Adopt a Village International

Calamaca is a community of about sixty indigenous farming families located high in the Andes near the city of Ambato in northern Ecuador. Although the village itself is situated at an elevation of 11,500 feet, it's just a a few miles north of the equator and therefor enjoys a year-around temperate climate.

In 2007, after two visits from Adopt-a-Village personnel, a joint project was put together to bring water from a nearby source above the village at 13,000 feet down a steep slope to a collection basin near the Calamaca village community school. The Rotary Club Ambato Cosmopolita in partnership with the Calamaca village leaders, the Ecuadorian Rotary leadership, and three Rotary Clubs in southern Colorado developed a project plan. Almost all of the construction work was performed by the men of Calamaca; the Rotarians in Ambato helped with resources, design, and coordination. The funding came Rotary resources both in Ecuador and in Southern Colorado.

This was Adopt-a-Village's first water project in Ecuador and became Phase I of our first Adopt-a-Village community commitment in that region. Last year we sent a representative to Ecuador to celebrate the completion of this first phase of our commitment.

More recently, the Calamaca village leadership, again in collaboration with the Ambato Rotarians, embarked on a Phase II Adopt-Village project: bringing potable running water and sanitary facilities to the village school. Currently, none of the homes in Calamaca have either running water or sanitary facilities; so this project benefits most of local residents in the community. The pictures here show the completion of Phase II of the Adopt-a-Village partnership program.

Think about adding some adventure to your life and join us for one of our scheduled visits to Calamaca in 2010.