Julia Chediak
Who am i:
My name is Julia Chediak. I was born in Quito, Ecuador on May 3rd 2001. I have lived here for my entire life, and I have both sides of my family living in this country as well. Ecuador is a country which I feel proud to belong to due to its unique environments and diversity, not only in the land, but also within the culture. At the same times though, there are certain moments where I have had to stand up against my government and protest in the streets for decisions I do not agree with.
I am a person that has been brought up in 2 main cultures. My mom’s side of the family is very “quiteño” which is normally understood to be very close and having your life revolving around your family. In the other hand, my dad’s side of the family is Lebanese. This family is very food driven, and in contrast to my mom’s side of the family, our days do not revolve mainly in our family, but more around food. Although my families are from 2 opposite sides of the world, they have a lot of similarities, which is how I have been brought up. |
My family
My closer family is actually bigger than the “normal” family in Quito. My parents got divorced when I was 3, but they are like best friends and get along with each other. Both of my parents got remarried; my mom with Graeme, who is my stepdad from Trinidad and Tobago, and my dad with his Colombian wife Andrea. I now have an older brother, a half-brother (the fact that we do not share the same dad does not influence in anything in relation to my love towards him), and two stepbrothers. I love my family and would not change anything about it; it has made me who I am today and they are my biggest inspiration.
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I have been brought up in a house where helping others is not optional, and that you must learn how to get satisfaction from others happiness, even more if you helped them reach that happiness. This idea is what made me get involved with community service projects from a young age. My first big project was when I was 12 which was called “Fundacion Azulado” which got us involved with children that had been abused either mentally, sexually of physically by their own family members. When I started working with these kids, I realized that just by spending time with them and helping them find a better home, I was able to change their lives forever. This is when I got involved into a second project in Ecuador’s coast that had the purpose to build homes for people in a community, and spending time with the children.
When I first heard about Beyond Lagartococha, I was immediately interested in the project not only because of its amazing purpose of bringing education to an ethnic minority in my countries jungle, but also becuse it was completely driven and managed by students. Since I became part of Beyond Lagartococha’s second generation, I have had the opportunity to learn more about the Secoyas, their culture, their language and their loving people. I am incredibly grateful for having the opportunity to become part of this amazing project. The satisfaction I get by seeing this kids learn and grow is the best gift I could get in return. |
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