Johis Alarcón: Community Education in Ecuador during the Pandemic
Johis Alarcón
When the pandemic struck Ecuador it forced many indigenous and African-Ecuadorian families to return to the places they were born. Johis Alarcón highlights a renewed sense of community as isolated populations hit hardest by school closures relaunch community schools that promote cultural identity and language, the protection of the local environment, and whose teachers are also part of the community.
Produced with support from the Henry Luce Foundation for a Magnum Foundation initiative to document the global health crisis through a variety of perspectives.
See more in the The Guardian.
“ ‘In order to fulfill their dreams they have to leave their home. They leave their families and the communities become fragile,’ [María Teresa Caicedo] said. But the community school experience has meant many now want to return home one day, bringing their skills with them.”