"CHANGING LIVES "
VOLUNTEER WORK ABROAD IN SOUTH AMERICA

Ecuador Volunteer, is a non-profit organization that offers volunteer work opportunities abroad in social, environment, educational and community areas around Ecuador.
The main objective of our programs is to offer an experience of cultural exchange, as each one of our projects looks for work of brotherhood and help with local people. We design alternative solutions for the problems of these sectors, contributing both to the construction of new hopes and a better world.


"Right before your eyes is the chance to change
the lives of many with thanks to being part of
Ecuador Volunteer"




SOCIAL VOLUNTEER PROJECTS

1.STREET CHILDREN
This program currently cares for approximately thirty children, but provides meals and an education for 100 poor children from the ages of 5 to 17 each day. The main purpose is to give help to the children who have left school to work.

Volunteers are needed to teach the children basic life skills, such as bathing and eating. In addition,
volunteers are needed to teach computer skills, maths and English. There are also opportunities to teach recreational activities, games, sports, art and excursions. Volunteers will also be asked to help "collect" children sleeping on the streets and take them back to the center.
Volunteer work activities The principal activity of the volunteer is to help the children with their homework. In addition, the volunteers will help the children with personal development.

The volunteers will stay in the volunteers apartment and host families.


2. CHILDREN PEDAGOGIC RECOVERY

This project seeks to overcome the challenges to knowledge, intellectual capacity, ability, and skills experienced by unprivileged children.

Volunteers have the option to work in one or more of seven important areas: six that serve to improve the pedagogic ability of the children and one that helps the parents to improve their affection toward their children.

Volunteer work activities:
* Arts Workshop: Drawing, objects modeling, recycle paper making, painting material and more.
* Corporal Expression Workshop: Theater, juggler’s show, juggling, dance and ballet.
* Music Workshop: Construction of instruments using recycled materials, the development of vocal sound, sound identification, and more.
* Visual Arts Workshop: Teaching the children to use a digital camera, graphic software, photography, and more.
* Cultural Workshop: Organization of outings with the children to museums, the movie theater, picture
exhibits, walks, and the theater. among others.
* Workshops for the parents: assisting the parents as they learn to improve the demonstration of their affection for their children. Activities include corporal expression, conferences, yoga, Tai-Chi, relaxation, and more.
Accommodation
The volunteers will stay in the volunteers apartment and host families.



COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

3.CAYAMBE "Santo Domingo Community"
The Santo Domingo community is located in the Province of Pichincha, Cantón Cayambe is about 1 hour 30 minutes away from Quito. It is 2300 – 4800 meter above the sea level and it has a temperature of 13-16 Co. The principal income of this community is agriculture, crafts selling, stock farming and cheese production.

The community of Santo Domingo want the help of volunteers to organize the promotion and making of the crafts. The commercialization of lacteal products as cheese is needed in the community as well. The milk is obtained in the farms with traditional methods. In addition, they want to receive help with their agricultural production, and construction of infrastructure in the community.

Volunteer work activities:
* Help in the construction of a craft workshop.
* Promotion of crafts and the lacteal products as cheese
* Create workshops for the community in management, control and protection of the natural resources
* Reforestation of the primary forest
* Help in the growth of agricultural products
* Teaching English for kids
* Help in the construction of the infrastructure of in the community
* Production of cheese
* Establish community work and activity schedules

While the participants take part in the volunteer work they will have the possibility to stay with families of the
community or to have their own accommodation. In both options, the volunteer receives 3 meals a day.


4. CHACAPATA
Chacapata is a town located to the Northwest of Ecuador, 3 hours from Quito. 45 families live in
Chacapata, most of them are farmers, and have sugar cane crops and guadua (bamboo)
plantations.
Altitude: 950m
Volunteer work activities:
* Work with women in a organic garden
* Help to build a new house for volunteers in Ñamparca farm (materials from the area as guadua "ecuadorian bamboo", wood, palm leaves, etc.)
* Learn and cultivate sugar cane
* Make brown sugar and sweets
* Teach English (for those who are interested)

We have three host families who receive volunteers, and treat them as part of their family. This also enables you to practice your Spanish.


5.YUNGUILLA

Yunguilla is a community located in the Andes, about one hour away from the capital of Quito (two hours with public transportation). Yunguilla has 50 families, and 45 families have formed an association to produce some products such as marmalades, cheese, organic products, recycling paper, and Ecoturism. Altitude:1400m-2800m

Volunteer work activities
Each volunteer receives a agenda of the activities for the period that the volunteer is going to stay in the community. The following activities might be part of the agenda:
* Vegetable garden: Activities are sowing, cleaning, harvesting, and all other tasks which are related to the maintenance of and production in the vegetable garden of the women's group. In the garden at least two women always work, as well as the promoter of the forestation project.
* Marmalades: Assisting in production of jams.
* Recycled paper: Assisting in the process of designing and making the paper "ecocards".
* Teaching English: Teaching elementary aged children, guides and high school English.
* Community property "Tahuallullo": Participating in the construction of paths, camping area, recreation area and other work related to the infrastructure of the land, as well as maintenance of the installations. The coordinator of the ecotourism project manages all these activities.
Family farms. Farming tasks and tasks related to the forestation project, in the farms of the community members. This work is coordinated by the forestation promoter, with the input of the family members.


ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS


6. NANEGAL ALTO
The reserve is a 6,000-hectare privately owned and managed nature reserve, surrounded by
14,000 hectares of “protected forest.” Eighty percent of Nanegal Alto, consists of steeply-
sloped, undisturbed cloud forest. Covering four different life zones ranging from 1,200 to 2,800
meters above sea level, the Reserve houses a tremendous diversity of flora and fauna.

Volunteer work activities
* Develop "educational" activities for tourists.
* Help with reforestation of selected areas.
* Growing vegetables and fruits at FASA (Finca Autosuficiencia Alimentaria) Self Sufficiency Nutritional Farm, those products will be for the eco-lodge,local people, and tourists who want to buy them.
* Help is also needed with the maintenance and construction of buildings, bridges and paths through the forest.
* Individuals are encouraged to develop their own project and carry out research.(biological subject, specific studies)

While the people participate in the volunteer work, they will stay at Sta. Marianita community, there is a training center house. It ́s made of guadua (bamboo) and other native materials from the area. There are two spacious rooms with four bunk beds, three sharing bathrooms.


6.LAGO VERDE / AMAZON JUNGLE

This project is located in the Amazonian Rainforest, in Orellana, canton Joya de los Sachas about 8 hours away from Quito city by car and then 45 minutes away from Coca city to the community. It is sited between Napo and Coca rivers. This place don't have electricity and the water is taken from a hole. The temperature is 25oC to 30oC.

Five families work with this project, most of them are farmers, fishers and want to develop the tourism in the area. The first day you will know your new family and the project and the second day you are going to have a schedule of different activities that you will do while you volunteering in this project, it will be 8 hours per day, and volunteers have a free time on weekend. You will have a time to relax, go to the rivers, paint, talk to local people, practice some sports, travel to near areas.

Volunteer work activities
* Visiting farms of the community, orchids, humedales, lakes, Gator Island, Piraña river and "Coca" city.
* Investigation in the primary and secondary rainforest about flora and fauna.
* Farming tasks and tasks related to the forestation project, in the farms of the community members.
* Participating in the construction of paths and other work related to the infrastructure of the land, as well as maintenance of the installations.
* Community Capacitating.
Teaching elementary aged children, guides and high school English.

Accommodation
For lodging there is a volunteer house near from family house of project for 4 volunteers. Meals are prepared and served by women from the family and you can help to cook the food with the family and be a part of the cooking group.



7. ORONGO - "Research Farm"
Orongo is a research farm where you will learn about all process of coffee plantation, banana
plantation, citrus fruits, native trees, cloud forest.
All the researchers started 3 years ago. They are very open to making new agricultural studies.
Altitude: 1200m - 1600m

Volunteer work activities
* Taking care of coffee plants
* Plant Seedlings
* Take care of sugar cane, banana, and coffee plantations
* Collecting data from insect traps (how many, which species they are)
* Monitoring the plagues threatening coffee and banana plantations
Collect ripe coffee fruits (seasonal time)

Accommodations
There is a house with three rooms, with 2 bunk beds in each room, two shared bathrooms, and showers. The
administrator's wife is the cook and makes delicious dishes from the area (vegetarian food). The kitchen and
the dinning room are shared with everybody.
Communication: internal radio


WHAT TO BRING

Ecofriendly bugs spray - towel - lantern - batteries/ matches - raincoat -rubber boots - labor gloves - shampoo - sunblock -first aid kit - ecofriendly soap (wash clothes) - swimming suit - sandals - warm jumper - long sleeves, and t-shirts colors like brown, green, blue, beige - warm sweater - lot of socks - camera -binoculars - earplugs if a light sleeper - books


WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM
.Transfer from the airport
.Guide information
.Transfer to the projects
.Assistance at every moment

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
.International airfare
. Airport departure taxes.
. Personal Internet time
. long-distance phone calls
. Personal faxes
. Costs FOR VISUM AND VACCINATIONS (when needed)
. All participants need to have travel insurance during their stay here Ecuador.


ACCOMMODATION SYSTEM
Every project has their accommodation service for the volunteers. It depend of every kind of project. The following are the different accommodation option that the volunteer can find while they volunteering in any project:


ACCOMMODATION IN QUITO
The volunteers have two options about accommodation, they can live with a host family or in a volunteers apartment.

-SHARED OPTION:
Ecuador Volunteer, offer to the volunteers a alternative of living in a volunteer´s appartment where the volunteers will live with other volunteers and they will share the room with other volunteer. The cost is $250 USD for month.
The apartment is located in the North of Quito and it is conformed for a kitchen, a dinning room, a bathroom, a living room and three double rooms. The volunteers can prepared their own food in the kitchen. You will have the opportunity of learning and sharing the other cultures and meet new friends. This option is only for the projects located in Quito.
SHARED OPTION DOES NOT INCLUDE: Food ,laundry service and clean service.


-PRIVATE OPTION:
The volunteers can stay with a Ecuadorians host families where they will have the opportunity to learn and know more about the culture of our country. The families are located in a safe neighborhood in the North of Quito about 20 minutes away to the projects. The cost of this service is $500 USD for month.
PRIVATER OPTION DOES INCLUDE: Accommodation in a host family with private room, three meals daily from Monday to Saturday,laundry service, clean service.


ACCOMODATION AT THE COMMUNITY AND ECOLOGICAL PROJECTS

The volunteers can stay with a families of the community or in a volunteer´s house, the cost of this service is depending the project that the volunteer choose. If you need more information , you can see the description and cost of every project.
Program fees include: Accommodation in a host family or volunteer´s house, all meals,clean service.


CONTACT US FOR INFORMATION AND RESERVATION

Contact: Sandra Navarrete
1200 Brussels
Mob: ++ 32 (04)94486164
E-mail: sandra@ecuadorgallery.com