SACKVILLE, N.B. — Julius Francois Comeau is excited to head out next spring on what he expects will be a once-in-a-lifetime, eye-opening experience.
The Mount Allison University student from Middleton, N.B. is bound for Ecuador, a trip he will be taking as part of a Volunteer Eco Students Abroad (VESA) program that provides him with the chance to combine an incredible overseas adventure tour with inspiring volunteer work.
Comeau said he first heard about the VESA opportunity earlier this fall during one of his university lectures and his interest was peaked. He said he had experienced first-hand what poverty in developing countries looks like when he visited his mother’s hometown in the Phillipines a few years ago.
“The living conditions were very poor, and people were struggling with garbage and lack of space,” he said. “There were squatters who lived in makeshift houses and contaminated waterways nearby. That experience makes me aware of how lucky we are to have basic necessities here at home that we take for granted like shelter and clean water. Since then I have been inspired to travel to different parts of our world to help those less fortunate.”
The two-week immersive travel experience will see Comeau, in his first week, live in a riverside jungle town, traveling daily by canoe to work with one of the indigenous Naporuna Quicha communities dwelling along the riverbanks.
The Naporuna Quicha people live in an area boasting the highest biodiversity in the world, including coffee, cocoa and exotic fruits. The villagers are subsistence farmers and hunters, who gladly share their wealth of knowledge about local medicinal and edible plants with VESA students. Yet, like all indigenous Amazon people, they face daily threats to their livelihood in the form of environmental pollution, forest destruction and mining and petroleum exploitation.
Comeau said he will be working with the community on various conservation initiatives, building projects and delivering English lessons to village children. Along with other VESA volunteers, he will be educating the community on matters of sustainability, health, and hygiene.
“I hope to gain a better understanding of the culture and lifestyle, and also gain a sense of fulfillment from helping those in need,” he said.
After a week of getting an immersive understanding of Amazonian village life and contributing to protecting it, Comeau is bound for a rewarding, culture-filled second week in the diverse Amazon.
He will embark on a jungle tour packed with night hikes, rafting, canoeing, and overnight camps in jungle lodges. Along the way, he will visit an Amazonian animal sanctuary and meet with a traditional Shaman, or witch doctor, before heading off to experience Ecuador’s high Andes in a local spa town.
“During the second week, our group will be taken on an adventure to experience authentic local culture, surrounding environments and exhilarating activities like few other tourists can.”
Comeau said he has always wanted to explore South America and experience its one-of-a-kind culture and history.
“I want to experience Ecuador because of how unique it is and because of how life there is so drastically different from ours.”
Comeau is responsible for raising sponsorship funds for his trip, which is set for May 30-June 13, to help cover the costs involved in participating in the program – including travel, lodging, food and materials required for the projects. His goal is to raise $2,500 and he has set up a GoFundMe page called Julius’s Amazon volunteer trip fund.
VESA director Tom McDowell says the rewards students gain from participating in VESA trump almost any other overseas experience.
“The efforts of students make a real, positive difference to the village people, who live in conditions that are hard and often lacking in basic amenities such as fresh running water or access to toilets,” said McDowell. “In working with these villagers, students gain access to true village life they would not get through any other travel projects. The reward of seeing the immense impact of their volunteer work on village lives and futures is incredibly fulfilling.
“And we make sure that the students’ second week on tour is a continuation of this eye-opening adventure.”
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