Author: Jay Shah

Jay Shah is a student journalist from Stony Brook University. He has worked at the Stony Brook Press and WSHU, a NPR affiliate. He is interested in foreign policy, podcasting and poverty reporting. The Journalism Without Walls program offered a unique opportunity to learn and report from Ecuador. The trip’s rapid pace moved from the Amazon Basin to the Andes to the heart of Quito. This constant change of scenery showed the wide range of landscapes and lifestyles in Ecuador. Spending five days with the Sapara Nation in the Amazon Basin showed how indigenous people are trying to compromise with the rest of the world, by creating local economies to raise their standard of living and provide a way to protect their land. The farming community in the Andes gave students an opportunity to live with a host family and experience their lifestyle. Students hiked in the surrounding mountainside, and participated in ceremonies to learn about their culture and traditions. The final part of the trip took the students to the center of Quito, where they got to explore the city and take part in the food culture. Journalism Without Walls in Ecuador was a completely unique experience that immersed students in the radically different lifestyles in Ecuador.