10 RECOMMENDED SITES FOR VOLUNTEERING IN ECUADOR-SOUTH AMERICA

“The secret to living is to give. No matter how busy or broke you are, you always have something to offer others. A lot of people miss out on knowing that their life makes a difference, but they do.”

Tony Robbins

Tucked in between Peru and Colombia, this country is small enough for you to have breakfast with scarlet macaws in the jungle, lunch in the lee of a snow-capped peak and, at tea time, be eyeballed by an iguana whose patch of Pacific beach you have just borrowed.

A multitude of national parks and conservation areas emphasize the incredible variety of Ecuador. They include mangroves; an avenue of volcanoes – many of them active – striding across the Equator; forests growing on the dry Pacific coast, in the clouds and under the Amazonian rains; not forgetting all the animals and birds which flourish in these habitats. In fact, as Ecuador is one of the richest places in the world for birds, with some of the planet’s most beautiful species, the country is a prime birdwatching destination.

Volunteering in Ecuador while you are learning Spanish, or once you have finished your studies, is a great way to not only immerse yourself in the language, but also offers the chance to experience and learn about a new culture as well as give something back to the people and places you are visiting.

Below you will find links to information about the grass-roots organizations and communities that we collaborate with in Ecuador on our mission to promote sustainable development. You can volunteer in Quito or Cuenca while you study Spanish, and volunteer in projects all around Ecuador afterwards, including on the Galapagos Islands.

1.) FUNDACION CASA VICTORIA

Fundacion Casa Victoria are a group of people sharing life together with the less privileged community of San Roque and its surrounding neighborhoods in the Historic Center of Quito, Ecuador.

The vision of the Casa Victoria Foundation is to be a safe, affective, and appropriate environment for low-income boys and girls in the area, whom we support academically, intellectually, emotionally, and especially spiritually.

The Foundation always try to achieve these objectives with the boys and girls:

Casa Victoria has opened its doors to more than 4,000 volunteers, both daytime and resident, since 2001. Their work has been one of our fundamental pillars to be able to maintain our work year after year. They have several agreements with institutions who send their students to volunteer at this foundation. There are two types of volunteers: daytime and resident.

The daytime volunteer assists from 2 to 5:30 in the afternoon and provides support at different stations or in activities in which help is required. The resident volunteer is the one who stays to live in Casa Victoria permanently, under the rules of the foundation, with basic services such as water, electricity, internet and daily food. Experiencing community coexistence with the owners of the foundation, its staff volunteers, children and their families. At the same time, you can see up close the daily life of one of the less privileged sectors of the historic center.

If you want to be part of the Casa Victoria team, you can send an email to [email protected]

2.) FUNDACION CUSUMBI

Fundación Cusumbí was legally born in 2019 with a mission to conserve the diverse and fragile ecosystems of the Galera Peninsula – San Francisco in the province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Their main goal is to educate children and teenagers through workshops and activities, to raise awareness about the importance of respecting all beings of nature, and to protect the surrounding forests and beaches.  and beaches.

One of Cusumbí’s priorities is to promote the education of children and teenagers in the area, with the support of local and international volunteers, through theoretical-practical workshops linked to activities that are in connection with nature and that can improve life opportunities. r the education of children and teenagers in the area, with the support of local

Their vision is to create sustainable communities, where new generations have the opportunity to be fully educated and where the population maintains a harmonious relationship with nature. In recent years, they have been working with other local organizations to strengthen sustainable enterprises to build a development model in balance with nature. Some examples are regenerative agriculture, community tourism, sea turtle rescue, bio-construction, recovery of ancestral knowledge, eco-tourism and crafts.

They have projects in:

Marine Conservation protecting sea turle nests through – Quingue and Galerita beaches.

Environmental Education– One of Cusumbí’s priorities is to contribute to enriching the education of children and young people in the area through theoretical-practical workshops linked to activities that are in connection with nature and that can improve life opportunities.

Agroecology/permaculture, bio-construction (bamboo), marine biology, eco-tourism, crafts… These are some examples of activities for the communities of the Galera Peninsula – San Francisco to achieve an alternative development model that is in harmony with mother Earth.

Regenerative Agriculture– The conservation of the last remnants of tropical rainforest by the sea in Ecuador, which are present in the Galera – San Francisco peninsula.

To do this, we work on two fronts:

​ The promotion of regenerative agriculture and permaculture with allies such as the Network of Seed Guardians of Ecuadorand Terra Genesis International(TGI), as well as organizations of small producers of fine aroma cocoa (ECOCACAO and UOPROCAE).

  1. Construction of a conservation proposal with a focus on landscapes and micro-basins with the support of the 1000 landscapes platform and TGI. The goal is the creation of the Galera – San Francisco Conservation and Sustainable Use Area (ACUS).

INPC Projects- In the year 2021 the National Institute of Cultural Heritage (INPC)  financed 100 projects to rescue knowledge and food sovereignty throughout Ecuador. The project “Rescue of artisan techniques for the elaboration of utensils and tools of an ancestral coastal cuisine”, presented by Fundación Raíz in alliance with Fundación Cusumbí, was one of the favored ones. With the support of Caemba, they carried out bio-construction workshops to build a ramada with a stove, an efficient wood stove, a clay oven and two inns, all with materials from the environment. In addition, pottery and handicraft workshops were held in mate and bamboo, with the participation of residents of the different communities of the Galera-San Francisco peninsula.

The ramada is located on a beautiful piece of land facing the sea on Quingue beach, which was given as a loan to Cusumbí for a period of 10 years (renewable) to work with children and youth from the Quingue parish and surrounding communities.

To volunteer and find more about internship programs in this area, please visit the following website link: https://www.cusumbi.org/volunteerprogram

3.) HEALTHCARE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN ECUADOR

This important project was created with the goal of assisting in the provision of essential medical treatment to vulnerable residents in Quito. In this program volunteers will be based in a large public hospital in Quito, providing free healthcare to local residents. Volunteers shadow and observe doctors and other medical staff to gain an understanding of the day to day practice of medicine in Ecuador.

This program allows volunteers to work on a weekly rotation through departments, thus experiencing the different and often challenging aspects of the medical field. The Medical Volunteering and Internship Program is ideal for med and pre-med students. Medical professionals are also welcome with the understanding that they will be limited in their capacity to physically contribute and in most cases will be primarily observing and shadowing.

Goals of this Project:

This volunteer program provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for medical students to monitor, observe and help where appropriate, gaining a great deal of experience and observation time. For experienced medical professionals the program offers the extremely rewarding opportunity to share their knowledge and skills to help those in need in a developing nation.

Volunteer placements are available across departments including emergency, pediatrics, gynecology, physiotherapy, neonatal and more.

Volunteers contribute in a number of ways on the program and can expect to undertake the following tasks:

Participants on this program need to provide white scrubs and shoes (or purchase them on arrival) and a passport photo for the hospital I.D

This project is available year-round and programs start every SUNDAY. Volunteers can choose to participate for periods ranging from 1 week to 8 weeks. Longer stays can be arranged directly with the local team, but will be subject to availability and individual visa conditions.

For program and registration fees and other additional information and application, you can visit the following link: https://www.lovevolunteers.org/destinations/volunteer-ecuador/medical-internship-quito

4.) PET RESCUE PROGRAM PAE (PROTECCION ANIMAL ECUADOR/ECUADOR ANIMAL PROTECTION)

The Ecuador Animal Protection Foundation, PAE, was founded and legalized in Quito on August 3, 1984 before the Ministry of Social and Economic Inclusion under the original figure of association and later reformed to a foundation on March 2, 2005 with Ministerial Agreement # 4883, as an apolitical, non-religious entity, with legal status, governed by private law and established as a non-profit, founded for the defense and protection of animals. PAE is currently regulated by the Ministry of Public Health.

Mission:

We promote the protection and well-being of animals through direct actions and community awareness of the respect they deserve and that should be shown to other species.

Vision:

To be a self-sustaining organization, recognized as a national benchmark in animal welfare, responsible for the change in the human-animal relationship in Ecuador.

PAE has many locations where you can serve as a volunteer, including:

ADOPTION CENTER ALANGASI

ACTIVITIES SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS

Guided walks

DURING THE WEEK

For these activities you have to be willing to be the object of attention of many puppies eager to be touched; they are going to jump on you, they are going to leave their footprints on your clothes and they will want to play until you drop, so we recommend that you wear comfortable clothes as well as a cap, sunscreen and bring your own bottle of water.

VOLUNTEERING AT THE QUITO CLINIC

MEDICAL AREA

We receive students and veterinary graduates who wish to carry out professional practices in any of our clinics.

ANIMAL WELFARE

The Animal Welfare Department is in charge of receiving, treating, rehabilitating and relocating the animals that come to us. It is a very physically and emotionally demanding task. Supporting those responsible for this daunting task in specific aspects such as making follow-up calls to adoptive families can be of great help.CAMPAIGNS

Do you want to be part of the team of cyber activists for animals? We need a lot of help on social media to support the work we do at the foundation. You can visit the following link to find out and participate in events, campaigns and activities that promote respect for animals:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/CxiqHm3migC2tlS6j7PDFm

Also, if you want to know more about volunteering opportunities at PAE and how to apply, you can email or call at the following:

VETERINARY CLINIC QUITO

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Phone: (+593) 2-3319-522 / (+593) 2-2924-092
(+593) (2) 3317-777 / (+593) (2) 2902-600
(+593) (2) 2924-092

Whatsapp: +593) 98-4874-670

ADOPTION CENTER ALANGASI

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Phone: (+593) 99-2045-282

5.) BEE FARM ECUADOR

BEE FARM ECUADOR is a family entrepreneurship dedicated to regenerate a space to protect beneficial insects and inspire a “Bee Friendly” culture.

​In the heart of the Ecuadorian Highlands, in the lap of the Corazon Volcano this space is located and open for you to share with your family to come eat, learn, contribute and reconnect with the essential.

BECOME A VOLUNTEER

 Do you feel a calling from the heart to reconnect with you, the earth and people who are working in regeneration and self-sufficiency for the present times? The Bee Farm Ecuador is the right place for you then!

​Here you will learn about bees and their importance to us and to nature while sharing common farm tasks which vary according to the weather and season.

We share holistic activities such as hula hoop, yoga, gratitude ceremonies, art, etc. – you ‘ll never get bored at the Bee Farm Ecuador.

The farm is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, you can see the famous Cotopaxi from here and there are lots of opportunities to go hiking or go bathing in the mineral water pools that are close by.

​Bee Farm Ecuador has educational and inclusive projects for the wellbeing of bees and indigenous women running all year long in which you may contribute as you also relax and enjoy a pacific and cozy stay.

WHAT YOU WILL DO? 

Prices for volunteering from 1-3 weeks are USD 30 per person daily including accommodation + 3 meals a day. If you want to volunteer for more that 3 weeks, price are USD 25 per person daily including accommodation + 3 meals a day.

Why pay for volunteering?

Volunteering involves many costs such as lodging and food preparation. In this case you are not only contributing to the cause but you are also learning facts that may be hard to acquire with simple research. In Bee Farm we welcome you as one of the hives and through different activities we share as much as we can about the workings of the beehive, bee medicine and the teachings of the bees. You are surrounded by 7 volcanoes and view and 6 guarding dogs you will learn to love.

To apply, you can visit the following link:

https://en.beefarmecuador.com/voluntariado

6.) TRADITIONAL AND MODERN MEDICINE JAMBIHUASI, OTAVALO             

 This busy clinic is a not-for-profit foundation whose mission is to provide alternative medical care to the predominately indigenous population of Otavalo and surrounding areas. The clinic provides a combination of traditional indigenous and western medical care. They are committed to providing services with the utmost respect for indigenous culture, ensuring equal access to healthcare regardless of ethnicity.  Services include family practice, family planning, prenatal care, dental care, and massage therapy. Practitioners integrate biomedical and traditional knowledge during treatment of patients. Methods include natural treatments, spiritual cleansing, and traditional midwifery. Additionally, the clinic’s staff travel to communities and facilitate community outreach and health education.

The center is located in Otavalo, about 2 hours north of Quito by bus.

RANGE OF TASKS:Medical skills or midwifery experience is useful. For maximum benefit, students should be at least in their second year of medical/nursing school. “Premed” students or individuals interested in public health should be prepared to observe and shadow practitioners while learning about integrative medicine. Qualified volunteers may assist the staff in taking patient information and vital signs, participate in basic patient preparations and care, and conduct community outreach. More experienced volunteers may take on more complicated tasks, however please note that all activities will be controlled by the center staff and at the director’s discretions. Volunteers should not expect to attend births.
TIME COMMITMENT:Four weeks minimum
SPANISH LEVEL:Intermediate or better
WORK SCHEDULE:Schedule to be arranged with the clinic. Treatment hours are Monday to Friday 8:30am to 1:00pm and 2:00pm to 5:00pm, Saturday 8:30am to 1:00pm
ACCOMMODATION:Homestay is available in Otavalo with breakfast and dinner included. Volunteers can also stay in one of the many hostels in Otavalo.
SKILLS REQUIRED:Cultural sensitivity, interpersonal skills. Good communication and language skills are very necessary in a medical setting. Medical skills or nursing/midwifery experience or an interest in a health field.
ACCEPTED DONATIONS:Medical supplies or any funds that volunteers are able to raise for the clinic are highly appreciated. Medical supplies should be new, unopened, and non-expired.

 There is a one-time application fee for this project of USD 125. For more information in how to apply, you can contact +593 98 714 2940.

7.) JUNGLE ANIMAL RESCUE YANACOCHA, PUYO

YanaCocha is a non-profit foundation, started in 2006, focused in the conservation and protection of the Amazonian flora and fauna.

The center receives animals from the Ecuadorian Environmental Ministry, which have been confiscated from illegal trafficking, or donated from their “owners” who had kept them as pets. These animals are firstly evaluated by our dedicated and experienced staff to see if they can ever be released back into the wild, but if not, they are given the best conditions to live in, as similar to their natural habitat as possible.

The center hosts solely Amazonian wildlife, having a variety of animals including eight species of primates, two species of cats, three species of rodents and a diversity of birds and reptiles and other small mammals.

How to volunteer with us?

YanaCocha partners with GoEco to interview and recruit suitable volunteers for our wildlife program. Here is how to move forward:

  1. Click to see the updated volunteer program and fees on the GoEco website: Ecuador – Wild Animal Rescue Shelter
  2. Schedule a volunteer interview with a GoEco advisor via this link: https://calendly.com/yanacocha/yanacocha-volunteer-interview
  3. After you pass the volunteer interview, all the pre-departure information, airport pickup, transfers and tours will be provided by GoEco.

YanaCocha also has 4 hectares of secondary rainforest (behind the lagoon), where some wild species of monkeys, mammals and birds naturally live. This area is a protected release and research area.

The foundation also has another reserve area with 70 hectares of primary forest on the way to Tena, which is currently only a research area. However, in the future we are hoping to use it as a release site for the animals that are able to be rehabilitated and released.

General work areas:

 Location of YanaCocha

YanaCocha is located at 3 km north from the city Puyo, in the Pastaza province of Ecuador.

There are buses leaving around every half an hour (until 7 p.m.), to and from the centre of Puyo. The bus cost 25 cents. You have to walk to the main road to catch the bus. There is a bus stop (blue shelter).

Taxi’s to and from YanaCocha cost $ 3. We normally call the same taxi driver to go to Puyo.

Here you have some phone numbers to call them:

Sambo: +593987322173

Nelson: +593984635515

Daric (he works only in the afternoon): +593984635515

To travel to Quito or other places you can take a taxi to the bus station (“El terminal”) and take a bus from there. The companies we recommend to you to travel to Quito are San Francisco or Amazonas.

General rules

At the cabañas:

At the kitchen

 General rules at the center

Other important rules

Work schedule

Sometimes with the food, the schedule is subject to discussion/changes.

From Monday morning until Saturday morning the center will proportionate the food but from Saturday noon until Monday morning the volunteers have to supply their own food. However, volunteers can use the cooking facilities at Yanacocha over the weekend, if they choose. The coordinator is in charge of all the volunteers’ food through the week, and volunteers are required to help with the cooking and the cleaning of meals.

Important phone numbers

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is available to volunteers during their free time, and can be accessed using the password yanacocha123. The area it ranges is around Jorge’s (the director) home, and volunteers are welcome to use the seats surrounding the outside of his home, although not too late in the evening.

Useful items

The animals and their cleaning procedures

Please!

Check if the animals are eating, if they leave food, what do they leave? ¿Do you notice any strange behavior in the animals? Any wounds? Any sign of illness?

Any other things you notice: broken enrichment, holes in the fencing, water draining problems.

Always let us know, you are the first line between the animals and the center!

8.) ELDERLY IN NEED, ABUELITOS DE LA CALLE, QUITO

How we started?

Observing the old ladies asking for charity in the streets and mistreated in the city squares, we understood that they were deeply depressed and abandoned, accompanied only by their loneliness. It was time to do something for them, we decided to listen to them, get to know them, support them and above all give them a lot of love and affection based on an active, productive and participatory methodology; with which we have managed to change the negative mentality of old age for a positive awareness of life.

We understood that through music we reached emotions. We enjoyed doing exercises, singing, dancing and through the permanent encounter they began to strengthen their self-esteem and self-confidence. They lost their fear of communicating, of interacting, of moving, of dancing and they became charming little old women and felt happy sharing with the group. We rescue the joy of living with love and a vision of life full of motivation, communication and good humor. We started with 11 grannies and then each one of them recommended their experience to others and over time we shared with +450 old people from the street, developing an occupational and motivational recreational program. The greatest motivation is peace, joy and love.

Why older adults?

Two thirds of the population in Ecuador live in conditions of poverty, the elderly are considered people with physical disabilities, someone who is not taken into account by the family or by society, they are people with many needs, but with few answers.

In Ecuador, low-income older adults who worked in the informal sector as housemaids, bricklayers, street vendors, etc., now live as old people in a situation of extreme poverty. They do NOT have access to social protection, much less medical, they lack subsidies, they do not have a job, and they lack basic needs such as food, health, clothing, and housing. Every day it is more difficult for the grandparents and grandmothers of the street to live in decent conditions.

Our objective

Promote a new culture of positive aging, carrying out activities aimed at ensuring that older people with lower incomes age with dignity and in an active, productive and healthy way. As for the Ecuadorian society, to raise awareness of the support and respect for the elderly, especially those who are in a high-risk situation, through workshops and seminars.

Our vision

To be a solution in Ecuador for the elderly at risk, providing basic food, promoting permanent educational, recreational and occupational activities aimed at social and labor integration. Achieve their maximum empowerment of personal and group fulfillment. Recover the values ​​of respect and support for the elderly. And above all so that they do not survive but so that they live!

Our Commitment

Continue working to prevent begging, indigence and deprivation of the family environment that affects the elderly in poverty in Ecuador, providing them with the basic food they need to live, clothing, comprehensive education, creating a space with adequate activities and conditions to raise their self-esteem, in a happy environment full of love and creativeness, different from the environment in which they live; so that they can express themselves, value themselves, train themselves, achieve their labor integration and consider themselves part of society.

Do you want to stop by the Foundation and help us? It will be an incredible experience; you will greatly appreciate the value of a warm and genuine hug.

For more information, you can email: [email protected] or call: +593 99 038 0588

9.) CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, CAMP HOPE, QUITO

Mission

Provide with excellence and Christian love: health services, empowerment, rehabilitation, special education, recreation, work and spiritual teachings for children, teenagers, youth and adults with severe disabilities of limited economic resources, orphans and abandoned children so that they achieve independence and integration in society.

Vision

Our foundation has adequately developed pilot programs, with sufficient personnel and solid financial stability in the following areas:

National and foreign volunteers are selected who can work in any area of ​​the organization, depending on their interests and professional qualifications.

Join the group of volunteers and be part of the change!

How can I volunteer?

Becoming a Camp Hope volunteer is very easy, you just have to send an e-mail to [email protected] indicating your interest and the skills you have to help the organization. With this, we hope to learn more about you, your strengths and how you can positively contribute to the development of all.

What do we expect from you?

We expect you to have:

Why do I have to adapt to other cultures?

We receive volunteers from all over the world, mainly from the United States and Germany. Therefore, there must be an effective cultural adaptation to promote teamwork and the exchange of knowledge for the care and protection of the users of the foundation.

10.) TEACHING ENGLISH VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, QUITO

Want to volunteer to Teach English in Ecuador – Quito? International Volunteer HQ’s Teaching English project empowers volunteers to assist in schools and centers attended by children from low-income families. Volunteers will gain teaching experience while sharing their valuable English language skills with students who may otherwise not get the opportunity to learn. Knowing how to speak English can increase employability and mean better jobs and futures for people in Quito.

Highlights:

This program is ideal for:

Volunteers who can speak fluent English and want to share their language skills with local students. No previous experience is required as you’ll be working with qualified teachers, but a TEFL certificate can help volunteers gain more from the experience, as can a basic knowledge of Spanish.

What to expect and how you’ll make an impact

In Ecuador, the ability to speak English is extremely useful for opening employment and further educational possibilities, but language lessons are too expensive for those in lower income communities. By volunteering to teach English, you can increase the access to language learning and the benefits it can bring.

As a volunteer English teacher, you’ll be based in schools or centers in disadvantaged neighborhoods, helping to teach classes the basics of the English language. Volunteers act as assistant teachers to local staff, helping students that range in age from 3-12 years old. Class sizes can vary from 15 – 35 students, though having volunteers on hand to assist means they can be split into more manageable groups.

Teaching English volunteer work can vary but usually involves:

Why do Teaching English volunteering in Quito with IVHQ?

On the Teaching English project in Quito, you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

Volunteer requirements

Recommended online TEFL course

We encourage volunteers on IVHQ’s Teaching and Childcare projects to come prepared by completing some relevant training, such as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course. Although formal teaching qualifications are not required on these projects as volunteers are supported by local staff, taking a TEFL course enables you to gain more from the experience. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.