Rebuliding after a fire tragedy

My name is Elizabeth Hendley

I didn’t think at 70 I would need to reach out and ask for help outside of my own circle but today I am reaching out to this wonderful community in the hopes I can continue with a project that has been close to my heart for many years and was recently devastated.

I arrived in Ecuador as a volunteer in 2008 for Jatunsacha and fell in love with the country, as an agricultural anthropologist I quickly saw the potential of carrying out a project that could not only be a learning experience but also endeavor to help the surrounding communities with employment and sustainable work.

Over the years we have grown in to large farm which has helped develop the growth of cacao, and educational tourism experience through the construction of a chocolate history center which has been the heart of my vision for this place providing a learning environment for local schools and tourists alike. Along with this history center guests and communities had the opportunity of seeing and being a part of the process of cacao production from source to tangible chocolate drink, chocolate itself and derivatives.

I have overcome multiple challenges of creating a project on this scale as a woman and foreigner in a foreign land, language and cultural barriers have not been easy however it did not dappen my enthusiasm in watching this project grow.

Before returning to Canada recently a fire broke out believed to have been caused by a camera installation an hour prior to the fire in my main facility which housed guest rooms and chocolate demonstrations, and has severely set me back as all my equipment, dining room, kitchen and teaching center was destroyed.

My new plan with the saved artifacts and exhibits will be to recreate the history center where all was lost, creating a new educational zone which will encompass agricultural education, history of chocolate, coffee and create new interest in medicinal plants and their conservation.

Any help is appreciated either by donation or sharing this to help me rebuild my dream, the collected donations will go towards a new roof and main concrete floors for the facility.

Thanking everyone in advance for their consideration.