Volunteering in a Children's Daycare Centre

Economically disadvantaged children attend the centre, and a volunteer's help is invaluable here. Volunteers tasks include playing, feeding, assisting with the acquisition of social skills and language development as well as helping children to do their homework. There is scope for volunteers to share any personal skills they have in music, dance or art.

Volunteering in a Children's Hospital

Volunteers are placed in one of Ecuador’s main public hospitals, often working with young patients generally from poor families. Tasks range from changing nappies and assisting with feeding to engaging with the children by reading, colouring and playing games. Volunteers may, if they wish, bring materials and create their own program for the children.

Working with the Elderly

We also need volunteers to help at a residential facility which houses both destitute elderly people and elderly residents with mental health and disability problems. The volunteer’s duties include cooking, assisting with feeding residents, reading and accompanying them on walks, doing handcrafts and playing games.

Volunteering with Disabled Children

Volunteers undertaking this project will contribute their time and energy to taking care of disabled children. The children live in a specialist home, but due to underfunding they receive minimal attention. Volunteers ensure that physical therapy, stimulation and care are provided.

Teaching English

Ecuador also offers volunteer teaching placements for native English speakers. Previous experience and prior training are not essential. English is widely taught throughout the country from primary school onwards. The special value of this work by volunteers is in delivering correct language usage from a native English speaker’s viewpoint.

Medical Volunteering and Internship

Based in a Quito hospital, clinic or care facility, volunteers will initially shadow doctors and other medical staff to gain an understanding of the day to day practice of medicine in Ecuador. They may then take part in various procedures (depending on their level of skill, experience and qualifications), assisting doctors and nurses. Volunteers can work in rotation, thus experiencing different medical fields.

Gender Volunteering (Two-month minimum)

volunteering EcuadorVolunteers can choose a placement at the women’s refuge where women and their children are housed, given medical attention and psychological assessment and treatment. Workshops on domestic violence, self-esteem, family relationship, sexuality, group work and other topics, are also held in these centres. Given the type of work volunteers will assist with a reasonably high level of Spanish is required for this program. Volunteers in Ecuador contribute according to their own experience and interests. Usually getting involved in the following: working with the children at the refuge alongside the psychologist, doing administrative tasks, such as assisting the social workers or attracting funds. Those who already have the relevant training may counsel the women directly.

Volunteering on an Organic Farm

Volunteers assist at a program located on the coast on an organic farm founded in 1994. The farm’s mission is to spread organic farming practices which make use of bio gas, solar power, composting systems, worm culture, water recycling, reforestation, permaculture and environmental tourism. The program is in the Rio Muchacho Valley, once a dense rain forest, which has since been cleared for agriculture. The farm has a meditation garden overlooking the river. The lifestyle is simple and ecologically-based.

Volunteers participate in general agricultural work such as sowing seeds, pricking, planting, weeding, pruning, creation and maintenance of gardens, compost making, harvesting, pest control, recycling of organic waste, simple construction, as well as feeding and caring for animals.

The working day is divided as follows: from 8am to 12pm general agricultural work is done; from 1.30pm to 4pm volunteers work on agreed individual projects according to their own skills and the farm’s requirements.

Volunteers on the farm in Ecuador work on Saturday mornings, but have that afternoon, all of Sunday and one other half day free. During this time they can fish for shrimp or learn one of a number of local skills. Included with the program are room and board in shared accommodation and three meals per day, mainly comprising vegetarian food.

Additional charges apply as follows: transfers to and from the main bus station in Quito - $20, (a one-way bus ticket - $12. One night’s hotel accommodation in Bahia - $10-15.

Conservation on the Galapagos Islands

The main goal of this program is to develop methods for restoring native species in the highlands of the San Cristóbal Island and on other islands in the future. The program assists a local Conservation Centre and aims to engage the local community with its conservation effort.

The native forests in Galápagos are shrinking due to farming activities and the introduction of such useful but invasive plant species as cinchona, cedar and blackberry.

The volunteer program focuses its activities on re-forestation, habitat restoration, organic agriculture, environmental education in local schools, centre maintenance and development. The residential staff organise the activities and give support to the volunteers.

A minimum commitment of two weeks is required for this program and the maximum stay is three months. Those interested in planning and developing projects should commit themselves to a three month stay. The work is out doors and physically demanding. The working week is Monday to Friday, 8 hours per day. The program includes accommodation in shared cabins and 3 meals per day.

Additional charges apply as follows: flight to the Galápagos - $460; National Park fee - $100. Migration card - $10. Transfer both ways to island - $20. Transfer both ways to the farm - $40.

Amazon Animal Welfare Program

Based at an animal rescue and rehabilitation centre in the Amazon jungle, volunteers work in partnership with an indigenous Quichuan community. The program's mission is to rescue wild animals from unhealthy and illegal situations, such as animal-trafficking and mistreatment. The groups of animals are mainly primates, birds, and reptiles. Volunteer programs of this type in Ecuador – dedicated to animal welfare – are scarce.

The centre has over 60 private hectares of prime Amazon forest within which some of the animals can live freely, while others are rehabilitated prior to release.

Volunteers need to be animal-lovers as well as physically fit. The work may involve opportunities to assist with teaching children or helping indigenous families to plant crops. A proportion of volunteer fees go directly into this community.

The working day is divided as follows: from 8am to 12pm general agricultural work is done; from 1.30pm to 4pm volunteers work on agreed individual projects according to their own skills and the farm’s requirements.

A minimum stay of two weeks is mandatory with this program. The working week comprises Monday – Friday 8am to 4pm and Saturday mornings from 8am to 11am, but volunteers have Saturday afternoon and all of Sunday free for leisure or travel. The program includes shared accommodation in a self-catering flat - volunteers can expect to pay about US$20 per week to buy their own food.

The following additional costs apply: groceries from the local market to be cooked among the flat-sharers - $20. Transfers from Quito Bus Station to the Project - $29. Volunteers on their return to Quito must arrange their own bus or taxi journey.

Amazon Environmental Program

Volunteers work at a Biological Station carrying out field research and education in the tropical rainforest region of the upper Napo River in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The station includes a reserve of 2,000 hectares, of which 70% is primary forest and the remainder secondary growth.

Although its principal objectives are the conservation and protection of the natural environment, the centre also works on improving the health, nutrition and livelihood of the surrounding communities. An interesting activity of the centre is researching of non-timber products to provide alternative sources of income and developing of reforestation models.

Volunteers in Ecuador are involved in activities including experimental silviculture, botanical garden and agro-forestry extension programs; working at an educational farm for local communities; assisting on a handicrafts extension program which includes weaving and Tagua nut carving, delivering natural history courses; constructing rural schools, and developing fish farms, native fauna production, as well as fruit and vegetable horticulture.

Accommodation in shared cabins and 3 meals per day are included.

The following additional costs apply: transfers from Quito Bus Station to the Project - $34-37. Volunteers on their return to Quito must arrange their own bus or taxi journey.

Community Development in the Andes

This program located in the Andes aims to improve the quality of life of the 43 indigenous communities represented, by building a fairer, more egalitarian multi-cultural society, reducing poverty, expanding the electoral participation of local inhabitants and strengthening social organisation. Volunteers in Ecuador participate according to their fields of expertise and interests. Activities include: helping with administrative work, apiculture, hydro-technical projects, environmental education, the production and sale of traditional products including handicrafts, as well as working on organic farms and supporting teachers at local community schools.

The following additional costs apply: transfers to Otavalo from where volunteers are collected - $20; the cost of any additional bus journeys or extra food is met by the volunteer.