MASONRY COURSE# 1 – YACHANA
PROGRAM: Earthquake Ecuador – Rebuilding the Future for Coastal Ecuador
DATE: From June 24 until July 13
RESPONSABLE: Yachana Foundation
Summary
We carried out our first training course at Yachana Foundation facilities. There were 20 participants from three areas along the coast affected by the earthquake. Many who came are still living in tents with their families. This was our first course and it turned out to be hugely successful. The focus of this course was on masonry and the men were actually building things involving all aspects of mixing cement, pouring floors, laying block and finishing the surface of the blocks. An architect and two assistants were in charge of the training and provided guidance in the actual work plus theoretical instruction in how to read plans, industrial safety and other subjects.

Mr. Todd Chapman (USA Ambassador) and William Bessette (Facebook editor) at Yachana Lodge
The Yachana Foundation is offering a series of courses, beginning with the first course in masonry from 24th June to 13th July, to be followed by other building trades like carpentry, electricity and plumbing. The participants of the first course have assured us that they will serve as ambassadors to find other people interested in participating. They said that a large number of people would be interested. There are many jobs available in the region as part of the reconstruction efforts, but they require a certification to have access to these jobs. The certification that Yachana is giving, along with the National Organization of Tradesman, qualifies these participants to have access to a lot of work. One participant, who has 20 years of experience but needed a certificate, has now secured a contract with MIDUVI, a government organization that builds low cost housing, and has contracted four of his friends who were involved in our course.
Our training courses are specifically for people from communities most affected by the devastation of the earthquake. These members will now help us to identify future participants from their communities.
It has been less than four weeks since our training ended. We started with 20 participants in the training program and ended up with 17, three dropped out. (The next training session will be full with 32 participants because the first who were involved are recommending the program and are calling asking when it will begin. One has to understand that this first group really made a tremendous “leap of faith” to go off in a bus to an unknown destination in another part of the country and to an organization they had never heard of before. Their recommendations will fill the next course.) Of the 17, ten were from the community of Coaque that was completely destroyed. All from that village have jobs So as a direct result of the training and certification program 88% of the total participants are involved in work.
It is hard to imagine the emotion of these men as a result of the course. First, they said it was a wonderful advantage to have had the course at Yachana facilities, on the other side of the Andes Mountains from the coast, because it was a peaceful, secure area. In the areas where they live, there are aftershocks, some very strong, virtually every day! Second, since Yachana is located in a remote area of the rainforest, there are no distractions and they could concentrate on the project. Third, our program is a boarding situation and helped to create a sense of “family” between all the participants and the Yachana staff and many expressed interest to return with their families. Fourth, they felt good that they could participate on actual building projects that they could see from the beginning to the end. And fifth, many individually came to me as executive director of the foundation, to just say how much they appreciated the opportunity we were giving them. They said there was a tremendous amount of support that the area was receiving, but very few organizations had offered our more personalized, long term support.
Cknowledgements
- Global Giving Foundation – Donation and sponsorship (www.globalgiving.org)
- Arq. Fausto Moreno – Development of teching architectural plans (faustomoreno@yahoo.com)
- Mr. William Bessette – Photography (will.bessette@gmail.com) (Except “Graduation”)
- Mr. Todd Chapman – Ambassador of United States in Ecuador, for his personal and family visit
Godparents
GODPARENT | ACTIVITY | CITY
STUDENT |
Ing. Raúl Moreno H.
Jaime A. Cevallos |
![]() |
PORTOVIEJOSteven Acosta |
Ing. José Luis Alvarez Mayito Alvarez Palacio Israel Albán Patricio Mosquera María Pía Medina Erik Naranjo Andrés Naranjo
|
Cadena hotelera en el Ecuador |
BAHÍA DE CARAQUEZCésar Santos |
Eco. Carolina Pozo Anita Dávila |
|
COAQUEFulton Ride Canchingre Pether |
Photographic testimony
This is an alphabetical resume of the main activities of the course (Click at the picture to enlarge)
Picking up students
Activity: Alizado
Activity: Andamios y soportes
Activity: Apisonamiento
Activity: Armado de enconfrado
Activity: Bordes y aceras
Activity: Cableado
Activity: Caja de herramientas
Activity: Columnas y estribos
Activity: Construcción mixta
Activity: Distribución de materiales
Activity: Elaboración de herramientas
Activity: Empedrado
Activity: Encofrado
Activity: Enlucido
Activity: Enmallado
Activity: Estudio de suelos
Activity: Estudio del espacio
Activity: Excavación
Activity: Hilada
Activity: Mampostería
Activity: Manejo de herramientas
Activity: Manejo de insumos
Activity: Nivelación y trazado
Activity: Optimización de equipos
Activity: Plintos y cimientos
Activity: Preparación de materiales
Activity: Protección de la humedad
Activity: Teoría y motivación
Activity: Seguridad industrial
Activity: Trabajo en equipo
Graduation
Finished works
Miscellaneous 
Personal testimonies (Spanish)