I’m 26 and I come from a small village in the north of Italy. At the moment I’m living in Ecuador where I’m doing my civil service year working at the Fondo Ecuatoriano Popolorum Progressio, a local NGO.

This year, from the very beginning I had the opportunity to work on the drafting of numerous national and international projects having a real impact on the lives of many. Despite traveling a lot for the different projects, I spend most of my time working in the Chota valley. This valley stretches through two provinces within Ecuador, namely Imbabura and Carchi. Most of the population is of African descent and were slaves who worked on the farms in Ecuador. Here, I am in charge of directly following the implementation of two projects. One concerns the management and organisation of prickly pear producers while the other involves assisting different organisations offering tourist services. The responsibility of handling two projects, which I gained through hard work and impeccable work ethic, is what has made me grow the most. I have to be in the front-line handling relationships with public and private institutions while working on close deadlines. My year in Ecuador has given me the opportunity to encounter people from different backgrounds, cultures and social statuses. This environment has challenged my flexibility and perspective, while allowing me to improve my critical thinking skills and build up my managerial and communication skills