First blog from Licto
By Kim Eweg (Master students exchange programme, cohort of 2024-2025)
Hola! It’s been only a month here, and I’ve already seen, done, heard, smelled, tasted, and felt so much. Ecuador is a stunning country in South America, where multiple climates coexist in a relatively small space: the coast with pristine white beaches, the towering Andes mountains, and the mysterious Amazon rainforest.
For the next three months, I’ll call Ecuador home while working on my master’s thesis for Wageningen University. My research focuses on the organization of a local irrigation system in the village of Licto. Licto sits high in the Andes mountains with jaw-dropping views of the Chimborazo volcano.
The village is primarily home to Indigenous Kichwa people (80% of the population), whose agriculture relies on the Guagalla River. Historically, the irrigation system reflected deep inequalities, with mestizo elites controlling the water supply and exploiting the Indigenous population. Women, in particular, faced systemic violence, lacked autonomy over land and work, and were often forced into domestic servitude.
In the 1990s, courageous women led an uprising, despite resistance from elites, the church, and the majority of men in their community. They formed networks, partnered with an NGO, and established a democratic system where leaders represented each neighborhood, reclaiming rights to land, water, and a voice. In my research, I’ll delve deeper into these events. I want to understand: what drove these women? How did they persevere? And as important, what has happened since then? How have these changes impacted their position in the village, younger generations, and how do they view their roles in the community today? Spoiler: I have a feeling its complicated.
I have already wandered around Licto and I have to say it felt weird. Very special to be in the village I heard and read about a lot of course, but also strange. Now I am here and then what? What is my actual drive to be here, what can I actually do? Because I am just another student who comes and goes, listens, writes in her notebook, and leaves again.
I keep asking myself, what can I truly give back? Who am I to ask about their struggles, as I perhaps in the Netherlands would not even dare to ask my own friends? Right now, I don’t have an answer. But what I hope to take with me is their courage—the kind that sparks when people stand up against oppression. That critical moment when people move against the stream, a fire from within, a fire which questions power structures.
On a lighter note, the sun shines here every day, though the altitude makes it quite cool. The mountains in the background give me a sense of peace, and fresh fruits and vegetables are in abundance. Estoy emocionada por los próximos meses! Let’s see what this journey has in store—besides a few more existential crises, of course.
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