Interview with Paula Patiño, Beneficiary of the Family Garden Initiative Paula Patiño, a native of the Mindo community, and her family are beneficiaries of SALEM Ecuador’s Family Garden Initiative. She and her extended family agreed that between their 4 households they could plant a garden that provides a big part of their family’s food requirement….

Starting Over at SALEM Center The SALEM Center is back in action! On Monday, September 7 2020 the SALEM Ecuador team welcomed the first children back into the educational and recreational spaces at the SALEM Center in Mindo, Ecuador. SALEM serves children that need educational reinforcement, emotional support, a hot meal and a safe place…

Muchines de Yuca are a typical Ecuadorian dish that comes from the more coastal parts of Ecuador, where yuca is widely grown. They might be eaten for breakfast with eggs, or for dinner accompanied with a cup of coffee. Muchines de Yuca (Cassava Balls) Ingredients (for 5 people): 1 pound yuca (also called casava, potatoes…

Patricia Arias has been on the SALEM Ecuador team for eleven years and is currently the guide for the pre-teen after school group. Patty is a Mindo native and has always been interested in education. She started out as a teacher in a few of the local schools, eventually coming to work at SALEM with…

Fernanda Tuarez is SALEM Ecuador’s culinary extraordinaire. She’s been cooking vegetarian meals for SALEM kids and staff for almost 2 years. Fernanda is 28 years old and has two small children. She grew up in Esmeraldas Province and her first memories of the kitchen are sitting on a stool, watching her mom cook. Fernanda was…