CULTURE

The indigenous community members of Gualapuro have a rich, beautiful culture that they are working hard to preserve within their families and share with the world around them. This is accomplished through a variety of ways ranging from selling their hand-made products in the market to teaching their children how to speak Kichwa, which is their native language. Here are just some small things that our team learned while in Gualapuro.

Culture: Text

MINGA

While our group stayed in Gualapuro to help work on the local community center, all members of the community were called to contribute. The concept of minga is that everyone in the community is a part of the collaboration to make a difference. Whether it is manual labor at the work site, taking care of children, or cooking an amazing lunch for the workers, everyone can be a part of the process.

The community of Gualapuro knows how to make awesome soups. This specific soup, which had potatoes, various beans, onions, and a plethora of other ingredients, called for popcorn on top!

This day's lunch included rice, beans, and a salad. The salad was simple but awesome! It consisted of grated carrots, sweet peppers, and lime juice.

Granadillas

These are a native fruit that have a shell encapsulating a seed sack. The seeds are held inside the sack along with a sweet substance that has a jelly-like consistency. The outer shell can be cracked open and the seeds eaten right from the inside.

The community members shared a very special tradition with our group of volunteers. It is regular for them to make bread in the shapes of babies, horses, etc. and a drink called colado morado (a warm, thick, fruit drink) during October to celebrate agriculture. The families walk through local cementaries and spend time celebrating life.

A Tip for When Visiting Gualapuro

You can never go wrong with asking for seconds! The best way to show your appreciation for a meal is to eat all the food served to you.

Community Celebration

On our team's last day in Gualapuro, we had a lunch that was open to all communtiy members to celebrate the work that had been accomplished. A table cloth was laid down on the floor, and various types of food made by different community members were laid out. Then, the four corners of the table cloth were brought together to shake up the food. Then the delicious mix of food is handed out to all community members.

The indigenous community members are also highly skilled in crafts and cloth-making, including making bracelets.

Culture: Gallery