Interns in Action SUMMER INTERNSHIP 2003             Simon Pillarella - HEC, MSc student Hi everybody, Sorry if I have been late to get in touch with all of you. We say "mieux vaut tard que jamais" (better later than never?), no? I am presently in Quito, Ecuador, to help a network of local producers of medical plants. The project, in partnership with the "Centre Canadien d Etude pour la Cooperation Internationale" (CECI), started a couple years ago and involves almost 1000 families. Even though the project has had a lot of success in reducing poverty and in helping the locals ensure a high degree of autonomy, there are still major problems in implementing a more efficient means of producing and supplying products requested by local and foreign markets. Recently, the national corporation of export (CORPEI) has chosen to focus on the development of Ecuador's key exports, in which medical plants were included. Since then, they have tried to reinforce the network of local producers to boost the supply to foreign markets. My job is following that line, as I have to build a global diagnosis of the industry's weaknesses. I hope you re all enjoying your projects as much as I am. As I am working on a very interesting project, I am learning Spanish and discovering an incredible country. Que todos les vayan a bien y hasta la proxima. Simon Pillarella