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Volunteer Experiences |
| Dave McCurdy - Feb 2008 |
| Beach Conservation Project "JAMA" |
I had a great time with both Ecuador Volunteer and Equinox Spanish School. The Clases were organizad and helped me learn Spanish very quickly and the afternoon excursions helped give me a chance to practice. The organization helped me a lot with my volunteer project as well. When the rains prevented me from working at are project, they provided me with lots of choices for alternatives projects. My time working the coast with the fisherman is an experience I will never forget. I learned so much about the people and hardships they forced, while at the same time making friends that will last a lifetime.
Thank you so much for such a great time, great friends and great experience that I will carry with me forever. |
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| Daniel Travis - January 2008 |
| Amazonian Community "Chinimp Tuna" |
I first worked with Ecuador Volunteer when I decided to spend some time volunteering in the cloud forests of the Alto Choco area. It was my first time to a South American country and I found that staff was very helpful both before, during and after my stay at my first volunteer project. They answered all my questions and responded to emails very quickly, something that I have found is not the norm in Ecuador.
They were very keen to hear back from my experiences and particularly interested to get feedback. They accepted criticisms in a very humble way and understood the importance of developing all there projects regardless of their success.
The actual experience was very rewarding and provided me with some good insights on 1. what life is like in Ecuador, 2. the problems (from an environmental and a social perspective) and 3. some solutions to the latter.
Although there services were not free I was more than pleased to be supporting a local organization as I soon discovered that many other organizations charge a lot more and are foreign owned.
Once I left my first project I decided to spend some time in the Amazon living with a Kichwa Shuar family. With them I set up a volunteer project which aimed to resolve some of their financial difficulties and provide assistance to the subsistence work they perform on a daily basis.
During my 6 month stay with this family, the team at Ecuador volunteer provided much needed assistance on how to start and develop the project. They also provided me with the necessary information and support for obtaining a visa, in Ecuador, a bureaucratic nightmare. Most of all, they provided, and still do, a constant dream of volunteers to the project even now that I am back in my home country. The family, who are not charged for the assistance and publicity they are provided with, maintain weekly contact with myself and Ecuador Volunteer and together we have managed to set up a project that provides the family with much needed financial and physical assistance whilst giving volunteers a meaningful experience in an indigenous context.
I believe that agency provide invaluable support to a range of indigenous people in remote places in Ecuador as they provide them and put them in contact with volunteers who might otherwise never learn about their problem or participate in their resolutions.
All in all i have had one of the best times in Ecuador and learnt as much about other people and myself. Whilst no always enjoyable, IO have gained invaluable insights into the difficulties faced by people living in Ecuador and have made long lasting friendships. |
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| Niels van Beelen - Netherlands - March 2007 |
| Alto Choco Reserve |
What a great experience were the last 14 weeks it went by incredible fast, too fast if you ask me.
During my stay here I learnt lots of new friends who I want to thank for making the stay here so pleasant.
The whole alto choco area is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and probably ever will see. The combination of plants and streaming rivers and densely populated forest is a great beautiful experience to see. I can recommend it to everybody.
Most of all I won’t forget the warmness of Milton and Ines they welcome everybody so warm it really feels like home. It was great fun to take part in this volunteer work here with this organization and it makes me feeling very good when I think back of the time here.
All who I met the last weeks thank you very much, and maybe I will return some day.
Greets,
Niels van Beelen |
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| Amanda Collett - England - March 2007 |
| Poor Children Care |
Having just completed a month at my project, I am so sad to be leaving! When I arrived back in Quito and I had a month before going home, I decided I wanted to do something with my time, so I contacted Ecuador Volunteer to see if they had anything for me to do. They were extremely friendly, helpful and efficient and quickly put me in touch with the Central Social Semilla, a small preschool organisation, which helps the poorest families with day care, so the parents can safely leave their children and work to support their families.
I was made to feel very welcome and quickly became part of the team. My work included helping at mealtimes, teaching in the classroom, playing with the children, and generally getting stuck in! The children were so lovely, and didn’t seem to mind my dreadful Spanish, playing and fun apparently can cross any language barrier! I learned so much about Ecuadorian life working at the centre. After a time I started to get to know the children, and learned about their lives, it was far more than just voluntary work to me, it taught me a different way of living. If you want to really experience city life in Ecuador and not just observe, I can think of no better way to do this than to work within the community in Quito. In the West we have so much and the children have so little, but it didn’t matter a bit, their sense of adventure and fun was what made this project so special to me and I will never forget their little faces or the fun I had.
My last day was very emotional and I was so sad to be leaving, but I feel very lucky that I found this project and spent some time there. I would like to say thank you to everyone at Ecuador Volunteer and the staff at the centre, who have made my last month in Ecuador so special. |
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| Luuk Arts - Netherlands - March 2007 |
| Alto Choco Reserve |
An unforgettable time for the rest of my life. The beginning in the first week was not so good because of our lost luggage. But the country and especially the Alto Choco reserve did forget this problem very fast. I love the country and the culture what did feel me very comfortable during the last three months.
Living in Alto Choco is one big adventure with every day new experiences. The most beautiful things in Alto Choco are the cloud forest with his waterfalls, rivers and plants. But not only the cloud forest is something nice, also the contact with other volunteers is perfect. I have now many new friends. And the contact with Milton, Alfredo and Ines is wonderful, I’ll never forget one of these people. I feel very sad leaving this reserve but it will be for ever in my mind. Thanks a lot people from Ecuador Volunteer but especially Milton.
We where here for a school project, redesigning the Botanical garden in Alto Choco. For 15 weeks we worked in the reserve on this project. And we liked it very much. I hope the plans we made are become real in the future.
I have nothing more to say, only that I´m sure I want to come back in the future for at least Ecuador or maybe for the Alto Choco reserve for say Milton and Ines hello.
Thanks a lot everybody for the great time,
Luuk Arts 25 March Quito |
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| Jana Karwinkel - Germany - Feb 2007 |
| Teaching English and Conservation |
When I had decided to do volunteering in South America I was very glad to find a competent organisation such as Ecuador Volunteer. Not knowing any Spanish they helped me with all occurring problems such as transportation from the airport, a hostal to stay at, Spanish lessons, a suitable volunteer project, and they always had a ear to lend me when it was needed.
My work at the local school close to the town of Aloag was great fun. The kids were so amazing, excited and interested in what I had to teach and tell them. Although my Spanish was not the best we still had a great understanding, which was a mixture of English and Spanish. So I could teach my school kids English, while they would correct my Spanish. Besides the normal school work we also started some ecological projects. We cleaned streets around the school and put up signs to tell the community in English and Spanish that the school would like them to help us keep those streets clean and beautiful. Thanks to the Hacienda La Alegria we got also some horses involved in our project which made it unforgettable especially for the children.
In addition to my wonderful experiences at the school I was able to live at the Hacienda La Alegria where the family of Gabriel Espinosa gave me a wonderful home. I was able to help out with the horses whenever I wanted and could enlarge my knowledge about Ecuador in various ways. I will miss those times a lot.
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| Mijanou Blech - Bristol UK - Feb 2007 |
| Poor Children Care & Street Children |
I’ve spent 3 months in Ecuador and two months volunteering with Ecuador volunteer. From my initial contact with them they have been a most helpful organisation and have been quick to respond with any information needed or queries I had . On my arrival I was picked up at the airport and taken to my accommodation, I felt very well looked after arriving in a new country with not much grasp of local language . The atmosphere at the agency is friendly and relaxed, and has a family feel to it. You are well looked after from the time you get here and you feel valued . I was very happy with both the projects I worked in: poor children care and street children project; and was able to choose times to volunteer around also learning Spanish . The time you spend here is flexible but to get the best out of it I would recommend that you volunteer for a minimum of 2 months. I would also highly recommend learning some Spanish before you get here to get the best out of the volunteer work and the people you will meet. I have had a wonderful experience here and can recommend Ecuador Volunteer very highly for their professionalism, and the care and attention they give you as a valued volunteer. |
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| Hillary Mefferd - USA |
| Amazonian Community |
Working with the Community of Santa Ana and living in the jungle was an amazing experience. Ecuador Volunteer, arranged everything for my arrival and gave me all the neccesary information. I felt well prepared in what to bring and what to expect from my volunteer experience. I taught English to the children of the community, helped with various projects within the community, learned lots of interesting and useful things about plant and animal life in the jungle, helped to cook the traditional foods (platanos, yuca, cheecha, fish, and chicken), participated in afternoon sports (soccer and volleyball), learned some Quichwa dance, songs, and words, and most importantly was able to be a part of the daily life there. I reccommend this project to anyone who is interested in a unique experience in a jungle community. |
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| Peter Clausen - Denmark |
| Poor Children Care |
"Why should one do volunteering with Ecuador Volunteer Foundation? Well, first of all, let's face the facts; volunteering is probably one of the fastest, and definitively cheapest, ways to improve your Spanish skills. Second, and that's the real point that you won't really realize until returning to your home country; besides improving your human skills in a different culture, getting self confident handling surprisingly new and exciting situations and achieving unique skills for a future carreer, you'll actually get to improve the life of a handfull of children. Depending on your skills but, most importantly, your efforts, you will have the chance to really do a difference for a change in your life.
Imagine... It cannot be described, you should just take a deep breath and sign up for volunteering, ok? Besides, Ecuador Volunteer rocks! The staff is highly skilled and experiences working with foreign volunteers. This means that they will accept you as you are and give you quite a freedom to choose where you can do the most but, at the same time, they will always be there for your in every sense. I can so much recommend doing volunteering!"
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| Martin Omischl - Austria |
| Elderly Care |
I have worked 8 weeks in Quito in the old people’s home called “plenitud ciudad de la alegria”. Now, after passing these 8 weeks, I can say, it was one of the best times in my life.
I came to Ecuador without speaking any Spanish and only with a little experience as far as the care of old people is concerned. I didn’t really know, what to expect, so I just jumped into this adventure. The first 2 weeks in Quito I took Spanish lessons, just to know the basics of this language. With these basis language skills I have started to work. At the beginning I had some problems understanding what the people were saying but all the people living in the home treated me quite nice and showed understanding for my language problems – more, they started to teach me new words and how to use them correctly and so I had the best teachers, I ever could imagine.
Most of the residents are lonely, their children are occupied with work or even forget them. I tried to make them forget that they are living in an old peoples home: I have talked a lot with them, they told me their life stories and taught me a lot more than the language: they taught me how real life works – things, no teacher in no school teaches. You can learn these lessons only by facing real life on your own or listening to people, who have already done this.
As a volunteer I didn’t get paid money, but in reality I got paid more, than any money could do: they gave me their love, a kiss, a warm handshake, a piece of bread saved from breakfast or a bright laugh. And that is, at least in my opinion, the best and the most you can earn when doing this kind of work.
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| Erica van den Berg - Netherland |
| Elderly Care |
CEAM is a walk-in daycentre for elderly (55+) people. The main aim is to provide medical attention and recreational activities. As a volunteer you can do or organise activitites with small groups, depending on your skills, initiatives and qualifications. Activities that are organised are, for example: arts and crafts, music and dance, gymnastics, cooking classes and organic garden classes. The centre is excellent and working very hard to develop more activites and promotion. I worked for two months in CEAM. I taught English classes three times a week and international cooking classes. At times I went with a group of people to outings ( e.g. to a movie). Every day I met many different people. I talked with them regularly. The people were very friendly and I learned a lot about the people and costums in Ecuador. If you want to work In CEAM it is necessary to speak/understand Spanish quit well, because nobody speaks English. This is especially important if you want to work independently with a group. I enjoyed my time in CEAM very much. It was an experience, never to forget.
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| Brian Gattis - USA |
| Street Children |
This project is a great opportunitty to reach out to those who are less fortunate, andto become immersed in a completely different culture.
Come into this project, I was afraid that I would not gain the trust and respect necessary for teaching, because of my skin color, nationality and intermediate Spanish ability. This was evident in the first week, but I remained pacient and calm, and soon the children began to treat me as a friend and respect my knowledge as a teacher. The frustration that I felt for not being able to communicate well with then in Spanish was completlely overshadowed by the satisfaction a felt teaching a child something new in a given subject. Though the children fought often, they were all genuine and friendly on the inside, and I will miss them so much.
I recommend this project to even the most elementary of Spanish speakers, because no matter what your level is, the experience is so rewarding. |
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| Bayley Laurence - USA |
| Street Children |
Working with the street children was one of the hardest things (mentally) have everdone, but also the best. It was rewarding every day when the kids confided in me or just gave me a really long hug. Leaving will be very hard. I wish I could saty for more than a month, because they finally trust me and listen to me.
It was an extremely rewarding receive more sincere gentle love than I ever imagined possible what the kids need, more tan anything really is constantcy and love. They are intelligent and wonderful kids who have had absolutely terrible lives. All their problems are directly due to bad childhoods. They need people to let them see that the world really can be an okay place. They are still young and endlessly hopeful, so a little love goes a long way.
They are the most resilient creatures you could ever meet, and fun and beatiful and sweet besides. They are actually really incredible.
Certainly I learned more from them than they did from me.
I reccommend this project to other volunteers because the project needs as many volunteers as it can get !
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