ECUADOR CHILDCARE VOLUNTEERS
As a childcare volunteer in Ecuador, you will provide additional support to childcare projects within the city of Quito. Not only this, PMGY’s Ecuador volunteer programs provide a great foundation to improve your Spanish. Provide a helping hand for the children and local staff. Plan activities and games, help with meals times and be sure to improve your Spanish as you volunteer with children in Ecuador.
Background to the Childcare Program
Ecuador is home to over 200,000 neglected children due to abandonment, death and alcoholism. Many children are forced into homes and living on the streets due to dysfunctional settings or abuse within their own families.
A major reason for neglected children is the cultural acceptance of child marriage. This results in an increased rate of births to mothers 10-14 years of age. The lower aged mothers result in a decreased level of familiarity on proper health and nutrition for infants. In the indigenous population, over 50% of children have a high level of chronic malnutrition. As a result, they are removed from their homes due to neglect.
Along with forms of neglect, there is the prevalence of abuse at high levels in countries of South America. Major areas of abuse are domestic violence and corporal punishment to women and children in the rural/indigenous communities. Children in childcare homes across the nation are subjects to many forms of abuse. The most prominent abuse is that of physical conduct by a male counterpart within the home.
These actions have been termed ‘illegal’ in the new constitution of Ecuador. However, the use of this punishment stills carries on within the family culture. Violence towards women is one of the highest among the population with 7 out of 10 being victims in their life. Therefore, please note that as international volunteers you may be working with children from vulnerable backgrounds.
Volunteer opportunities in Ecuador provided by PMGY will provide you with a platform to make a positive impact. When working at our childcare volunteer abroad projects in Ecuador, it is important to maintain energy, enthusiasm and creativity. For the reason that many of these children will be seeking the care and attention that you as a childcare volunteer in Ecuador can bring. To work with children in Ecuador, you will need to donate your time and skills effectively. This is to ensure you can maximise your impact on the local people.
Childcare Volunteer Placement Examples
Orfanto San Vicente De Paul – A religious institution founded in the late 1800s, Orfanto San Vicente De Paul aims to provide quality living for young children. The home serves as a protective destination for those that have been abandoned or mistreated. The rate of adoption in Ecuador is low but possible, so this location is a temporary home for children.
Working with children is one of the most fulfilling jobs. The volunteers will have the chance to interact with the kids in a variety of ways. This includes organising games, manual activities and other things that will keep the children busy. Taking the initiative and applying creativity is an important skill to have in this kind of work. As you complete your work in Ecuador at this project, you will play a key role in supporting the more limited local support team.
The work schedule is flexible and will be set between you and the local staff at the project. Thus volunteers will have the chance to make the most of their time. Please keep in mind that the centre’s resources are limited. It is important that you know you may have to face adverse situations. Please be respectful and responsible in your work, keep in mind you are a role model for these children! This volunteer project aims to instil in children important values such as care, respect and love for learning.
Alejo Sans Day Care Centre – Founded in 2003, Alejo Sans Day Care Centre is a community-based project. The origins behind the project are to provide a safe fun learning environment for young children. These children would previously spend time out at the markets with their working mothers. Consequently, they would be stuck in the sizzling heat with no daily structure or wellbeing.
Beginning as a small project with only one small room, the project has expanded quickly. As a result, the daycare centre has five large classroom formats home to 100 children. These children range from 1-3 years. The project runs across the day, but participants will usually join in the morning. Usually, this is for a 4 hour period before the children take their afternoon nap.
At the project, participants will teach about hygiene, read stories, play music and sing songs. Participants will also be expected to lead arts and crafts activities and help local staff with snacks and breakfast time. There are usually 1-2 local staff members in each classroom for participant support.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Childcare Day
As a childcare volunteer in Ecuador, your role involves supporting local staff with daily chores. Examples include providing support at mealtimes and with cleaning tasks. This extends to more creative support in singing songs, teaching English and improving hygiene skills. Playing with children in a recreational setting outdoors is also a big part of the role. This because of the limited time the caregivers have to do this.
The work schedule is flexible and will be set between you, the centre and our coordinator in Quito. Thus participants will have the chance to make the most of their time. You will be volunteering at the project Monday-Friday. Please plan for at least 3-5 hours on the project.
If you are up for it, take a 1 hour walk through the heart of Quito to reach your childcare volunteer placement! Alternatively, you can take a 30 minute bus ride to reach your childcare project. The bus stop is located nearby to the accommodation. Furthermore, the local team will assist you in learning the routes to your project. As a result, you will be acquainted with how to get to and from your volunteer project.
ECUADOR ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Ecuador, you will provide additional support to local teachers across the schools in Quito. Not only this, PMGY’s Ecuador volunteer programs provide a great foundation to improve your Spanish. Incorporate English language lessons with historic influences of indigenous culture as you teach English in Ecuador.
Background to the Teaching Program
Based on the Global view, Ecuador has a very good school system. The education system is recognised as one of the most developed in South America. Ecuador requires all school-aged children to attend classes until they achieve a basic level of education.
This is not just focussed to mainstream education. The government and local organisations have improved the quality of education for special needs students across the nation. There are now programs from pre-primary to professional studies for over 30,000 students with special needs.
Within mainstream education, the public school system has a high level of enrolled children reflecting that government requirements are met. Unfortunately, the level of participation in high school ages (15+) has decreased over the years, particularly in rural communities.
Education is provided by the government for primary and secondary public students. However, families are facing significant additional costs for extra classes and transportation. Due to this, many are not able to continue into higher education. As a result, they do not have the ability to speak English properly. Finding work in more prosperous areas like the tourism industry becomes ever more challenging.
The private-school system tends to have extended student involvement. Consequently, this then provides the necessary requirements for higher education levels such as university or training courses. Many of these institutions are run by churches requiring courses in religion along with maths, science, Spanish and other languages. There is an increasing number of private and international schools that offer courses in English, but the spaces are limited.
Volunteer opportunities provided by PMGY offer a platform to make a positive impact when you teach English in Ecuador. When working at our volunteer teaching English abroad in Ecuador, it is important to maintain energy, enthusiasm and creativity. Many of these students will benefit from having someone who is fluent in the English language teaching them in Ecuador. As a volunteer teaching English in Ecuador, you will need to donate your time and skills effectively. This is to ensure you can maximise your impact on the local people.
Teaching Volunteer Placement Examples
The Federico Gauss Secondary School – A typical classroom setting, Federico Gauss Secondary School displays many cultural influences of indigenous beliefs. More specifically, it is a private institution school that applies indigenous beliefs alongside a creative curriculum. The project teaches young adults with slight behavioural issues or misconduct in the public or private school setting.
The classrooms are in group settings of 8-24 students based on their ability (ages 12-18). Courses can include general maths, science and English, while arts are very important including computer science, media and history. The teaching program lasts from 8am-12pm. Yet, there are many opportunities to join in the afternoon for tutoring as the school day finishes typically at 2pm.
The project’s top priority is to improve the level of English of future generations of Quito. Many of the people in the schools in Ecuador take English from primary school. However, this is constructed with a very basic curriculum including minimal vocabulary and limited verbal skills. Most primary schools are understaffed leaving children without a proper understanding of the material to move forward in their education.
Participants in this project work with the teachers during the class schedule. This incorporates helping to prepare classes, assist with marking, tutoring students and interacting during class breaks. There is a sports yard at the school where volunteers can help with physical education activities.
Those with experience in media or computer science may have opportunities to educate and assist the students learning in this area. More specifically, this includes supporting with film assignments by instructing interviews, broadcasting or equipment used while recording.
If participants want to provide assistance with software then the school is always in need of such support! Examples of this include helping with Microsoft office and video design or simple lessons about the use of a computer. The students love to expand their knowledge of the arts in any area when you are teaching in Ecuador.
This is the most common and structured placement where PMGY volunteers teach English in Ecuador. This is because feedback suggests that participants feel most useful and productive when working at this teaching project.
The Instituto Mariana De Jesus – A school for special needs students, classes at the Instituto Mariana De Jesus are specialized for blind and deaf children. More specifically, participants provide local staff with assistance in language skills, sign language, occupational skills and training for family members.
Students that are deaf or blind will engage in activities that further enhance their other senses. This allows students to express themselves in an appropriate way to caregivers. Activities that the deaf children are involved in are story strips, jigsaw puzzles and visual diaries. Children that are blind are encouraged with activities such as texture matching and braille. All of these activities require assistance.
The daily routine is essential for many of the children within this institution. Your assistance in the school is greatly appreciated by both the teachers and parents. Volunteers will be involved with groups of 1-4 children based on their level of need. The tasks may include one-on-one assistance for classroom projects and educating children in general education.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
Your work as a volunteer teaching English in Ecuador will involve supporting the local teachers during the class schedule. This involves helping to prepare classes, tutoring students and interacting with them during class breaks. We expect participants to spend an hour or two each day preparing for lessons if requested by the teacher.
For volunteers teaching English in Ecuador, the projects are typically quite well resourced. If participants feel basic supplies are not easily available they are encouraged to speak to our local team. The team will then do their best to support where possible. If participants are wishing for additional resources, there are some great shops in town. The teaching program typically lasts from 8am-12pm on a Monday-Friday basis. However, there may also be opportunities to join in the afternoon for tutoring.
If you are up for it, take a 45 minute walk through the heart of Quito to reach your English teaching volunteer placement! Alternatively, you can take a 25 minute bus ride to reach your English teaching project. The bus stop is located nearby to the accommodation. Furthermore, the local team will assist you in learning the routes to your volunteer project. As a result, you will be acquainted with how to get to and from your volunteer project.
ECUADOR MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS
Ecuador volunteer programs provide a great foundation to improve your Spanish. Delve deeper into the traditional healing beliefs of the local people. Focus your time and energy into specific departments at the hospital as a medical volunteer in Ecuador.
Background to the Medical Program
In the late 1990s, Ecuador suffered from an extremely weak government with one of the worst financial systems in South America. The healthcare provided was that of the middle ages. For the reason that healthcare costs could never be met by the average monthly salary. Furthermore, unemployment was at over 10% of the population and 20% of people were living in poverty. The system was failing and people were faced with little to no solution.
In 2000 Rafael Correa took office. During his early years, although hit with crisis after crisis, he established one of the strongest healthcare systems in the continent. At the beginning of his time, there were few hospitals and medical care providers in the city. So much so, that the patients were receiving the level of care similar to the standard of a rural clinic.
Due to these measures, Correa invested over 2,000 million USD into the healthcare budget. As a result, 18 new hospitals in major cities were commissioned. Furthermore, 250 healthcare centres and health clinics were built in rural villages nationwide.
Since these changes, locals describe all care to be equal across the country. Whether they visit a rural village clinic or a major hospital in the city of Quito, consistency in care was achieved. The care will be nearly the same quality with only a difference in the availability of specialists in the small facilities.
Changes to the healthcare system are also reflected by the levels of coverage. The system is broken down into four parts; private, public, social care and no coverage. Those with private care are the working class; this care is provided under a purchased insurance plan. In addition to the private system, there is the Social Care system. Such a system is similar to the Social Security system of the United States.
This system applies to citizens that have applied portions of their income to the government care plan. Consequently, they are provided with coverage allowance for healthcare. The public system is free to everyone who has been denied care. In most cases, this is for those with a terminal illness, over the age of 60, under the age of 10 and impoverished.
Volunteer opportunities in Ecuador provided by PMGY will provide you with a platform. Such a platform that allows for valuable exposure to medicine and healthcare projects within a new culture. For the reason that many of the facilities, procedures and operations you observe will be completely new to you.
More specifically, they will be completely different from how things are done in your home country. As a medical volunteer in Ecuador, you will need to schedule your time and skills effectively to make the most out of your project time. This is to ensure you can maximise your exposure and learning opportunities at the project.
Should medical volunteers in Ecuador wish to consider alternative or additional projects, our medical volunteer in India program is recognised as our leading medical volunteer opportunity. For the reason that participants receive high exposure and involvement across a range of placement and project settings.
Medical Volunteer Placement Example
Hospital Enrique Garces – PMGY medical volunteers in Ecuador apply their time in a public hospital in Quito. The project is at Hospital Enrique Garces. This is one of the few care centres offering free healthcare for the people in and around the capital. This is one of the biggest public hospitals in Quito. The hospital provides participants with the opportunity to join in 8 different wards. Such wards include:
Internal Medicine (speciality departments), Paediatrics, Gynaecology, Occupational Therapy, Trauma, Out-Patient, Surgery Consult Department
The hospital is very happy to have university students and medical volunteers, but they take the position quite seriously. Volunteers on this project are not required to have any medical education. However, participants are advised to have some form of volunteer work experience. Examples of this can include in a community care setting or clinical volunteering hours.
The project does accept school leavers with no experience looking to enter the medical field. However, such participants should be prepared with questions and learning objectives for the doctors and nurses. Furthermore, such participants should adopt a positive attitude to gain what they can from the program.
The minimum time in any department will be 2 weeks. The ward will be assigned based on your level of Spanish. The recommended time for this medical project is 4+ weeks to properly apply yourself in the listed departments. When assigned to a department, on the first day you will meet and be introduced to the head of that department.
Medical students are advised to note that all of the staff at the hospital typically only speak in Spanish. Thus, they have little to no English. So participants will need to have a good level of Spanish to communicate efficiently with the local staff. Otherwise, participants will incur a high language barrier and thus a frustrating learning experience.
Participants will join the program Monday-Friday. The project will begin at 7:30am each day to ensure you get a busy morning. The average time on the project will be 5 hours finishing in the early afternoon or time off requested completion. An example of a day on the paediatric ward could be as follows:
• 7:30am-8:30am – Report to the paediatric ward. Observe inpatient rounds with a nurse for medication, consultation and viewing.
• 9am-9:30am – Observe injections for children in need of updated vaccine charting.
• 9:30am-10:30am – Assist care provider by engaging children in games or play while they provide necessary treatment for external wounds, infections or therapy due to disabilities.
• 10:30am-11am – Break time.
• 11am-12pm – Shadow doctor during rounds providing consultation and admission to the hospital.
• 12pm-12:30pm – Assist care providers with counsel and care planning with family for patient discharge plan.
While volunteering in Ecuador you may encounter a variety of illnesses. Examples include acute respiratory infection, diarrhetic diseases, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, depression, malnutrition, physical abuse and altitude sickness. As this is a facility for those with low-income or unemployment the severity of illness will vary. This hospital provides care to those within the city and also the surrounding rural developments.
As a medical volunteer, you may encounter indigenous people that rely on holistic methods of care. The belief of the Incan people is to be one with Mother Earth and live a balanced life. The use of western medications or treatments doesn’t meet that of their traditional belief system.
At times you may encounter people that have received many holistic treatments. These are people traditionally from a more rural or indigenous area. They are brought to the hospital in a severe state and in desperate need of antibiotics and other medications. The hospital system, in general, is centred around prescriptions of western medications for treatments.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Work Day
International volunteers will spend most of their time observing on the wards assisted by nurses and doctors. In some cases, they will be asked to assist in engaging small children with activities while they receive treatment. There is a chance if participants speak Spanish to get involved with counselling. This can extend to helping local doctors with care plans for families with patients in the hospital.
In general, you will work as a medical volunteer abroad in Ecuador from Monday–Friday. The project will begin at 7:30am each day. This is to ensure you get a busy morning and can help the medical staff out appropriately. The average time on the project will be 3-5 hours finishing in the early afternoon.
You will be required to take a 45 minute bus ride to reach the medical project. The bus stop is located nearby to the accommodation. Furthermore, the local team will assist you in learning the routes to your volunteer project. As a result, you will be acquainted with how to get to and from your volunteer project.