SUSTAIN  is a 2-week community sustainable building education program, designed for participants to live a life changing experience, learn about sustainable building while building a house in a poor and vulnerable area of Ecuador, and in doing so, giving an alternative housing solution for a family. 

 "Build a house. Build yourself" 

 If you are a problem solver, a keen learner, a passionate of sustainability and a change agent, this opportunity will contribute to your professional and personal growth, while you help a community develop.

1. Assist to a Bamboo building course:

•Take a theoretical-practical class on building with Bamboo

2. Build your own solar panels:

•And give a family and extra source of electricity  

3. Apply principles of “circular-economy” by using tetrapak-recycled materials for building:

•Factory visit.   

4. Build a bamboo house for a vulnerable family:

•In an area heavily affected by the earthquake of 2016 (in Esmeraldas).    

5. Solve community challenges through:

•Design thinking and Human Center Design workshop. 

•Participatory design workshop.  

6. Visit to local communities, their families and houses:

•Learn from them and about the general living conditions of the area. 

•Visit to local farms (cacao and chocolate farms and local handicrafts)   

7. Visits in Quito:

•Down town – UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity 

•Middle of the World city 

•Pichincha volcano 

•Tropical dance lessons   

8. Visit to Baños and Puyo:

•Amazon rainforest and waterfalls scenery. 

•“El pigual” – Guadua (bamboo) park   

9. Get to know others change-agents that care about:

•Poverty alleviation 

•Sustainable building  

* In order to secure a spot, the deposit (40% of total investment) is non refundable. All additional payments are refundable on its entirety.