The Plan

Life is full of experiences and I am off to gain some more.
Soon I will begin my volunteer experience in Ecuador. I will volunteer for 3 months with an organization called ‘Ecuador Volunteer Foundation’. It is a non-profit organization legally recognized by the Government of Ecuador. Currently it is the only organization authorized to select and supply volunteers to third party organizations providing their services in social, community, educational, health care and ecological projects/programs throughout Ecuador.

Due to the socioeconomic needs from which much of the Ecuadorian population suffers (as in other Latin American countries), many different areas have found themselves in need of seeking governmental and private help in order to get by. For this reason, ‘Ecuador Volunteer Foundation’ collaborates with different organizations to carry out projects.
I will arrive in Quito, the capital of Ecuador and immediately begin 2 weeks of comprehensive Spanish language lessons. After La Paz, Bolivia, Quito is the 2nd highest capital in South America. (2,850 meters). It may take me some time to adjust to the high altitude. Following my 2 weeks of Spanish lessons I begin my volunteer projects.
1st Volunteer Project: Helping in Toctiuco After School Centre
I will spend one month volunteering in an ‘after school centre’. This project has been set up with the help and cooperation of mothers to ensure their children are looked after while parents are out working. The children who attend the center are from low-income families and many live solely with their mothers. The project’s main objective is to provide assistance to children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 14 years who attend the center after school, or in the summer. Of fundamental importance is the supervision and care of the 60 young people who attend the center; helping them with homework, health concerns, diet and, especially, recreation.
I will be volunteering 30 - 40 hours a week. I will live with a family. On the weekends I hope to go on some excursions to areas surrounding Quito.
2nd Volunteer Project: Teaching in Galapagos
The Galapagos Islands are located over 700 km off the coast of Ecuador. They are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific ocean. The islands have a population of around 23,000. The Galapagos Islands are one of the principal tourist attractions of Ecuador. The volunteer project that I will be part of has several objectives, one of the priorities being to improve the level of English of children aged between 5 and 12 years, with the aim of facilitating their communication with tourists to the islands. Volunteers help teach, guide and assist children between the first and seventh grades of primary education. The schools currently have an average of 30 children per class with more than three classrooms per level, but only two English teachers, one per school. Hence, the real need for volunteers to assist with English instruction.
I will be in this project for about 5 weeks and will be staying with a family. On weekends I hope to have some free time so I can visit the surrounding islands.