house in Atacames, as they raised funds to build a bamboo house for a beneficiary family.
The family of María Luz Mery Estupiñán, 32 years old, and her three children – a 14-year-old girl, an 11-year-old boy, and another 9-year-old boy – will be the beneficiaries of a Caemba house with a bathroom, which costs USD 4,100.
The seven volunteers from France are Marie Boutonnet, 21 years old; Manon Girault, 21 years old; Léna Aka Essan, 20 years old; Oussama Nafti, 23 years old; Matías Wattel, who led the initiative and is Franco-Ecuadorian, also 23 years old; Julian Delorme, 21 years old; and Gregoire Commecy, 21 years old.
The first stage runs from Monday, May 17, to Wednesday, May 19, where the group will be at the bamboo farm and treatment plant located at kilometer 32 on the Santo Domingo – La Concordia road. There, they will have a firsthand experience of the giant bamboo plantation, where the entire process begins. They will sleep in a Caemba model house on the farm. They will learn about the bamboo harvesting, treatment, and transportation process to the designated construction site.
Additionally, they will have the opportunity to learn about bamboo cultivation, other tasks carried out on the farm, and interact with the construction technicians working there. They are also expected to engage in the creative process and the production of other bamboo products that Caemba plans to develop for sale and income generation.
The second phase involves the construction of the house for María Luz Mery Estupiñán’s family in Atacames. The group will travel from May 19 to May 21 to build the house in the Nueva Esperanza neighborhood in Atacames.
They will also learn about the fieldwork conducted by our field technicians Marjorie Guerrero and Maritza Orellana. They will be their guides during those days. They will also visit the Nueva Esperanza neighborhood, where the Women’s Entrepreneurship House is located; our office; and visit as many Caemba houses and beneficiaries as possible. This neighborhood is where we work intensively.
We thank the volunteers who have shown interest in Caemba’s work for the benefit of the most vulnerable and underprivileged in Ecuador.
