What People Say about Their Experience
"I think this is interculturality. Interculturality is not just in written words. It’s learning how to really share between different cultures. We understand each other. We communicate, and I think that is a great achievement for human beings, to know that even though we are from different countries, we are one."
--Fabian, Muenala, Ecuador
"Thank you for believing in relationships. We were so welcomed into this community because of seeds you had sown on prior visits. The willingness of the people of Kansongho to share their lives with us has profoundly impacted me. May my own words and actions as I continue this journey home and through the rest of my days bring this village honor. . . . We were allowed brilliant views into aspects of life in Kansongho. Welcomed by the entire community, we were also embraced as individuals and ushered into better understanding as the people of Kansongho share their own personal stories, shared their comforts, worked with us side by side, taught us their songs, celebrated great joys, and spoke of sorrow and hardships. I can only hope that both the differences and similarities of our cultures enhanced each other. We are indeed one people sharing far more than I ever imagined. . . . Through my intention to learn more about the amazing people in Kansongho, I learned much about myself, about living fully and joyfully, and how thankful I am to be alive!"
"It is a great experience and eye-opener to the world. It is a memory that will last forever. . . . It opened my eyes and heart. It changed my look at the world and will change the way I live."
"Most memorable is the extraordinary welcome we felt at every interaction and meeting. By positioning ourselves to assist and learn, we seem to have avoided the condescending approach attributed to previous 'tourists'. When I read reminisces of previous trips on the Tandana website, I was skeptical of descriptions of 'once in a lifetime' or 'life changing' experiences. It seemed too hyped, too gushy. Now I have been there and my skepticism has vanished."
-- Bill, volunteer from Ohio
"It was rewarding, educational, encouraging, and an absolute motivational experience. I have volunteered my whole life--but never like this! . . . I have a new perception on humanity after being in Kansongho! The villagers were so welcoming and open and generous. My heart is full!"
-- Pat, volunteer from Ohio
"Go with an open mind and open heart and both will be touched and you will have an opportunity to touch others. . . . Anna and Tandana exemplify what works. Outstanding experience."
-- Dick, volunteer from North Carolina
"It was such an amazing experience, it is hard to put it into words. The people of Kori-Maounde were so welcoming, and it was so nice to go back each day and see all of their smiling faces. The children were so friendly and polite, and we enjoyed greeting each and every one of them and working and playing with them. We are amazed at the amount of work that was accomplished in three days, and we are proud to have been a part of the project."
"Everyone on our trip came away from the Kori Maounde experience happy, amazed, humbled, and thrilled to have worked on the garden project. The children and the villagers were wonderful."
"...this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that they may not be able to do after college. This is great trip to get out of your comfort zone and build relationships you never thought were easy to build. This is a great way to just be human again and not be distracted by technology that sometimes prevents us from meeting people for who they are. The part of the experience that I value the most is building the relationship with my host family. They all became an important part of my life."
"I really value that Tandana seeks to provide a culturally sensitive and authentic experience. I get to learn something every day from the people who live here and from the other trip participants."
--Eliza, volunteer from Massachusetts
"I love seeing peoples' reactions after receiving help/health care, which they may never have received before. The look of relief washing over some of their faces when they hear their child is healthy, etc. is super rewarding."
--Rebecca, volunteer from Ottawa, Canada
"The program will change you. The people will change you. You will quickly fall in love with the people, the country and the culture."
--Lauren, volunteer from Maryland
"It is clear that Tandana focuses on people first, as their success and impact is most clearly seen in the intangible and immeasurable traits of loyalty and trust that is clearly present in the relations they have with the people they work with. I don't feel like I helped anyone else. Rather, I worked with people, and through that, we both learned, and my kids and I came away changed. The Tandana program is a serious one, and one that enjoys massive respect and loyalty from the people in its community because of its dedication and care. For people looking to greatly expand their understanding of the common bonds of humanity while learning about the Otavaleño people and their traditions and current conditions, I highly recommend Tandana."
-- JP, volunteer from California
"I’ve found in my personal life, that Tandana has been amazingly empowering. Society wants everybody to think that individuals are powerless to effect positive change and because of that, why try. Well, that’s not true. I’ve seen with Tandana a small group of committed individuals, and I can see what they are able to do. And I realize that what they have done might be diminished if I weren’t there. So I know that my contribution has value, and that empowers me every day of my life."
-- Mo, volunteer from Ohio
"There has not been another organization or person in my life that has better helped me to understand, and live alongside the Other. I wish everyone could have the same experience that I have had through Tandana because this “gathering together” is what we need in our communities."
-- Laura, volunteer from North Dakota
"Come, don't hesitate. Think of how you would like it to be and be assured that it will exceed that by far. You will go home absolutely overwhelmed by what you saw, who you met, what you've learned, and how your heart has expanded. You will be inspired to exceed your own expectations of yourself."
-- Jim, volunteer from Montana
"The best part of the trip are the people you meet – both volunteers and Ecuadorians. You will not leave Ecuador the same as when you arrived."
-- Kate, volunteer from Ohio
"The entire experience didn’t feel like I was doing volunteer work from far away, but more as if I were doing it in my own community"
"[I appreciated] the opportunity to see another culture up close and realize the beauty in it. I have stepped way out of my comfort zone and survived."
"This program was an amazing experience for me. It was different from any other travel I have done because I really felt like got to know the community."
-- Carol, volunteer from Vermont
"I knew that it would be an amazing experience, but I didn't expect to be so blown away by the beautiful people and culture of Ecuador. It was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I cannot overstate how much I appreciate the hospitality of the Ecuadorian people and how they shared their gorgeous country with us. It has caused me to rethink parts of my life--I'm now seriously considering going into medicine! Working with such wonderful doctors helping people feel better was life changing. I hope to do much more volunteer work abroad in the future, and I can't thank the Tandana Foundation enough for giving me such an astounding experience."
-- Emily, volunteer from Washington
"I came as an individual to support our family friends. I leave as a member of about 20 folks from different places and backgrounds to bond together to support the mission of Tandana. A caring group within the global community to provide needed health services to a proud and meaningful culture."
-- Peter, volunteer from Pennsylvania
"It was a tremendous experience! Being a small part of such a dedicated and talented group was awesome. I loved traveling to different sites and meeting different people who were so appreciative of everything."
-- Donna, volunteer from Pennsylvania
"My experience with the Tandana Foundation has been surreal in the fact that I feel as if the opportunity offered me the best educational experience I have ever received in my entire life. My mantra there every day became “I’ve never done this before, so it’s time to learn”; the fact that everything I was doing was so new and exciting to me is probably what I enjoyed most about my time with the foundation."
-- Zack, volunteer from Massachusetts
"Thank you so much. This week changed my life in a positive way, like I knew it would, but better than I possibly could have imagined. I am truly inspired by this entire week."
-- Matt, volunteer from California
"It is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do and you will have the chance to use all your skills in a creative way. . . You will also make friends with some of the nicest, most gracious people you will ever meet and their gratitude will overwhelm you."
"This trip will satisfy everything that traveling should. The close interaction with community members through service is extremely rewarding and personal, and it is incredible how close I became with the other volunteers. This program has inspired me both personally and academically to the field of women's health."
-- Molly, volunteer from Washington
"I haven't visited so many places like a visited these two weeks. Puerto Lago, Yahuarcocha, Parque Condor and all the other places were amazing with beautiful sights I will never forget. Specially I think that what is important is not the place...is the people with a shared that moment. All the smile and strength that all of you have is admirable."
-- Ricardo, volunteer from Ecuador
"This is a wonderful program. I have never been on a trip with such wonderful interaction with the community. The effort you put in to provide health care for these people is a marvelous, much-needed service."
-- Sandra, volunteer from Arizona
"It was a fantastic experience, only too short. Next time I plan to go for two weeks. It was so refreshing and invigorating to simply practice medicine, and not to worry about the routine problems of working in the medical field in the US."
-- Julie, volunteer from Montana
“You really feel like you are part of a family while on the program and beyond... My experience in Ecuador has broadened my worldview even more than all my other travels. . . It has made me slow down and not to be so task driven. Relationships are most important.”
– Susie, volunteer from Minnesota
"You need to go and discover this beautiful experience of giving to the community. The peace and love that you feel cannot be put into words."
"Thank you for the many multiple interactions and opportunities you provided to help us gain more insight into the culture and living conditions of the Otavalan people. I greatly appreciated the many opportunities to glimpse so many different perspectives--male/female, shaman, student, nurse, wife, etc. . . . I never felt like a tourist, but as a very humbled guest visiting a friend's family. Thank you for the invitation--I am so glad I accepted."
-- Julie, volunteer from Minnesota
"This experience will be life-changing--I leave taking much more than I brought to Ecuador (and I'm not referring to the market!). I wish everyone could experience the simplicity and beauty of a culture still untouched by the chaos we create."
-- Julie, volunteer from Montana
"In reflecting on the various service projects I have completed over the years, my time in Ecuador stands out as the experience where I began to consider the cultural, social, and environmental dimensions of health and health care, especially in rural communities. Specific moments and patients in the mobile clinic still stick with me and the experience was quite transformative in my life path... Tandana has been influential in guiding my life goals."
-- Molly, volunteer from Washington
"The leaders and staff were amazing. They were fun, approachable, organized, and really added to the trip. They went above and beyond to ensure that everyone had what they needed and were comfortable and happy."
-- Sara, volunteer from Ohio
"If more programs like this existed, there wouldn't be wars."
--Dick, volunteer from Ohio
“The depth of cultural experience that we had in just a few days was intense. I felt we had incredibly authentic experiences with people after only knowing them a few minutes, and this was completely due to the trust that Tandana has earned after a decade of dedicated service and nurturing respectful relationships. Because Tandana has done what it has done, and because of people like Shannon, Vero, Vicente, and Herman, people allowed us to share with them profoundly sincere experiences. My family is very deeply impacted by our time in Otavalo because of this, and impacted in a wonderful way.”
–JP, volunteer from California
"Throughout my time in Ecuador I was amazed at how great the staff were at facilitating the incredible cross-cultural experiences in front of us. Consistently I saw the Tandana team worked together at everything from always having a snack on hand, to coordinating with host families and the day to day…let’s call them unexpected Ecuador surprises/learning opportunities. I could write pages about how amazing each of them were at facilitating the trip from start to finish. . . . several parents came up to me and said they saw a real positive change from when their child left for Ecuador to when they came back."
--Ken, group leader from California
"I have traveled with students on 8 different trips, in the US and abroad, and this was the best trip I have ever done. From the relationships we formed and the experiences we had, every aspect of this trip was wonderful. . . I know our students are better people for having been a part of Tandana!"
-- Debra, teacher from Ohio
"Do it! It’s challenging but so rewarding and fun and humbling. I’m so happy I ended up opening my mind to the challenges, and I feel I took away so much!"
-- Emma, student from the United States
"The Tandana liaisons provide a great foundation for experiencing different cultures through interactive learning. They make it easy to call a place thousands of miles away 'home.'"
-- Marlene, teacher from Montana
"The volunteer work was hard work, but really gave me a sense of being part of a community, which was awesome."
-- Katie, student from Montana
"Thank you all so much for a fantastic week! We are so grateful for all of your work in helping us put this together and creating such an amazing, exciting, and mind-opening cultural-service experience! You really opened us up and allowed us the ability to do something that I am sure will stay with us for a long time to come. Back in Boston we all really miss the community and learning and growing with all of you as our peers and guides through this amazing journey!"
-- Kayla, group leader from Massachusetts
"Tandana’s staff was without exception outstanding. Their knowledge of the culture, language and customs so helpful. I would look forward to any future trips with them as our facilitators/guides."
-- Kittie, volunteer from Ohio
"It will definitely change your perspective even if you’ve traveled to 'developing' countries before. The families and community welcome everyone with open arms."
-- Feyza, student from the United States
"It’s a life changing experience, and I learned so much about other cultures and deepened my passion for serving others."
-- Claire, student from North Carolina
"Traveling with Tandana gives you a warm welcome in the local communities. You come not as a tourist, but as a friend. Tandana in-country staff have established relationships and laid the ground work for meaningful service and an exceptional cultural immersion experience. As a trip leader, I could not ask for better service. Their planning and implementation allows me to enjoy the experience with my students. [I especially value] watching my students grow and spread their wings; making new friends and visiting old friends; the opportunity to actively support an excellent foundation that I know is rooted in respect and love."
-- Mitzi, teacher from North Carolina
"I felt very safe and had a great time discovering the culture! And it’s the best experience I’ve ever had."
-- Ashley, student from North Carolina
"Tandana is a well-run and dedicated organization. Tandana goes beyond just the actions of service by kindling relationships between cultures, allowing both the volunteers and the people in the community to form mutual respect and admiration for one another. It is an organization that I would highly recommend getting involved with if you are hoping to make a difference."
-- Ashley, student from Massachusetts
"The past three days have been awesome! I got yet another opportunity to join in a minga [community work party] and interact with the people of Otavalo. The people were very happy to have us and were filled with gratitude and appreciation. After spending most of the morning shoveling, we then got the chance to bond with the children and adults while playing soccer. We got to know some of the people really well. After the minga was fulfilled, we all walked to someone's house for a big banquet. It was awesome. We got served their culture's specialty: fried guinea pig. Yum . . . It was an all around great experience and I was sad to leave. From this event I learned that there are many ways to bond and communicate even if you don't speak the same language. It was easier than I thought it would be to get involved in their cultural traditions like mingas, soccer, and banquets. I also learned that Ecuadorians are not as intimidating as I once thought them to be. I am no longer afraid of partaking in their culture and traditions. In fact, I know I enjoy it. From the minga, I gained strength both physically and mentally and enjoyed every second of it."
"The challenges you will face teach you invaluable lessons not only about another culture but about yourself."
-- Mariah, student from Massachusetts.
"Our service project in Agualongo was the most outstanding segment of our trip so far. Before this trip, I have traveled frequently with my family. Despite our efforts to blend in with the cultures we visit, there is always a sense of separateness; we never cease to be tourists. Our stay in Agualongo was the first time that I felt completely connected to a culture that was not my own. The language barrier that divided the Traveling School students and the people of Agualongo was intimidating at best. Not only did we experience our routine trouble understanding Spanish; the people of Agualongo speak Quichua as a first language. Therefore, whenever we communicated, everyone was using their second language. Impressively, both groups of people were able to overcome these differences as well as the staggering disparities apparent in social classes and appearances. I believe this was possible because of the mutual understanding that everyone was working toward the common goal of supplying Agualongo with water and learning and enjoying ourselves in the process. The connection between two groups of people who couldn't communicate verbally was intriguing and inspirational."
"I think the most memorable part for me was the dedication/combined lunch . . . To actually be able to experience that in person, to taste the meat of a guinea pig, laugh with all the people, and stuff my belly until I felt like I should've rolled home is not something that happens every day, nor is it something I could ever forget. I really felt that they included us in the activities and opened their hearts and their homes to all of us. I felt that I was really a part of the community and that we made a good impression and that we did a huge thing that really achieved improvement in their lives."
"We were total strangers to the Ecuadorian lifestyle, language, and country; and we shared their home for only a brief time. But the day I left Panecillo was the day I experienced humanity. Fernando [a cousin in my host family] asked me, 'Cuando regresa?', meaning 'When will you return?' ? Our eyes met, and I knew he was serious, but sadly, I had no answer for him. Next, when I hugged Nelly [a host sister], we could only look and smile at each other. Because of the English-Spanish language barrier, neither of us had understood half the things we said to each other, but I knew I would miss her more than most of the people that I would meet in my entire life. The last person I said goodbye to was the mother. This was the only time I did not see a smile on her face during the whole stay. Tears streamed down her face as she waved goodbye to us. Her tears drove out mine, and we cried together."
"Panecillo is a small town near Otavalo and it is where Anna's family lives. There, we were fortunate enough to teach English to little kids. It was amazing and by far one of my favorite experiences so far. I remember walking up this huge hill lined with broken-down houses having no clue what to expect at the top. When we got there, it was a deserted piece of concrete. I was confused and wondered where all the kids were while we waited for Anna to come back out of the school. I got lost in my thoughts and fears until I was suddenly jolted back into reality by the excited screams of "Anita, Anita, Anita!" Then I watched them one by one as they peeked and pushed around corners and statues, squealing and giggling. We were so foreign to them, aliens. I was unsure of what to do, but a beautiful second-grade girl reached for my hand and led me to her classroom, as if reading my thoughts. Then we just stood there in front of those big, brown, eager eyes, trying to get started while keeping their attention. I didn't think I'd be nervous, but, once I got up there, I was. I now have a new appreciation for teachers; it is harder than they make it look! However, once we got started, it was easy, and the kids loved it. They just loved to learn, and it was amazing to watch. Although teaching was fun and great, it is not what has stayed with me; surprisingly, it wasn't recess and playing with them either. It was that first moment when we saw them and they saw us. You could see the fear, uncertainty, and timidness in their eyes dissolve right into curiosity. They went straight into learning mode. It was like a light clicked on in their tiny brains and said, "I want to learn about you and be your friend!" I have never had anyone feel that way about me just for being me, even when they don't know me. It was a very strange and different feeling. We were wanted and appreciated so much for not even doing anything yet, and that was such an eye-opening experience. We went there to teach, but in reality we were just as much of students as they were."
"We are all completely immersed in the life and language of the people here. I have to say that this has been one of the most authentic and inspirational cultural experiences that I have ever had."
"It was such an amazing experience, it is hard to put it into words. The people of Kori-Maounde were so welcoming, and it was so nice to go back each day and see all of their smiling faces. The children were so friendly and polite, and we enjoyed greeting each and every one of them and working and playing with them. We are amazed at the amount of work that was accomplished in three days, and we are proud to have been a part of the project."
"Everyone on our trip came away from the Kori-Maounde experience happy, amazed, humbled, and thrilled to have worked on the garden project. The children and the villagers were wonderful."
“Tandana is a well-organized, effective, grass-roots organization, unique in its long-term commitment to the health and prosperity of these communities. Tandana offers valuable and fulfilling volunteer opportunities and cross-cultural exchanges. I cannot recommend this experience enough."
-- Andrew, group leader from Arizona
“I don’t want my students to be afraid of new people. I don’t want them to cower away when people they don’t know come to the community. I want them to stand tall and be proud and greet new people. Since having Tandana and its volunteers here and working with us I have noticed a positive change in my students. They are more open to meet new people, even to greet people in English.”
--Olimpia, school director, Guachinguero, Ecuador
"It is a great pleasure when foreigners visit our communities and they appreciate our traditions and customs."
--Luz, Minas Chupa, Ecuador
"With them, we learn many things that we didn’t know. It’s beautiful to share with them.”
-- Rocio, Achupallas, Ecuador
"Tandana showed love for the village, and the volunteers didn’t make a difference between themselves and the residents. They participated in everything. They connected and joined in. There was no difference. . . . There is love."
"They are always ready to help with whatever the community needs. I like that they always visit us and their great attitudes while volunteering."
-- Evelyn, Padre Chupa, Ecuador
"I said, really if we look at these foreigners, they have great love. Their love is greater than ours—we wouldn’t be able to do what they are doing. Spending money, leaving your home, going so far, to help, that shows a lot of love for us. They are very courageous. I saw them working, drawing water, carrying stones. I really saw your courage to share and to show that we are together, we are the same. That gave me a lot of courage. I said that I, too, when I go to another village (I was working in Kedou at that time), I should do like these foreigners, to show that I am together with the women there. It gave me a lot of courage and a good lesson."
--Kessia, Kansongho, Mali
"I like the help they give us, the friendship and joys."
-- Estefania, Panecillo, Ecuador
"I have felt very happy. I have felt that I am their friend, and that they are my friends. Even though I can't understand anything of what they are saying, the spirit can be felt. This work as a team has been pleasant for us."
--Norberto, Panecillo, Ecuador
“They helped us work and did everything with us. With them, we went to get water. With them, we carried stones. They had a lot of courage with us. They were great people.”
“They help without discrimination. [I like] their desire to get to know us and their willingness to help.”
-- Elena, Padre Chupa, Ecuador
“We were very joyful. There was a great connection and love between us. When they left, we were very sad.”
--Yabiemo, Kansongho, Mali
"They are very likeable, with their effort to help and with lots of desire to learn."
— Cristina, Agualongo, Ecuador
“We are all one. We are all equal. If someone has a difficulty, they want to help that person, without changing their culture.”
"They were very committed and devoted to mutual help. . . . Everything went well between the group and the community. We carried stones, we drew water, we did everything together. That is why the whole community asked us to give our sincere greetings to you. . . . We are family now."
--Ousmane, Kansongho, Mali
“Our community had very nice moments with the foreign students, since they became part of our families. They shared wonderful times with us and gave all the affection of siblings. … Our family appreciates your visit to our community, and the memories that you leave us will never be forgotten. I thank all of the Foundation in the United States for all that you have given to our community and to us. Because of you, we can study and earn a high school diploma, with the scholarships you give. Also you have done other projects for our community, Agualongo de Quichinche. … My family will always be ready to welcome you in our humble home, we will never forget all the support you have given us. Our doors will always be open to all of you who are part of The Tandana Foundation.”
-- Olga, Agualongo, Ecuador
"We have the pleasure of coming in the name of the chief of the village of Kansongho, his counselors, the women, and the young people to transmit their thanks and joy regarding your illustrious delegation that the people of Kansongho continually remember. Receive here all the thanks and recognition of the people of Kansongho. The people of the village, and of all the commune of Wadouba continue to talk about the visit of the group. The commentaries are mostly about your manner of integrating yourselves into society, your physical effort, your engagement, your determination, and especially your joy in sharing with the people in unity and cohesion. For Kansongho, you were like old friends who had come to work with her and not like people coming for the first time to work in an unknown and unfamiliar situation. The children still do the dance that you showed them in the village and in the fields; that really made an impression on the men, women, young people, and children. Be thanked for all of that. The women invite you to go out to look for firewood at the pink dune. The people are asking when will be the next visit of the group. As to the commune, she has never seen white people come and work like you have done in your visit to Kansongho."
-- Moussa and Timothée, Bandiagara, Mali
"My community, the people of Wadouba, the people of Kansongho and Sal-Dimi, had lost their culture, their traditional dances, their old musical instruments. Personally, there are instruments that I had never seen, but when the Tandana volunteer groups arrived, I discovered these instruments. It’s a renaissance of the traditional culture of our community."
--Moussa, Bandiagara, Mali
“This year, 2017, has brought many good things since the first visit of two Tandana volunteer groups to my house. . . . When they said goodbye, and left, we could not believe that they came to my house, listened to all the explanations, and asked many questions. You cannot imagine the happiness I felt.”
– Margarita, Panecillo, Ecuador
"The groups that come here are different because they come to help the people, to work together to overcome the difficulties. These are not like other white people. They come to work and show the people that they want to work together with them."
--Housseyni, Sal-Dimi, Mali
"In the months of June and July of this year, we hosted a girl from the United States, Laurita, sent to our home by Anita. She was also a wonderful person, she adapted quickly to our lifestyle and our culture. What surprised me was that she really liked our typical foods and always had seconds. She also came to work as a volunteer. She was studying medicine, so she came to the community to work like a nurse with the community. It was a wonderful experience; I learned about her culture and her language. We shared so many experiences together and she even learned more. I was her guide and we went to tourist sites, traditional festivals, to my university, etc. Without a doubt, she went away very happy to have gotten to know us like her family, which we now are. We were very sad when she left, but she said she would come back; for me she is another sister. I hope there will be other opportunities to live these kinds of experiences because I love them and I do them with lots of affection, and I love my profession. One month ago, Anita came to my community of Panecillo with a group of doctors. Thanks to God, we had the opportunity to get to know them, and we also accompanied them to a few sites, perhaps like native guides. They told me I was going to be a good leader, and this motivated me even more to keep working hard. They were charismatic people with lots of solidarity, since they came to cure people and to give medicines to the people of our community, who surely could not pay a hospital or doctor for lack of economic resources, and this was a great thing for them. I also thank Anita for her heart of solidarity and love that she has had, since thanks to her work many children and young people are studying, because she gave scholarships to the best students, which has motivated them even more to study. This is a help to our families, and we are very happy because of it. For all of this I am very thankful to Anita for the opportunities she has given me to train myself as a professional. Now I have experience to better myself even more as a person, and, to repeat, as a professional. I hope that she will never forget us, as we carry her in our hearts, and we also hope that she will keep helping us and that there will be more opportunities to work together."
-- Claudia, Panecillo, Ecuador
"The cultural exchange between the partners and the beneficiaries, the people and the groups that come. They don't just come to show off that they are foreigners. No, they come to work, to share cultures. What touches me is the cultural exchange between the two parties. Everyone wins."
"I also have really enjoyed the visits that come to my community and the help that they give us, the foreigners were very nice and likeable and I hope they keep visiting. From all of these experiences, I have learned to maintain my own culture and value it for myself, since much of it is being lost, and that other people value it and are interested in learning about the many cultures that exist in the world, since this differentiates us and identifies us."
"I'm motivated to study English because my dream is to be able to communicate with the foreign students who come to my community. From my point of view, The Tandana Foundation is the best; it helps families with limited economic resources to be able to rise above, because nobody helped us before, and gives us opportunities to keep studying, I will always appreciate the foundation. My suggestion is that in the vacation courses this year there be more hours of classes so that we can prepare ourselves more to go back to school."
-- Jefferson, Agualongo, Ecuador
"For me, the best gift for the Foundation was that I never expected to have a foreign family stay in my home. I had that experience. At first, I was a little afraid, a little embarrassed. I thought maybe they wouldn't like it, how we live, in a poor house that we have, I thought they must live in luxury, they must have nice houses, and I can't offer them that here. But it wasn't uncomfortable for the foreign family. Opening our doors and welcoming them was the best thing and they were happy here."
-- Susana, Quichinche, Ecuador
“I wish there were more programs like this, where people from different parts of the world come together to work on a project, like our garden. This is a way of building peace."
--Alberto, school director, Cutambi, Ecuador
"Without your support for the Tandana Foundation, my studies would have been cut short when high school was over because of the fact that my family has scarce economic resources. Besides that, we are a very large family and I am the last of eight siblings. I would have had to start working, setting aside my dreams. I would like to be remembered in history as a great scientist or pioneer in the development of some technology and leave my mark on humanity. I want to do something great that marks history."
--Amauta from Ecuador
My knowledge and my desire to achieve increase each day. The career I am studying is law, and soon I will be a lawyer. . . As I climb, I start to see myself realized as a person, thanks to the supportive push that comes from many directions. Now I have a great focus on the future, and it is also my goal to be able to give strength to those who need it.
--Belén from Ecuador
"The career that I like is law, because I see that it is necessary to be able to help people who are vulnerable to the injustices of society."
--Mónica from Ecuador
"Thanks to you, today my career is beginning. I won’t let you down; I will demonstrate my responsibility and great appreciation.”
-- Soraya from Ecuador
“I want to be a teacher, because in my community there aren’t enough teachers who know Kichwa… When I finished elementary school, I wanted to continue right on to secondary school, but I couldn’t, for lack of economic resources… I want to teach the children and also give training for the older people, something we always need in my community. I want to help the older people who don’t know their letters and how to sign their names, and many other things. I want to be creative in the community.”
-- Marlene from Ecuador
"I received a scholarship to finish my last year of secondary school. After I graduated, I started working at a daycare center in my community. I worked for two years without studying so I could save money to begin at the university. But, the money I saved still wasn’t enough to cover all the costs. Then the Tandana Foundation offered me the great opportunity to have help with my university studies. They trusted in my ability and in my dreams, and because of this I will keep studying with so much dedication, effort, and lots of enthusiasm.”
-- Margarita from Ecuador
“I would like to create a business through which would be demonstrated all of the knowledge that I have gained, the imagination, inspiration, and creativity, and, most importantly, the talent I have discovered in myself, as well as my desire to succeed and not to disappoint those who support me and to make them believe in my abilities… I would like to offer sewing classes to mothers in my community, so that they can learn ways to earn money.”
-- Monica from Ecuador
“I can say that the situation at home has also improved thanks to Tandana’s help. You can see it when it comes to things like having more than one bread bun for breakfast and having more fruit for all the family. . . I don’t know what I would be doing without your help. Maybe I would be thinking about starting school or be in my third year. Then, seeing my friends graduate would be quite sad. Thanks for helping me achieve my dreams.”
– Josué from Ecuador
"My goal is to be the best student and study more to become someone in life and to show you and my parents that the help you have given me served me well and I thank you with all of my heart for all that you are offering me because I needed it. Thank you so much."
"The Foundation is very good and thanks to the foundation I am studying in high school, because my parents couldn’t send me to high school. May you keep helping many more students who for lack of money also can’t study."
"I have learned many things that are going to serve me in the future. This foundation is very good for those of us who want to study. I have learned many good things about life and also values that will serve me in the future. Thanks to you I have learned many important values in school and manners and respect and I have learned to be responsible for all my acts and to do my homework. The foundation is very good for us to continue our studies. Seeing this help, I want to ask the foundation to help more children who want to study. My goal is to continue with my studies ahead to have a secure future. Thank you for all that you have given us. I am very grateful."
"The help of the Foundation is great help and has been the best for our community because you have been able to help more families and students who wanted to keep studying."
"I have learned this year with the help of the foundation to go ahead with my studies because I don’t have much help from my father, he says I will fail in my studies. And I have much interest in my studies and I would like you to please keep helping me with the foundation. Thank you for your help."
"What I have learned this year and that will help me go forward is that I should take advantage of the opportunity that I am given to study and because of that I make an effort every day because I don’t want to betray those who support me. Also respect and solidarity that I should have with others, this will serve me all of my life. The help of the Foundation is very good, because you help my parents economically and in this way they are able to give the opportunity to study to my other brothers and sisters. Also, it helps me to be more responsible in my homework because I don’t want to lose this opportunity that the Foundation is giving me."
"I see this help as very good for all of the young people who are there. One suggestion is that each year you keep giving vacation English classes, because this class helps us a lot with the English language. With this help that The Tandana Foundation is giving me, I take advantage of it, because my parents couldn’t help me much because of their economic situation."
"I appreciate your help with all my heart for having turned my dreams into reality."
-- Aida from Ecuador
"I've seen the help you give to us scholarship students as better each day, to make us stronger; even with a bad grade you help us not to lose hope of triumphing. From my perspective the foundation is very good."
-- Evelyn from Ecuador
"I've seen the help of the foundation as an opportunity to learn and study in a better way. My suggestion is that you keep giving the vacation courses because they help us learn important subjects such as English and math."
-- Josue from Ecuador
"We dedicated ourselves to studying in the vacation and this will serve us well in school. We will go in with a better idea of what they are going to teach us. What I liked best was that they taught us with friendliness and lots of effort; when we didn't understand something they explained it to us again."
"I liked the vocabulary that they gave us, and I was able to learn more words, and this will truly help me next year."
"It will help me a lot with my classes in school because I learned what was most necessary. What I liked most was English class, because I needed to learn lots of English and also I got to know two good teachers."
"It was something very wonderful. You had a lot of patience and when someone asked a question you explained with a lot of enthusiasm."
-- Gabriela, student from Panecillo
"It will help me a lot in school. At first I understood almost nothing but you explained well and I understood. All the teachers were very good."
-- Zamira, student from La Banda
"It was very good because the teachers' manner of explaining was understandable and easy. What I liked was that the teachers were very friendly and taught very well and were very patient."
-- Nestor, student from La Banda
"It was very good because I was really able to learn the pronunciation and all that consists in the subject of English. I am very thankful."
-- Fanny, student from Copacabana
"It was very good because it is a great help for me and the others because we came to understand everything that we didn't understand in school. Now we know a bit more about math and English. I thank you."
-- Samy, student from Panecillo
"With Tandana, the doctors who come have been very appreciated. Personally, our family is very appreciative because my sister in law was very sick, and last year when the Tandana doctors came, they helped her a lot. Virginia did everything possible to help her [in follow up treatment]. She was almost at risk of losing life, and now she has recuperated a lot in SOLCA. She has overcome the cancer."
Martha, Muenala, Ecuador
"I wait for The Tandana Foundation each year. I ask the community council when is the foundation coming, and last week at the minga my husband heard that Tandana was coming to do health work. He said, 'Great! They are very good doctors.' I had a problem with my arm. I couldn’t do anything. It was numb. But I came here and told the doctors, and they injected me, and now I am good."
--Carmen, Muenala, Ecuador
"Tandana is the only serious foundation that helps all the people in the communities, without lying to them. Others say they are going to help, to take us to good hospitals, and then they never return."
--Marcela, Tangali, Ecuador
"The visit with doctors means a lot to the community members. With the distance, we can’t gt to the city to go the doctors. . . . We always have some sickness, and people are happy when the doctors come."
"I like that they come with their medications and especially that they have spent time with us."
“They are excellent with affection . . . They help a lot with medicine.”
"Thanks to you, we have been able to go out to the farthest communities, with medical attention, vaccines, medications, dental care. The people are very grateful, and they all want the foundation to visit each community."
"When they come to visit us I get very happy, joyful, because we can't go to Otavalo, because of the distance, because we don't have a car, for many reasons. We can't go to the city because we live far away. Thanks to them for coming to visit us and give us this support with the doctors."
"Ten years ago, sometimes the children would see doctor and they would run away into the valleys to escape. They were afraid and many of them would cry. Now, as you can see, it's the opposite. They see the doctors, the people from Tandana, and they run to give them hugs."
"Personally, I didn’t know phone numbers. My husband is away working. When I needed to talk to my husband, I went to my brothers’ home in my village, I gave them money to put the digits in my phone to call him. I had my phone, but I didn’t know how to put credit into it, and I didn’t know the numbers. People are crooks, because as a woman you don’t have the right to ask for something from your husband as you’d like if he is away. Today, I can put my credit in my phone as I want. I can record the names and numbers of my relatives in my contacts list, call my husband and children who are away, where I want and whenever I want. The Tandana Foundation has put a new life into my life and into almost half of the village women, who are now literate. It’s like they liberated me from a prison."
--Tembel, Assa, Mali
"Thanks to this opportunity that was given to me by the Tandana Foundation I can now read the size of my shoe. Before I needed someone else to read my shoe size. In addition to this I now know how to handle my phone by myself — I can choose the name that I want to call in the directory, read the date and time. Really the literacy training has served me a lot and made a change in my life."
"Thanks to my participation in the literacy session for 3 months (March April May) in my village of Sal-Dimi, I can count the numbers from 1 to 10,000 now. This has allowed me to calculate my menstrual cycle to prevent births too close together."
"Because of you, we can recognize telephone numbers. We go to the market and we can manage because we are able to recognize the numbers. We can now write and read by ourselves."
"Thanks to The Tandana Foundation for this great initiative of literacy in our own language, Tommo So. In this same room, men were once taught in Toro So, which is not even our language, but today our women were lucky to have these classes in Tommo So, our own language. I am 75 years old and this is my first time to see a booklet in Tommo So, thanks to Tandana and its partners. Thank you to the women who agreed to spend three months studying."
"I am the president of the women’s Association in the village, and we do a lot of things in this village. I had never been to school. At one point I wanted to resign from my post because a president who does not know how to read and write is not good. When I heard about the literacy course in Tommo So, I was ready to pay the instructor to teach me. Thanks to the literacy program, I gave up thoughts of resigning from the president's post and have had no more complications. Today, I read, I write, and I calculate, which is going to serve me in my work as president of the women of Kédou."
--Marietou, Kédou, Mali
“When Oumou told her story, there were many women who said, really we are late. If we look, women are more numerous than men. If women work together, we can support someone to get to the mayor’s office. And when we have a woman mayor, she will help resolve things for women. If there is a woman candidate, they will support her so she can advance and help them. . . Aissata also told her story. Lots of women said she is really courageous. They said that courage is good, but many of us wouldn’t have the courage to do what she did. They were impressed. Every time there was a story told, for 30 seconds there was silence, and they were really thinking about it.”
– Kessia, Kansongho, Mali
“The situation of women is changing. Before we didn’t know how to save, how to form work groups, to earn together. Now in Wadouba township in all the villages there are women’s groups and they can work together to earn money to provide for their needs.”
– Yagouno, Kansongho, Mali
“The protection of the environment is the principal axis of life. If there is no environment, there is no life. All of our resources come from the environment, so we really need to protect it. We’re not doing it for someone else, but for ourselves to be able to get the benefits . . . before the existence of Olouguelemo the problem was that people destroyed the natural resources without realizing that they were hurting themselves. After the creation of the association with the workshops, the assemblies, the meetings, people understood that when we hurt the environment, we are hurting ourselves. So there has been a big change in the protection of the environment.”
– Ousmane, Kansongho, Mali
“Olouguelemo has brought back wild animals, they were disappearing but now they have returned. Also, there are fruits from the trees that were rare but now they are maturing in the protected forest areas . . . before we had to walk far to find trees to cut [for firewood]. Now there are dried dead sticks in the protected forests that we can collect.”
– Yagouno, Kansongho, Mali
"My dream has always been first for the watersheds. If we don’t take care of our watersheds and lose our water, where will be get drinking water? What water will we use to feed ourselves? What water will we use to wash?"
--Matias, Panecillo, Ecuador
"There were villages that didn’t speak to each other. For example, between Kansongho and Nounou, there was a conflict over the environment. But thanks to this association, all of the villages work together in one group. It started with 8 villages, and now there are 14. It’s the first time in our Township that 14 villages get together and sit down together to discuss, how are we going to protect our environment. Everyone gives his point of view, and they listen to each other."
"We just spent 8 days together without problems, learning how to make tools that will allow us not only to reduce excessive logging in our land, but also to reduce the workload for the women. Thanks to God, all is well that ends well. However, we must continue to work towards our goal. Each one of us present here must continue to manufacture a lot of stoves and educate our fellow villagers on how to use the stoves. Thanks to The Tandana Foundation for all their support. I must say this today, Anna, it is not only the people of Kansongo who are proud of you. All the people of the Wadouba region greet you and are proud of you.”
--Ando, Kansongho, Mali
“What we have learned is what many of our peers have gone to Cote d’Ivoire to do. This work is very important, because even those of us who didn’t go to school now know the numbers for the different sizes of stoves. We know how to manufacture the stoves with the skill of craftsmen. Now, because of the new stoves, women will not have trouble cooking even if it rains or snows."
--Oumar, Sal-Dimi, Mali
“I am very happy about the cotton bank in our village of Sal-Dimi. We, the older women, we have been seeking this for a long time. Before, we had to go all the way to the markets of Ningari and Sangha in hopes of buying cotton. Often we would travel for nothing, without finding enough cotton, or good enough quality cotton, and the price would be too high. It didn’t satisfy our needs. . . .Now I can supply myself in my own village, and even without cash, in the Sal-Dimi cotton bank. With the distribution of cotton from the bank, I can get the amount of cotton that I am able to transform, and now we women have a shade hangar and a storehouse where we can get together to exchange ideas and work cotton. . . All of the women of Sal-Dimi and the surrounding villages will increase their earnings, especially the older women, since cotton transformation is the only income-generating activity that we older women can participate in.”
–Yamoué, Sal-Dimi, Mali
“I don’t know how to thank The Tandana Foundation, Anna, or her friends. Every time I needed cotton, I had to take out a loan in Ningari for 2 or 3 lots. The money I was earning after working it was inadequate; I was not making any money. Now, Tandana’s Cotton Bank has fallen down from the sky for us, I no longer need to borrow money from anyone. A thousand thanks to The Tandana Foundation and its partners, thanks to whom we now have our own stock.”
–Yapirei, Sal-Dimi, Mali
“We are now considered as women capable of generating income, thanks to Anna and our partnership with The Tandana Foundation, which helped us start the Savings for Change Groups. This is the first organization that has supported projects designed particularly for women, with, first the Savings for Change Groups, and today, the cotton bank. Long live The Tandana Foundation and its partners! It was my dream to see the implementation of the cotton bank, which was so desired by all the women of Yarou-Plateau. Now, thanks to The Tandana Foundation and its donors, all the women have access to good quality cotton at a good price anytime in our village.”
“Yippee!!! What a good wind has brought us happiness this morning! Finally, thanks to the partnership with The Tandana Foundation, we are now recognized by the organizations that support development. Before this, we were lost and unknown to development partners. Come on, Come on, let’s dance to show our gratitude to The Tandana Foundation and its partners, to wish for a long life for our partnership and for the new cotton bank!”
"Without lying, I can tell you from the bottom of my heart, these three villages (Kondiougou, Indell, Guinekanda), we worked on the same activities without ever collaborating or sharing ideas with one another before, and if you see us together today, it is thanks to the financial support of The Tandana Foundation and its partners. According to my information, this is the first warehouse for indigo dye products in Bandiagara District. As such, we have had the great luck to have this indigo bank and with that blessing, we will show The Tandana Foundation what we can do."
"Dear partners, your idea to support us with natural, organic products has permitted us to perpetuate our ancient practices. Many of the young girls among us did not know of these methods and so it is a great opportunity for us and for the younger generation."
“With the cotton bank, now we can buy our cotton easily and earn money to cover our needs. . . . We manage our cotton bank. When we go to the market to buy our cotton, we know the numbers, so it’s no problem.
–Kadidia, Dana-Guiré, Mali
“In the [Dologou grain bank] committee, the manager who keeps the accounts is a woman. That makes us happy. It is the newest bank, but you could say they are the best at selling. The first assistant mayor was there at the opening and he made a great speech. He said it was the first time he had seen a partner bring money and let the people buy what they want. Others bring grain, and if it’s not what the people want, it doesn’t matter. But this time the people chose what they want. And he asked the committee to take great care of it and run it well.”
– Moussa, Bandiagara, Mali
“I have not seen an organization as good as this one. Since we made friends with Yalema (Anna), our village has completely changed. We had problems with wells and needed a grain bank. Now we don’t have problems. Thanks be to God.”
“Since the arrival of The Tandana Foundation, I’ve benefited from many advantages that have helped raise my standard of living. Now it’s my turn to share those benefits with other people through my work for the foundation.”
"It’s one thing to ask for help and another to provide follow up and show the responsibility of the community. We have planted trees with Tandana’s help, and we put up barbed wire so the animals won’t damage them."
--Fabian, Muenala, Ecuador
"We just spent 8 days together without problems, learning how to make tools that will allow us not only to reduce excessive logging in our land, but also to reduce the workload for our women. Thanks to God, all is well that ends well. However, we must continue to work towards our goal. Each one of us present here must continue to manufacture a lot of stoves and educate our fellow villagers on how to use the stoves. Thanks to The Tandana Foundation for all their support. I must say this today, Anna, it is not only the people of Kansongo who are proud of you. All the people of the Wadouba region greet you and are proud of you.”
--Oumar, Sal-Dimi, Mali
"I am the treasurer of my Savings for Change group. We have suffered a lot with loans from banks. With the introduction of The Tandana Foundation, all the women of the village are pleased with the Savings for Change program, and today I have just received a loan for three months. On the day of repayment, the interest returns to us all. I am proud to be a member of the Savings for Change group. Thanks to The Tandana Foundation we come together each week. We have never gathered in this way at a regular time."
"When I went to the mayor’s office to meet with the mayor and his advisers about hanging a notice that we are recruiting literacy teachers, the first advisor, Ali Kansaye, took a pomegranate out of his bag and said, 'you see, I bought that in Kansongho. It’s evidence that this partner has contributed a lot to the development of our township.' I was so happy and proud to hear his comment, that I quickly spoke and said, 'this partner is the Tandana Foundation, and even this notice of job opportunities is thanks to Tandana.' As soon as I finished, the mayor spoke, saying that he had met a partner organization that was hesitant to support the village of Orsongho in creating an orchard with moringa and fruit trees because the climate was so hot and dry. He said that right away he told them that it is possible and insisted with the example of Kansongho to convince the partner organization. Now the organization has sent a technician to line out the orchard parcel in order to fence it in. So, you see, when one works well, it can’t be hidden, and there are many who follow our example."
--Moussa, Bandiagara, Mali
“The roof of the classroom was in poor condition, leaking when it rained and causing the inside to get wet where the children have their classes. When we find ourselves with these problems, we try to find a solution. With the goal of finding funding, we approached a foundation that we knew and explained our needs and sought their help . . . The parents did the work of painting and fixing the roof, so that together we can ensure the students will not have a wet floor to learn on. When it rains, we are not worried anymore.”
– Segundo, Padre Chupa, Ecuador
"He who wants to climb a tree needs support. So we come and help him. It's like we are holding his foot up so he can climb. It's not just pulling him up into the tree, but we help him, support him, step by step, so he can climb."
--Housseyni, Local Supervisor, Sal-Dimi, Mali
“We want to do many things with the Foundation, without forgetting our own efforts too. It’s like the Foundation is helping us climb into a tree. When you are climbing a tree, someone can support you but you also have to hold on tight.”
--Ada, Sal-Dimi, Mali
"After spending many years working with people and seeing their own way of life, their worldview, their different ways of finding solutions to their problems, and how an organization earns the communities’ trust, it is very rewarding to know that there are good people out there who seek people’s wellbeing. Seeing how the world is today, it brings me happiness to know that there are people who think of others at the expense of their own health. This is the case with The Tandana Foundation, an NGO which helps those in real need and makes them realize their own power and worth. Tandana has restored their dignity and self-esteem; people have learned to feel valuable and important to their families and communities. Thank you Tandana for restoring people's dignity. Congratulations for your tireless work for the last 10 years and your sacrifice for others."
--Segundo, Rey Loma, Ecuador
"The family of Tandana is really like a home. It is very affectionate and beautiful. It has a unique essence that cannot be compared with any other organization."
“Since the arrival of The Tandana Foundation, I’ve benefited from many advantages that have helped raise my standard of living. Now it’s my turn to share those benefits with other people through my work for the foundation.”
"It’s a foundation that’s different because in addition to helping the community, they help with friendship and intercultural sharing, always respecting our customs."
--Claudia, Panecillo, Ecuador
"Our partnership with the Tandana Foundation has only brought happiness. For a long time, we have been seeking a water source close to our village... Tandana is a bringer of happiness for us that opened the doors of partnership to us."
--Mamoudou, Ologuiné, Mali
"I think this is interculturality. Interculturality is not just in written words. It’s learning how to really share between different cultures. We understand each other. We communicate, and I think that is a great achievement for human beings, to know that even though we are from different countries, we are one"
--Fabian, Muenala, Ecuador
"The spirit of sharing, that is the spirit of Tandana. We know there are always difficulties, but if we are animated by this spirit, we know we will overcome the difficulties."
--Moussa, Program Manager, Bandiagara, Mali
"At first, I was against it, but after the first group visited, I understood that these foreigners are different from the others I thought they were like, because everything they have done has been with our agreement, and they have asked us about everything with the greatest respect. Now you have my blessing day and night, as do all the men and women who work with you."
--Samba, Kansongho, Mali
"The community leaders have begun to think about how to provide for their needs and to see Tandana as complementary to their efforts."
"The foundation is not considered like an NGO. NGOs come, if it is to build a well, they make the well and they go away. If it’s a grain bank or a mill, they give it and they go away. Two or three years later, the project is no longer working. But this foundation integrates with the people, and the people accept that integration, and there is confidence between the two. And the foundation maintains that confidence through its follow up of the activities. The great success of Tandana in Mali, for me, is that it is the people of the village who initiate their own projects and the foundation accompanies them. And in this accompaniment, there are rules of collaboration, this is what I have, this is what you can do, and it’s complementarity. And for the Tandana Foundation, there is no superiority. The volunteers accept to conform to the community. It’s that that gives confidence to the people, and why they are always asking, 'why aren’t our friends from Tandana coming?' They don’t understand the reason. A great success is this confidence, this collaboration, and this spirit of cultural sharing."
--Moussa, Program Manager, Bandiagara, Mali
"Your philosophy is to complete a project, not leave it incomplete. I think that is the advantage that you have over other organizations."
--Luis, Cutambi, Ecuador
--Housseyni, Local Supervisor, Sal-Dimi, Mali
"Often for the foreigners, it is unfamiliar food, something they have never eaten. But they accept it with a smile, and they never get angry or look like they are in a bad mood. That gives the community more confidence, so they talk more openly and share food."
--Maria Esther, Rey Loma, Ecuador
"The Tandana Foundation isn’t like other organizations, public or private, that maybe help one time and leave. The Tandana Foundation has done a thorough and long-term follow-up, so that things turn out for the best."
--Matias, Panecillo, Ecuador“With the foundation, there is no discrimination between people. They help everyone and treat everyone the same. The activities are for the whole community. When the Foundation comes to the village, it is everyone who benefits. They don’t make a difference between black and white. In all of Tandana’s activities there is follow up. There is nothing that has started with Tandana that has been abandoned. There is follow up, and when the Foundation promises something, they keep their promise.”
--Ada, Sal-Dimi, Mali
“The Foundation tells the truth in the activities, and the foundation requires informing everyone and lots of transparency. There is nothing hidden. It’s for the community.”
--Yabiemo, Kansongho, Mali
“I would be so happy to describe Tandana to someone who doesn’t know it. I love it and that’s why I am on so many committees. I would tell them that Tandana doesn’t come with a predetermined project for the village; they come and ask what difficulties you have and what you need. They will ask what you have in the village that can help, and what you can’t find in the village that you need.”
--Anouh, Kansongho, Mali
"The difference between Tandana and the other NGOs is that Tandana has a vision really for the future. Other NGOs have a current vision. They share the money, and then they leave and one year later the project is over. The foundation is continuous. As long as you don’t get discouraged, the foundation is there to support you."
--Ousmane, Kansongho, Mali
"Tandana is like a friendship. They aren’t looking for their own benefit, but they come to help the people so they can climb high. If we are making chairs and that is our work, they come and they help us to make better chairs. I would explain it that way. I can climb here, but to get up there, I can’t get up that high. When Tandana comes, they support me so I can climb up there."
--Kessia, Kansongho, Mali
"Tandana is to unite together, be together, struggle together. This is what you have done and what you are doing. Tandana is not a sleeping word or a dead word. It is a living word."
-- Matias, tree nursery manager, Panecillo, Ecuador
