This paper describes the concept, training, and experiences of community facilitators as change agents in a nonformal education project in rural Ecuador. Presently, the social, economic, and political context of the rural Ecuadorian consists of poverty, racial prejudice, economic exploitation, and psychological dependency. The project attempted to address these imbalances by initiating a change process through the development of self-determination and education. Activities such as literacy, cooperative theory, and agricultural techniques were conceived as steps leading to social participation. Twenty-six communities were selected. Characteristics of facilitators included a moderate level of literacy, willingness, residence in the community, and acceptance by the majority of the community. Following training by the project staff, facilitators then trained second and third "generation" facilitators. Group sessions consisted of trust building, negotiation of community goals and objectives, team building, and problem identification and solving. Project games and literacy and numeracy teaching methodologies were also introduced. Problems encountered were based on community suspicion that the project was either communist or evangelist. The author stresses that the facilitator concept is one that cannot be discussed in terms of specific and pre-determined characteristics; it is not a pre-packaged training component, but depends on the qualities of a given community. (KC)