Trip Highlights
- Volunteer for street children in Ecuador in a local shelter that aims to help and raise over 100 children
- Participate in the center’s everyday tasks and do your bit for the continued functioning of the shelter care
- Some of the responsibilities include School visits to check attendance of the kids, helping with food preparation, and preparing recreational activities
- Opportunity to witness and live the local life of Quito and give back to its community
- Volunteers are free to explore the country during the weekends as work is carried out on weekdays for 5-6 hours
Overview
Overview
This project gives a second chance to the local street children and youth. Volunteers work in a non-profit organization for children who live or have lived on the streets. As a volunteer you can be of great help assisting the children with their homework, giving hygienic education, among other activities, and off course giving the children many hugs and attention. Many of these children have had a bad start to life such as being born to drug addicted parents, living on the streets, subjected to violence, abuse or neglect, made to work selling sweets in the street etc. One of the most important parts of a volunteer’s presence at the project is to empower the children and teenagers and this can be done just telling them a nice compliment, have fun with them with playing, art, music or sport. It is very important that they feel and realize that they are important no matter they background, race, economic or educational status.
The center helps over 100 children, although they do not all come to the center at the same time. Some come in the morning and other in the afternoon. All children receive a nutritious lunch at the center and they have to brush their teeth afterwards. The aim is to stress the importance of education as a way of breaking the circle and ensuring that these children do not fall for the same way of life and temptations that their parents did before them. With the help of funding and sponsors, the project pays to send the children to school and help out with any costs that the family may not be able to cover like school uniforms, books, materials etc.
The project created also work shops, like bakery and wood crafts. You can also share your talent with creating a work shop.
The pandemic changed a bit the daily activities; however, they remained active, helping in all the possible ways giving the circumstances prepare food packages and delivered them to 100 families that needed it the most. They did this until September 2021.
Nowadays the project is supporting around 60 kids to take online lessons, via zoom, so they continue receiving education and do not quite school, as the schools remain closed for face-to-face classes and of course they do not have internet access anywhere The children present at the project also receive help and support with their homework; most of their parents cannot help them. The Children still receive lunch, but with strict biosafety protocols, they do it in shifts.
Program Requirements
Program Requirements
Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project. Participants should have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. Volunteers need to be flexible, open-minded and have a passion for working with children. You should also be proactive and have the ability to take initiative All volunteers must provide a clean criminal background check report prior to joining the program. A beginner-intermediate level of Spanish would be an added advantage for the participants in the program.
Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities
Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities
- Help children with their homework
- Help with food preparation, especially during the lunchtime which can be very chaotic and busy
- Assist the youngest children and make sure they clean up after themselves.
- Help in the carpentry workshop
- School visits (the centre needs to keep a check on the children enrolled at school and regularly visit the local schools to ask about a certain child’s attendance, grades, ability etc.)
- Prepare recreational activities to be carried out when the children finish their homework or during their breaks
- Assist in hygiene education such as hand washing and brushing teeth-Supervise and assist children when they are allowed to use the I.T. room for their homework
Volunteer Work Schedule
Volunteer Work Schedule
Upon arrival in Quito you will have your Meet & Greet to discuss your expectations, rules of the project and how to move in the city. You will receive information on how to go to the project (walking distance) on the first working day, usually on Mondays.
Once you arrive at the project, you will have an orientation meeting where general information about the activities during the following days will be provided. It is also discussed what the expectations are and what talents and passions you want to use as a volunteer to contribute to the project with the aim that your time in the project makes an impact for the project and yourself.
Now is time to work… please take into consideration that not all the days will be the same, so your activities will be defined depending on the daily needs, we count on your flexibility to help at the project.
At midday, you will have a break for lunch, which is served at the project. This is a great opportunity for you to get to know the people of the community and their lives.
In the afternoon, you will continue with your duties until around 4pm. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy the city. For the following days, the schedule is similar, working from 7am to 4pm from Monday to Friday.
The coordinator will indicate you where you will be most needed, and of course if you have ideas, these are always welcome!!
This is a tough project so please be patient, your volunteer work is extremely valuable and helps to keep the project running. You will learn a lot and at times you may get frustrated of the way things work in Ecuador. Organization and the pace at which things run may be very different to what you are used to but please take into account that these are cultural differences that you should respect.
Show initiative that you are willing to work hard, be happy and motivated and you will get the most out of your time as a volunteer.
Living
Living
Volunteering Solutions is an established name for volunteering placements abroad. We ensure that all our accommodation and living standards match the requirements and comfort levels of our volunteers.
Airport Transfer
Volunteers would be picked up from the Mariscal Sucre International Airport by the VolSol staff or the in-country coordinator. Volunteers who are already present in Quito can arrive directly at the hostel accommodation.
Accommodation
Participants are provided dorm style accommodation in a centrally located hostel.Located in the heart of the historic center of the city, Masaya a boutique hostel in Quito in a charming colonial house, a mixture of the colonial and the urban, is the perfect place to explore the largest and best conserved historic downtown is all Latin America, sounded by the most interesting plazas and streets like La Ronda, Plaza Grande, Plaza de Santo Domingo, Plaza de San Francisco, El Panecillo, the Basilica Church and lots of museums. The hostel offers incredible and generous spaces, a large garden, bright and comfortable bedrooms, to ensure you experience and stay there is pleasant.
The hostel offers facilities such as Wifi internet, large garden, multimedia zone and a restaurant.
Orientation
Our local staff will provide a comprehensive orientation session for the volunteers. The orientation would cover information about your project, routes, and buses or public transport that you can take to reach your project site. You would come to know about the culture and practices of Quito, food habits, currency and more. On the first day of the project, our volunteer coordinator will accompany the volunteer to his/her project and show them how to use public transport to and from the project. On-site, the coordinator will introduce the volunteer to the project and the local project staff and help with basic induction.
Meals
Participants are provided with lunch at the project. Other meals can be taken at the hostel restaurant by paying directly. Meals are not included in the program.
During your Free Time
Quito offers a lot of things to do and it is full of nice places to see like parks, museums and plazas. Its large historic center is a great place to spend a couple of afternoons, visiting its historic plazas, churches, and beautifull colonial streets; you can also take the cable car to go up the Pichincha volcano, where you can have amazing views of the whole city. You can also visit the Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world), Pululahua volcano´s ctrater, and much more! During the weekends you can go to the rainforest, to the very popular Mindo town or north to the famous Otavalo indigenous town.
Dates
Dates
2024
2025
January
06
13
20
27
February
03
10
17
24
March
02
09
16
23
30
April
06
13
20
27
May
04
11
18
25
June
01
08
15
22
29
July
06
13
20
27
August
03
10
17
24
31
September
07
14
21
28
October
05
12
19
26
November
02
09
16
23
30
December
07
14
January
04
11
18
25
February
01
08
15
22
March
01
08
15
22
29
April
05
12
19
26
May
03
10
17
24
31
June
07
14
21
28
July
05
12
19
26
August
02
09
16
23
30
September
06
13
20
27
October
04
11
18
25
November
01
08
15
22
29
December
06
13
20
27
Past Date
Available
Unavailable
Filling Fast
Costs
Costs
Please Note: -An application fee of £179 is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment.
What are you Paying for?
- 24 hrs Assistance and support from staff
- Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
- Pick up from the airport
- Orientation
- Project Donation
- Lunch (served at the project)
- Accommodation in a nice and cosy hostel close to the project
- Day tour to Cotopaxi volcano (Bike Tour)
- Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost)
- Certificate Of Completion (Upon Request)
What's NOT included?
- Airfare
- Return Trip to Airport (Can be arranged at extra cost)
- Local Transportation
- Personal Expenses
- Visa Fees
- Meals
- Vaccinations
Reviews
Reviews
Frequently asked questions
FAQ's Application and Program Details
Flights and Visa
Health and Safety
Accommodation and Living
Connect with Past Volunteers
Still have Questions?
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