Vet-Med Alliance Service Trip to Ecuador Nicole Gaither Ekank Jatwani AFIL International Leadership Challenge Project

The beginning….  Became partners on facebook chat !  Ekank – Interested in a humanitarian Project in Haiti  Nicole – Interested in a Veterinary Service Project Abroad

 Concerns with Haiti:  Cholera Breakout at the time.  Political Instability  Not much scope for Veterinary Project as there was not enough stability to ensure adequate care for the animals after our group left. The beginning….

Ecuador and Experiential Learning International ( ELI)  We independently searched for different volunteer organizations and prospective destinations for our service project,that could encompass both the Humanitarian and Veterinarian Aspect.  In total, we called around 50 different organizations and discussed our plans  Nicole found out about ELI and they suggested Ecuador.  ELI is a non-profit travel organization based out of Denver, Colorado.

Before Christmas break…  We split up tasks before going to Christmas Break.  To recruit members on campus and for the sustainability of the project, we decided to create a new organization on campus called the Vet-Med Alliance  Ekank worked on the constitution of the organization, so when we got back, we had all the paper work ready to turn in.  Nicole worked on the application, logo, and advertisement flyer. She also kept in touch with our contact at ELI and planned the details of the trip.

After Christmas break…  Went through the process of getting the organization registered on campus.  Attended organization training session and filled out the application  During the process of planning this trip, however, the national Veterinarians Without Borders organization contacted Nicole about starting a chapter of Vets without Borders on campus.  Decided to merge our plans for the Vet-Med Alliance into Vets without borders because:  More national support= more opportunities for students  The name is widely recognizable  1st in the nation

Our service Trip has two aspects:  Veterinarian Aspect- led by Nicole  Humanitarian Aspect- led by Ekank  Originally we planned for 10 students to participate in each trip, but settled with 6 each out to fear that we would not get enough applications.  We each took responsibility for advertising for our individual groups

Veterinary Group Advertised to all animal and veterinary organizations on campus (including Pre-Vet Society, Aggies for Animal Rescue, and the Zoological Society) Received around 18 applications, of those 5 were selected to participate. They were chosen based on their interest in helping the animals and experiencing the Ecuadorian culture.

 Why this Project?  Illegally trafficking wild animals is a billion dollar business. Thousands of primates, birds, and reptiles are captured in Ecuador and smuggled to North America and Europe for sale as pets.  The Ecuadorian government makes every attempt to curtail this trade. After being confiscated, however, the animals must go to a rescue center for rehabilitation and reintroduction into their natural habitats. If this isn’t done, they are left to slowly die in cages at government centers.  The center where we will be working is one of the few rehabilitation centers left in Ecuador and desperately needs volunteers. Veterinary Project

Our volunteers will be responsible for feeding, cleaning and repairing enclosures, helping to build new enclosures, and improving existing facilities to provide a more natural environment for the animals.  A normal day will start at 7:00 AM when the animals are fed and their cages cleaned. After breakfast, volunteers will start working with local staff on projects within the center.  These projects include veterinary care that needs to be done, rehabilitation projects, and animal enrichment! Usually, volunteers finish their day around 2:00 PM and return for the 4:00 PM feeding.

Humanitarian Group  The economic crisis of the late 1990s affected almost everyone in Ecuador. Today approximately 40% of Ecuadorians still live below the poverty line.  Our volunteer mission will be centered at a local schoolhouse that has been under construction for the past couple of years.  The children come from a variety of situations including loss of one or both parents, physical and sexual abuse, and extreme poverty.  Many of these children have been denied the chance at an education as well as the basics for survival: food and shelter.

 Located in the small town of Santa Ana is the Escuela Simon Bolivar, a small elementary school with around 80 students aged  The school serves a small community just outside the beach town of Portoviejo. About the School  The school also works to provide the children with meals during the day because the children would not be able to eat otherwise.  Last summer, a group from other universities helped put some of the finishing touches on the school kitchen and cafeteria area. Our group, however, will have the opportunity to complete the construction, finish the painting and landscaping, and open the facilities to the students!

Life at the Locations!

MSC Spring Open House  Because we were in the process of getting recognized at the time, we decided to distribute flyers outside MSC open House.  We printed out 1000 flyers and handed them out to people who showed interest in groups like the Pre-Vet Society and Habitat for Humanity.

Interest and Applications  Applications were due a week after the open house.  Here is the Application.

 We received a lot of applications for the Veterinarian Project but not many for the humanitarian project.  Because of this, we decided to redo our advertising campaign for the humanitarian group. Interest and Applications

New Marketing Strategy for Humanitarian Project  Sent s to organizations that might have potential interest.  Some of these organizations were AFIL, Pre-Med Society, Engineers without Borders, SAIL.  Created a Facebook Event, which proved to be one of the most successful approaches.  We received 7 applications and picked 5.  Out of the 5 picked, 2 people dropped out due to different reasons.

Fundraising…  We decided that we would fundraise according to the needs of our groups.  Originally we had planned to host a book sale on campus as well as do several profit shares.  When we met with the Veterinarian group, however, they didn’t express the need for fundraising.  Due to the delay in picking the Humanitarian group, we did not have enough time left for fundraising. Because of this 2 of our participants dropped out.  In the future we will have the group start fundraising in the fall semester

Trip Details  Both groups will leave on May 14th and fly Guayaquil, Ecuador. That night we will stay with host families in Guayaquil  May 15th- We will spend the first day in Ecuador learning about the history of the coast through tours of local historic sites in the morning. After a picnic Lunch, we will explore a mangrove forest by boat and learn about the diverse life found in the mangroves.  May 16th- The veterinary group will go to the animal rescue center where they will go through volunteer training. The humanitarian group will travel to Santa Ana.  May 17th- May 20th: Volunteering!  May 21st: Beach Day! The two groups will meet in Manta for a day of fun and sun on the beach.  May 22: Free Day: Spend time relaxing either at the placements or exploring coastal Ecuador.  May 23-24: Volunteering!  May 25: Animal Rescue day- The humanitarian group will travel to the rescue center to learn about the activities of the center.  May 26-27: Volunteering Wrap-up. Both groups will finish their projects. Farewell party for the full group in Santa Ana.  May 28: Departure from Guayaquil. The group will leave Santa Ana early in the morning for Guayaquil and the flight home. (Nicole and Matt travel to the Galapagos for another 2 weeks)

Participants!

Challenges Faced  Choosing where to volunteer and what organization to partner with.  Collecting forms from the participants. ELI, Texas A&M, and our organization required forms from those attending the trip. Getting everyone to fill these out on time was quite challenging. Also, getting everyone to purchase trip insurance and get the appropriate immunizations before the trip.  Finding humanitarian participants!  Two participants dropped out due to funding, which left us with fewer students than planned in the humanitarian group  Neither of us speak Spanish!

Sustainability of the Project  Originally planned to create the Vet-Med Alliance, but decided to split into two different organizations.  Veterinary Aspect- Veterinary school requires extensive veterinary and animal experience from their applicants, but opportunities to work with veterinarians and gain these experiences are extremely competitive and hard to find. Vets without Borders will provide vital opportunities to Texas A&M students who are seriously interested in pursuing a veterinary degree while simultaneously allowing them to experience new cultures. There will always be a need for such opportunities, and we project that there will be increasing numbers of applicants in the future semesters.  Humanitarian Aspect- there are already a lot of organizations that fill this nitche on campus such as Alternative Spring Break. The particular site where we will be is going to be suggested to ASB so that they may continue work.