A Week at EcoSwell
About the author: Isabel Sofia Vila ’25 is an FSI Global Policy Intern with Ecoswell. She is currently a student at Stanford University majoring in Earth Systems.
Arriving at the Talara airport I was unsure of what awaited me in Lobitos, where EcoSwell, the sustainability NGO I would be interning for, is based. It was a bumpy thirty-minute drive from the closest city as we drove through along the dry landscape, occasionally catching a glimpse of the ocean. Upon my arrival at the EcoHouse, which would be my home and office for the next two months, I was greeted by a dozen other interns that were all from different parts of the world. I was also given a tour of the house which included the garden, dry toilet, water tanks, kitchen, two cats, two chickens, and big communal office where everyone works together on their different projects.
As an NGO management intern, I get to work on a variety of projects. In my first week here, I’ve already learned so much about the challenges that sustainable development faces in rural areas. Some of my tasks have included creating social media content, monitoring a solar powered UPS system at the local medical post, conducting interviews with locals to develop a scholarship program, updating swell and tide charts for local fishermen, dry forest restoration, and organizing ecotourism workshops for the surrounding regions. The projects EcoSwell undertakes to help the local communities and ecosystems have a great impact. Everyone in the organization works hard and is passionate about the work they do, and communal living environment creates a collaborative working environment where everyone contributes their individual expertise. While interns work a lot and are always busy with exciting projects, we also get to have fun exploring Lobitos and the surrounding areas. The EcoHouse is a two-minute walk from the ocean, so we will often swim, surf, or play beach volleyball with the locals during lunch breaks or after work. I look forward to my time here at EcoSwell learning more about implementing sustainability goals in Latin America and exploring more of Peru.
