Our Past Experiences
What We DID
A 3 week expedition across the Amazon of Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Brazil!!
Between volunteering with the Waorani Tribe of Gomatoan and passing nights on local cargo boats, our expedition team (you guys!!) was the first advertised group trip to travel this route! That being said, we had a very important precedent to set:
How to travel in a way that helps the communities, and hurts no one, especially not the planet.
This trip was all about listening, understanding, and amplifying the voices we meet. We had endless conversations and documented interviews, highlighting not just stories but social and environmental consciousness
We want the world to get to know the Amazon the way that we did, from the perspective of those that know it best.
What We LEARNED
After crossing the river twice, once alone and once with a group of 17 travelers, we’ve learned some primary truths regarding the ways of living, social hierarchies, needs, desires and looming threats in the riverside communities in the region of the Napo River between Nuevo , Ecuador and Iquitos, Peru…
Economic opportunity is scarce, leaving these communities desperate for tourism, and vulnerable to cultural dilution and foreign exploitation
The current generation is being forced to leave their community and cultures behind to find employment
There is a large presence of alcoholism and a very unhealthy relationship with stray dogs
They have a very strong connection and commitment to their natural environment and its conservation
Access to clean water and medical aid is not guaranteed or entirely accessible
Many of these communities have access to phones and internet service, while still expressing feelings of being forgotten by their countries
A 2 week trip in the Mountains of Ecuador with International Volunteer Ecuador (IVE)
This trip was not just about experiencing Ecuador,
it was about sharing and giving back.
We volunteered with a small mountain community, taught art and english workshops to kids and teens, learned traditional cooking and dance, and enjoyed local activities like paintball and camping (all proceeds going directly into the community) and a day excursion to Baños!
We are connected our volunteers to a small community deep in the mountains of Ecuador. The women there have been developing projects in their community that they have neither the man power, nor the funding, nor the capacity to reach international aid.
We worked to bring the needed financial and human resources to this community, creating a higher standard of living and constructing a strong foundation for a better future.
“Little Guy cares about not just about the people, but soul that is shared between them and their world. These trips were all about how we, as people with the privilege to be here, can empower these communities through conversations and access to a platform they were never given.”
– Kalli Sweet, participant in both of these experiences
Interested in Our Future Trips?
you can check out our future trips page or you can contact us for more informtation!