Volunteer Overseas in Ecuador

A peaceful, democratic nation of 12 million people, Ecuador is the ideal country in which to experience Latin American culture. It is a multi-ethnic and multicultural nation with over 14 indigenous groups living on the mainland, maintaining their own traditions and ways of life.

In spite of its substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas, over 70% of the Ecuadorian population lives below the poverty line. Join one of our community service projects in Quito or in rural Ecuador, and give yourself the opportunity contribute to the lives of the underprivileged and the protection of the environment.

Xu Bo works with Volunteers for International Partnership (VIP) for our Ecuador program. They are a highly-respected and experienced international volunteering organization and will take very good care of you. They, in turn, use the services of EIL Ecuador, another top-notch volunteer placement organization.

Meet and Greet

Upon arrival of your flight in Quito, you will be met and welcomed at the airport by your host family. If arriving on a Saturday or Sunday, you will spend a day meeting family members and having a taste of Ecuadorian life. On the following Monday your family will take you to the EIL Ecuador office where you will be greeted by the Director of our Spanish Center who will also interview you to determine your Spanish level, needs and interests, introduce you to your teacher, and help you begin your first classes.

Orientation

After classes this first day, you will meet with Myriam, the EIL Ecuador Volunteer Coordinator for an hour of cross-cultural orientation. Together you will discuss your first impressions of the homestay to process this initial immersion experience and how best to enjoy living in Ecuador with a family. Practicalities such as health and security measures, transportation system, staff to contact in case of emergencies, procedures regarding classes, volunteer work, and the homestay will be covered too. You will also receive an orientation packet covering the points discussed and other useful information. Later on during the first month you will have a more extensive orientation to volunteer work in Ecuador and have opportunities to visit some host projects in Quito to help you decide where you would most like to be placed and where your skills and experience can have the most impact.

Intensive Spanish Course

Your Spanish course takes place during the first month of the program for a total of 80 hours of individual one-to-one classes to enable you to gain a working knowledge of the language as quickly as possible. Classes are from 08:30 to 12:30 Monday through Friday with a 30 minute coffee break and snack mid-morning. You will find that our encouraging and experienced teachers know how to adapt to your learning style (not everyone learns a language in the same way!) and to develop your confidence and skills in using the language.

Excursions

Once a week during your course you and your teacher will visit places of interest in Quito where you can practice your Spanish in spontaneous situations. Some of these places may be museums, street markets, and Quito's spectacular colonial churches inlayed with Incan gold. Before the excursion you will prepare for this activity in class. An all day excursion is programmed during your course to one of many Andean sites such as the hot baths of Papallacta at the foot of Mt. Antisana, the Mindo Cloud Forest for trekking and rafting, or Mt. Cotopaxi, Ecuador_s most active volcano.

Other activities

Talks on different aspects of Ecuadorian life and culture, special activities such as learning to dance to Ecuadorian and other Latin American rhythms, celebrating traditional holidays, preparing typical Ecuador food are offered twice each week.

Homestay

During your Spanish program you will live with an Ecuadorian host family- an excellent way to learn about Ecuadorian life and to practice the language. EIL Ecuador's host families have a reputation for being warm and fun-loving, making it easy for you to feel right at home. Our Homestay Coordinator in Quito, Tere, carefully selects our host families and is in touch with both you and the family during your stay. Your family will welcome you upon arrival and treat you as a family member. We will keep in touch with you throughout your stay to assure that you and your host family have a rewarding homestay experience. If your volunteer service is in Quito, you will continue to live with the same family.

Volunteer Service

Following language training and orientation you'll join your host project to begin your volunteer service which can last from 2 to 10 months, depending on your schedule. In areas outside of Quito, accommodations will probably be with a host family that is arranged by our Local Coordinator but in rural areas such as a reserve in the cloud forest, you will stay and have meals at the volunteer quarters of the host project or at any other adequate arrangements made by the host project with costs covered by EIL Ecuador. Our Volunteer Coordinator will be in touch with you and your host project periodically during your community service and you can call her at any time to report and talk about any concerns.

Some typical host projects include:

	Assisting in a day-care center for underprivileged children or infants
	Working with street children
	Tutoring underprivileged children in after-school programs
	Assisting with conservation projects in national parks and natural reserves
	Working with handicapped persons

To Apply or Learn More

To learn more about volunteering in Ecuador, please fill out the form below by filling in the provided fields, and then pressing the Send button. Please be sure to provide your correct email address - you will receive automatic confirmation email shortly and we will respond to your request as soon as possible.

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