“Smile no matter what is going on because even though the kids here don’t have the best clothes or medical care, they smile more than anyone I’ve met – they’re so happy!” –Ellie Feltovic, Renbrook School 9th grader
Last week students from the Renbrook School in Avon, Connecticut teamed with FIBUSPAM to embark on their annual service trip to Riobamba. Before their trip they fundraised $3,000 for the Carlos Garbay School for students with special needs, a school which FIBIUSPAM provides medical services on a regual basis. While in Riobamba, Renbrook students worked on building handicap ramps to make the Carlos Garaby campus accessible to all of the children.
The Carlos Garbay School is a very special place with dedicated administrators and teachers who love caring for the children. The school is filled with music, dancing, and learning. They teach the students to be as independent as possible by showing them different trades like sewing, woodworking, and cooking. They have gardens that the children tend to, and they use those crops for lunches and cooking lessons. Additionally, there is a model home on campus where the children learn how to perform daily activities on their own.
However, Carlos Garbay has very limited resources and the government does not provide them with enough money to provide necessary materials to these children who need a lot. The ramps are very much needed because the campus is spread over a large hill with many hazards.
Renbrook students and FIBUSPAM staff started construction on the ramps, and the funds that they raised will pay for the remaining labor that is necessary to complete the project.
Renbrook and FIBUSPAM received a heartfelt, beautiful welcome from Carlos Garbay that included songs, dances, and speeches.
Counselor Katherine Farnam, who is on her third trip volunteering at the FIBUSPAM clinic with Renbrook Summer Adventure, said, “Coming to Ecuador taught me about privilege and allowed me to understand my responsibility as a well-educated person to give back to the world, and it really sparked my interest in global service and made me appreciate the different lifestyles that people in other cultures have. “
We thank Renbrook for all of their hard work and volunteerism and we look forward to hosting them again next year.
