In December 2017 life threw me a curveball and I ended up booking my first volunteering trip just four weeks before I flew out. To volunteer and travel in Ecuador was a dream come true!
I spent March 2018 in Quito volunteering. My second visit to Ecuador, first time in Quito. A small country that packs a big punch! To break it down:
- Two weeks volunteering on the Street Children Programme.
- One week as a NGO support volunteer.
- Final week travelling around Quito and Ecuador including a visit to my sponsor child.
How it came about
I qualified as a TEFL teacher and was searching online for overseas English teaching jobs. A link to volunteer and travel in Quito, Ecuador caught my eye. I applied on the spot an my application was accepted the next day! Within two weeks I had all the logistics arranged.
Everything went so smoothly and I took it as a sign that this trip was happening for a reason. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I wanted to do something in memory of my Dad, and this was it.
I packed my bags and flew to Amsterdam for four days and from there took a direct flight to Quito. As it happened it was one of the worst winters the UK had experienced. If I had flown out a day later I wouldn’t have made the trip, as the airports were closed due to heavy snow. I don’t know what you would call it, I call it Karma!
The People Who Make It Happen. The Programme. A Volunteers Role
International Volunteer HQ – (IVHQ)
The volunteer travel organisation I booked through. I was impressed with IVHQ from start to finish.
Volunteer Connection Ecuador – (VCE)
IVHQ’s agent on the ground in Ecuador. They connect volunteers with the projects and support them throughout their volunteering time. They were efficient and took good care of us. Special mention to Gina at VCE.
Weekly intake of volunteers arrive at the weekend and start their programmes on the Monday. You would always be meeting new people and sad to see the ones you made friends with leave.
United to Benefit Ecuadorian Children, International – (UBECI Foundation)
An Ecuadorian NGO and non-profit organisation based in Quito, Ecuador. UBECI run the programmes.
Since 1999 UBECI has developed educational and training programmes to help Ecuadorian children and their families living in poverty. Their mission is to enrol as many of these children into the educational system and provide services to at-risk children working in vulnerable places, by enriching their lives offering activities that promote social participation, education, health, self-esteem and family integration for a brighter future.
Extra proud fist bump moment!
UBECI was recently ranked second worldwide on the global crowdfunding platform Global Giving for a NGO.
The Street Children Programme
The ferias of Quito are open-air markets. Many children of the vendors work long hours in the ferias, with little opportunity for recreation or education. The time and space limitations presented by the nature of these markets make ferias an unattractive location for social programmes (we would pitch the portable canopies and mats in the car parks).
This is where UBECI comes in. It is within these markets, in the poorest areas of South Quito, they work to give these children a place to play, learn and assist in their development. These kids have a tough life. From a very young age they start working in the markets spending long hours helping their parents. It’s a credit to UBECI’s efforts that they have forged relationships with some of the parents to allow their children to play and learn under their tutelage.
A Volunteers Role
We travelled to a different market each day, four days a week, working either part time or full time. We would help with setting up the canopies and under the supervision of UBECI staff, gather children from the markets (volunteers were not allowed to go and collect the children unsupervised) bringing them to the safe “play area”.
Following a set structure each time:
- help the children wash their hands and faces with soap;
- sing songs (in Spanish and English) and dance;
- start their lessons be it, read, write, draw, colour, paint or play games (it did get messy at times with the paint and stuff!);
- lesson plans covered body parts, fruits, vegetables, colours and animals; and
- ending with another sing song, before the children would thank the volunteers with big hugs and even bigger smiles!
Special mention to the UBECI staff Marco and Sandra who were amazing with the kids. Marco was an ex-kindergarten teacher.
We Begin!
Arrival – 4 March 2018
I flew with KLM and was served by a lovely cabin crew lady called Rhea, who asked why I was making the trip. Just before we landed she came handed me a gift with a card “Because you’re doing a great thing.” A random act of kindness from a stranger.
Arriving late Sunday night at the volunteer house I was greeted by Monica (her husband runs VCE). The family live on the top floor of the large volunteer house with their two daughters and Enrique, the grandfather, who greeted us at meal times.
My room and one of the common areas
Accommodation
We were placed in a volunteer house in the Villa Flora neighbourhood, South Quito, which served as an excellent transport hub to travel around Quito and Ecuador. A densely populated area with all the amenities you need within walking distance.
Our street
Sharing a house was new for me and I was excited at the prospect of meeting the other volunteers. Breakfast and dinner were included, the cook was amazing. One evening we made sweet empanadas under Monica’s supervision!
Villa Flora is a neighbourhood where you need to be aware of your surroundings. We would travel in pairs or groups. We didn’t see any tourists, we were it. Which made for an authentic experience.
A typical day
- Volunteer in the market in the morning.
- Lunch usually at Bambino’s (coke and small pizza $3.50) across from VCE’s office (one of the “safe” options we were given).
- Spanish lessons in the afternoon with my lovely teacher, Cecibel. She would bring in chocolate or fruits from the local market to share.
- Back to the volunteer house for a nap and journaling.
- Dinner was about 7 pm. We would then hang out in the common room chatting or watch a movie.
- The volunteer working week was Tuesday – Friday with long weekends to travel around Ecuador.
Week 1
Day 1 – Orientation
We had a run through of how the programmes work and were told we could swap our programmes once without a fee. Trying two for the price of one was an unexpected incentive.
As part of the orientation we had a walkabout of the local area, shown which restaurants were safe to eat at, where the laundrette was as well as other local amenities.
Day and night – the view from our balcony
Immersing myself in the local culture was important and this why I chose a month long trip. To volunteer, to be part of daily life and to travel is a great way to get a real feel for a country. Working and living in South Quito I felt part of the fabric of the city. It was a fulfilling and rewarding experience to volunteer in Quito and travel around Ecuador.
Day 2 – Chillagallo Market
Wow, one of the biggest and busiest markets, lots of kids who just run up to you! It was a full day following the structure I talked about in A Volunteers Role. Tiring but so rewarding as the kids were amazing.
We were taken for a typical almuerzo (lunch) – (juice, soup and a main) near the market all for $2.50 and then ice cream at 25c!
UBECI don’t have a minibus to travel to the markets. We packed the canopies, poles and all equipment and travelled on the tightly packed public buses. Marco and Sandra do this every day so when volunteers sign up to the programme it helps them greatly.
Day 3 – Sangolqui Market (smaller indoor market)
Travelling on the gasoline fumed buses (single fare 25c) through South Quito was a highlight. We took the bus from Villa Flora to La Marin (bus terminal) and then caught another bus to Sangolqui. I enjoyed making this journey. Seeing the views and sights travelling to this market was a visual feast.
Sangolqui has two markets. Today we visited the smaller one. Less children, more 1-to-1.
Day 4 – Sangolqui Market (bigger open air market)
This bigger market is next to a typically beautiful Latin American plaza with an old church. The atmosphere and stunning views of the mountains and volcanoes is typical of the country. Wherever you are in Ecuador there is a view! I loved this colourful market with its fiesta feel with Rumiñahui Volcano (4721m) as its backdrop.
There was a good ratio of kids to volunteers today, enough interaction and quality time for the children.
Anna and I travelled back on our own for the first time, as we Spanish lessons in the afternoons. Navigating our way out of the market to catch the bus to La Marin and from there to Villa Flora.
8 March was Día Internacional de la Mujer (International Women’s Day). The girls received a white rose and chocolate from VCE and hugs all around, how thoughtful. Girls rock!
Day 5 – Guamani Market
Of all the markets, this was the poorest in the most deprived area.
Our first night out. A few of the girls went to the La Mariscal area and Plaza Foch, the tourist traveller hang out, for drinks which was a nice release after our first week.
The Weekend – Baños
The gang: Rene, Madhvi, Jaime, Anna and Clarissa.
Saturday
For our first trip travelling around Ecuador, we caught the trole bus from Villa Flora bus station to Quitumbe Station and from here took the bus to Baños. Arriving midday and checked into our hostel.
After lunch, a taxi ride to La Casa del Arbol to swing at the edge of the world! We hung out at the hostel that evening, which was fun.
La Casa del Arbol – swing into the clouds!
Check out the guest post I wrote on my weekend in Banos.
Sunday
6am – hot springs thermal baths near the hostel. The water comes down from Tungurahua Volcano (5023m).
We then split off to do our chosen activities and met up later.
There was heavy rain today. So a few of us did a taxi tour of the Ruta de las Cascadas (Waterfall Route). You can also cycle or quad bike the route, which some did the next day when it was dry.
Took a ride in a trahatia (basket canopy, in other words, a swinging cage!) on the first waterfall from one end across to the waterfall.
Maddy and Clarissa holding on tight!
Standing behind Rio Verde waterfall was exhilarating with the sheer force of the water!
Three of us had booked paragliding, we went through the demonstration only to find out we weren’t booked on. The hostel hadn’t rang our reservations through.
Plan B – we headed to the adventure park. I was completely out of my comfort zone but really enjoyed it as it was so much fun! The circuit went like this:
- ziplining;
- walking on a swinging metal bridge over the water (don’t look down);
- rock climbing (a bit hair raising); and
- finishing with another zipline.
That evening we went into town for churros and arepas and drank in the only bar that was open on a Sunday night.
Baños
Monday
Visited Las Antenas viewpoint, overlooking Baños and Tungurahua Volcano. Left Baños mid-afternoon. Enjoyed a scenic bus journey back to our volunteer house in Quito, the buses are the best way to travel around Ecuador as the views are just breathtaking.
The views from Las Atenas viewpoint
Baños has a lot to offer. There’s canyoning, the longest zipline which consists of 6 lines, white water rafting, bridge jumping and a bunch of other stuff. Take your pick! Time is your only limitation!
Week 2
Day 1 – Chillagallo Market
I met 9 year old Angalina. A bright girl who was keen to learn English. It was at this moment I realised volunteers really do make a difference. We bring the world to these children by our presence and expose them to the endless opportunities that exist and they change our lives in the process.
Day 2 – UBECI office
Some of the volunteers went to the market whilst the others stayed in the office and helped make paper cut out raindrops for a lesson plan, to give to the children for Water Day.
There was such a mix of nationalities amongst the volunteers. Sharing our life stories made for very interesting conversations. We all piled into Bambino’s for lunch, followed by a pastry from the panderia next door.
And to add to our Latin American cultural experience, we managed to fit in a salsa lesson. Love salsa! Love the music! The song Despacito especially stuck for the duration of our time.
Day 3 – Sangolqui Market
I took some amazing photos today, read on to find out what happened to them!
Day 4 – Guamani Market (last day volunteering on the Street Children Programme)
We played football and touch rugby in the car park. I wasn’t very good at either, it didn’t matter, it was all about having fun with the kids.
In the afternoon, our teachers pitted Anna and I in a two hour Spanish lesson face off. It was intense!
As it was Maddy’s last night we headed to Plaza Foch for dinner. Later that evening we caught the overnight bus from Quitumbe bus station to Lago Agrico for our Amazon trip. A six hour journey.
The Weekend – The Amazon Rainforest
Saturday
Arrived Saturday morning in Lago Agrico where we were picked up by bus and taken to our lodgings. A two hour bus drive passing villages and oil pipelines, followed by a two hour boat ride to Nicky Lodge in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. Speeding down the Amazon was a real highlight!
After check in, we took a scenic boat ride and spotted a sloth (to Rene’s delight), monkeys, a variety of birds, turtles, pink dolphins and a caiman. That evening we rode to the lagoon to swim and watch the sunset.
Back to the lodge for a night walk in the jungle! Wearing rubber boots as protection against poisonous snakes! Cicadas were out in full force, hearing them constantly.
At one point we switched the torches off and stood in the darkness listening to the sounds of the jungle, with just the stars in the sky as the only light. If you want your senses heightened, this is one way to do it!
Jungle night walk – spiders, frogs, cicadas
Sunday
We paddled down the Amazon in a canoe for a jungle walk in the rainforest. Our guide pointing out various birds. I ate an ant that tasted like a carrot; came across huge ant and termite nests; bullet ants (you don’t want to stand on them); a tarantula (well two legs, it didn’t come out of the hole); and smoked tree bark from the medicinal trees.
It rained heavily and the rainforest came alive with the sounds and smells. We waded through swamps, covered in mud, laughing. Remember those amazing photos I took on my last day on the Street Children Programme? Well I fell into a swamp and remembered my phone was in my trouser pocket, I lost all the photos of the kids. Gutted.
Rowed back to the lodge in a water logged canoe, pondering about the fate of my phone (it died a memorable death)!
Tonight’s sunset on the lagoon was followed by a night boat ride to spot a boa. En route we came across a caiman, fireflies and a small white boa, and not forgetting star gazing, the night skies were spectacular. A haunting moment to be in the stillness and darkness on the Amazon river. Gives me goosebumps just recalling it.
Monday
A 1 ½ hour boat ride back to base, for the bus journey back to the airport. Listening to the sounds of the other boats and the jungle sending you into a trance like state.
We caught the bus from the airport back to Quito. A dramatic drive on narrow roads with tight bends and steep rock faces whilst whizzing past lush valleys.
Week 3 – NGO support
For my final week of volunteering, I worked part time on the NGO support programme, assisting with admin and fundraising in UBECI’s office. Working on the Global Giving arm, I contacted some friends who kindly donated.
Final day volunteering
Gracias all around for the volunteers whose programmes ended today.
In the afternoon our Spanish teachers took us on a cultural trip as our final lesson. We rode the trole bus into colonial Quito’s Old Town for a rainy walkabout whilst practising our Spanish along the way (feeling like a foreign exchange student wearing a big grin). Visiting the cathedral, churches, museums and Plaza Grande to name a few. Really nice teachers, really nice people.
A cultural walkabout of Quito’s Old Town
And finally to end my volunteering experience, “Somos buenos chicos” (We are good friends). Rene learnt the phrase in his Spanish lesson. It stuck throughout and always appeared in our Whatsapp group chats. The phrase summed up everything quite nicely which is more than could be said for the Vegemite he brought out at every meal!
The Weekend – Otavalo and Cotopaxi
Saturday – Otavalo
A visit to “Middle of the World” the solar clock. Followed by a stop in Cayambe for “bizcochos” – biscuit making using a traditional technique.
Otavalo market – the most famous indigenous market of Ecuador.
Viewpoint to enjoy the landscape of Imbabura Volcano (4610m) and San Pablo lagoon.
Cotacachi for lunch. A town famous for local leather goods.
Sunday – Cotopaxi Volcano (5897m)
We drove along Avenue of the Volcanoes and stopped for breakfast on the way to Cotopaxi National Park. Once in the park, we had a short walkabout which was followed by a hike up to the refuge at 4864m.
After a short rest, we hiked to the glaciers at an altitude of 5000m – 897m short of the summit (technical skill is required to summit). The highest I’ve trekked. Out of six girls only two hiked up to the glaciers. I quietly reflected on my achievement as I sat in the clouds.
Next stop: Limpiopungo lagoon. You could either to ride in the bus or cycle down (rather bumpy Rene told me) to the lagoon. We then had a late lunch before heading back to Quito.
Week 4 – Travelling in Quito and Ecuador
Stayed in a lovely apartment in a trendy suburb called Bellavista in North Quito. Booked through Airbnb.
Monday
I went for a wander around the neighbourhood. Which has a football stadium, big name hotels, nice apartment blocks, cafes, bars and restaurants, a big park, botanical gardens, English language schools and The British Embassy! I experienced two contrasting halves of a city, the South and the North.
Tuesday – A visit to my sponsor child
Woke bleary-eyed at 2.30 am for a 3.30 am taxi to Quito airport for a flight to Manta. Where the charity’s representative had arranged to meet me for my planned visit to see Kevin, a young boy I sponsor through a UK charity.
Manta airport is on the coast of Ecuador. We drove to Portoviejo, where the charity’s office is located. A pleasant drive passing a number of plantations along the way.
Martha, my interpreter, introduced me to the staff and talked about the initiatives they are currently working on to help the community. Thank you, for the sweet coffee and corn tortilla, I hadn’t had breakfast!
Kevin, 9, lives in the Manabi province, he’s in the 5th grade and loves dancing. We had a jig after lunch! I met Kevin and his mother outside his school where we were joined by members of the local community for a short walkabout. Before heading to Kevin’s home to meet the rest of his family.
His mother, Eledina, was a great cook. She had made empanadas, home made sweets and served stir fried rice for lunch. We drank coconut water and talked about our lives. Very warm and loving people.
L-R: Kevin’s school. His home overlooking rice plantations. By the stream.
The coast of Ecuador was badly hit by an earthquake in 2016. Kevin’s family home has been rebuilt but many areas are still under construction, especially in Manta and Portoviejo.
We had a drive around of the area before for my flight back to Quito. My pre-arranged taxi picked me, I fell asleep in the back and woke outside the apartment block. Completely shattered.
Wednesday
After waking up a midday, a visit to Casa Museo Guayasamín. The former home, turned museum, of the late local artist Oswald Guayasamín, well worth a visit – and opposite, the Capilla del Hombre (Chapel of Man) displaying more of his artwork.
Dinner at Cafe Mosaico. Great food, great company and views like this!
Thursday
Sleeping, journaling, watching Netflix and contemplating my next steps. I missed my volunteer buddies today. To volunteer and travel around Quito and Ecuador for three weeks was fun and rewarding. The whole experience had such a positive influence on me.
Friday
I had a wander around La Parque Carolina – a large park with the mountain backdrop and Jardin de Botanico (botanical gardens with beautiful orchids and bonsai trees).
Saturday
I flew back today and landed in the UK on 1 April 2018.
Wow what an epic month!
The highlights
- An authentic and enriching experience. Each market we worked at was distinct and you really got a flavour of South Quito travelling to these different areas.
- To volunteer in Quito, travel around Ecuador and visit my sponsor child was life changing. Blessed to have experienced so much.
- Everyone I met.
- Ecuador is a stunning country as a volunteer and travel destination.
Insider tips
- Limited hot water.
- Don’t put toilet paper in the toilet (use the bin provided). The pipe system can’t handle it.
- Go with an open mind, don’t compare to standards back home. It’s an adventure from start to finish. From where you sleep; to what you eat; to where you work; and the travelling you do.
- Show respect to your hosts and the organisers. These people really care for your welfare and sincerely are grateful for your help. Respect their homes and their rules. You’ll get more out of your experience than you could ever imagine.
Going forward
If you want to get into solo travelling,volunteering is a great way to do it. And if you are already a solo traveller why not mix it up and give back.
Travel with a purpose and make a difference, one volunteer at a time. There are beautiful people in this world doing beautiful things. Join the tribe.
Travel Beyond The Ordinary!
Koser ♡
