Volunteer in Ecuador: Most Affordable & Real Impact!

I would highly recommend UBELONG to anyone looking to volunteer abroad. What originally attracted me to the organization was the affordability of their programs. However, not only was my project affordable, but the UBELONG staff was also awesome at helping me get ready to go, supporting me during my program, and debriefing with me when I returned to the U.S.

In Quito, I was a volunteer with UBECI, a local organization that works with impoverished children in the public markets around the city. UBECI's goal is to help the children they work with to enter into the public school system and maintain their grades in order to be able to stay in school. I thought that the UBECI staff was great to work with, and I really liked being able to play with and teach children every day.

I also lived with a host family while I was there. It seems like UBELONG does a good deal of research of the local organizations that they partner with, especially in terms of the accomodations of the volunteers. I was extrememly comfortbale living in Quito, and getting to know my host family was a great experience.

Of all the places I've been, I loved the Galapagos the most. The physical labor was personally very rewarding and the work environment was very relaxing and friendly. M-Th we would work in the mornings, break for lunch, work for 2 hours in the afternoon and have the rest of the evening off. When we worked we were usually chopping down invasive plant species and replanting native species or working in the nursery. We also got to work at the National Park's nursery and visit the giant tortoises. When we were not working we played a lot of cards, we played Bananagrams, we told stories, there were some instruments to play music, and generally just enjoy each others' company. It was so nice to live somewhere away from internet and cell phones and the buzz of everyday life and just enjoy getting to know people from all over the world. On the weekends we would go into town on the coast and go to the beach, eat at restaurants, go out at night. Sometimes the work was frustrating when directions were vague or it felt like we weren't working very hard, but working on South American time was part of the experience. UBELONG is a facilitator that filters volunteers into local programs. So although the organization at the site could be frustrating, the support from UBELONG was great. Cedric made sure to check in with me on a regular basis and help me with anything I needed. And the prices are UNbeatable. I know there were other volunteers doing the same work I was doing who had paid more through other international volunteer organizations that function similarly to UBELONG. There were more additional costs than I had expected on the island - the Galapagos are expensive so expect to spend around $80 per weekend, including hostel cost for 2 nights. Also, you are in the perfect position to go snorkeling or diving, and volunteers get huge discounts if you buy directly from travel agents on the island, so plan some additional time before or after volunteering to see the other islands.

I could not be happier with Ubelong. I am volunteering in the Quito program for 4 weeks and have found the experience very rewarding. I have the opportunity to meet Cedric who is their founder, during his visit to see the projects here and expand them. His passion for volunteering and making a difference is contagious and it shows in how much the organization supports volunteers and schools. I help in a kindergarten in the north of Quito (I am a retired secondary school teacher from Brazil)and have found the work very rewarding. The first week was difficult but when I built a relationship with the local teacher and connected with the children things became easier. The altitude was also very difficult for me and I was nt able to work a couple days but this too passed.The housing with a local family is excellent. Great experience, thank you Ubelong and Ecuador!

I just returned from a trip to the Galapagos. I was with a group of friends on the environmental project. I was very pleased with UBELONG they were a joy to work with from start to end. My only other volunteering experience was in Kenya two years ago and I paid much more for a much lesser experience. Cedric, who was our mentor, was a particular joy to work with and he made everything very easy for us in terms of logistics, understanding what to expect and support. Thank you! My biggest advice would be to prepare for lot of bugs and come in shape because the work is hard. My experience was a 10 throughout, I only gave safety a 9 because you are oftentimes outside working with machetes and tools that could be dangerous. Great experience, this won't be my last with UBELONG.

I just returned from volunteering in the Galapagos with Ubelong in San Cristobal and absolutely loved it! I was with a small group of college friends and we volunteered on the environmental project for 3 weeks. It was my second volunteering experience and first with Ubelong. I picked Ubelong because of how affordable it was and that it was based in the US, where I am from.

From the moment I signed up my Ubelong mentor was extremely accesible, and I also found it very helpful to meet with him on Skype for a safety meeting. Everyone I spoke to really, really knew what they were talking about and would bend over backwards to help. They are all volunteers themeselves, and their passion shows. The Galapagos itself was incredible. The work is hard, you are nearly always outdoors cutting down invasive species or planting native trees, but it is very rewarding. The other volunteers were from all over the world and a joy to be with and the local staff passionate about what they were doing. My biggest surprise was how basic the living arrangements are. My mentor told me, but until you experience it you don't really realize it. The bathrooms are outdoors and while the beds are comfy enough, sleeping under a mosquito net can take some getting use to. On the weekends there's so much to do, with snorkeling and hanging out in the relaxed town of Puero Moreno that is about 30 minutes from the reserve my favorites.

So I recommend Ubelong and especially the Galapagos to anybody looking to volunteer. I am very thankful to Ubelong for making the experience so affordable and enjoyable, it was a remarkable time in my life.

I learned about UBELONG from a classmate at Johns Hopkins-SAIS. I researched the organization online, attended a happy hour and was very much pleased with the detailed information provided including program costs. Having gone to Quito, Ecuador through UBELONG was a pleasant experience (Quito and its people will always have a special place in my heart). My mentor provided guidance before the trip, during the trip and we even met for coffee upon my return. My fellow volunteers in Quito were good-surprised of the personal attention provided by my mentor. Highly recommend it.

This past summer I spent around 2 months in the Congal Coastal Forest Reserve in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. I learned about UBELONG through my global health professor at my university. As part of my minor's field experience requirement, I had to choose a program for 8 weeks which included a health project component. I found these qualities and much more in the program offered in the Coastal Forest Reserve. I admittedly, had my reservations about the being one of the first health volunteers to work through the UBELONG program here, but went with an open-mind and that was all I needed.

Travelling to the reserve was a bit tricky with the taxis and buses, but once there the people, life, and work we ended up doing was fantastic. I had already been working in the emergency department of my hospital for the past few summers and breaks off from school so experience was not necessarily a problem. The language barrier was difficult to overcome because it was 3 years since I took a Spanish class or practiced speaking, but I caught on fast and was working all around the hospital within 2-3 weeks. I would recommend spending at least 2-3 weeks to become acclimated before trying to pursue an independent project because there is so much to learn about the surrounding town, history, and culture during that initial period.

Now about the work I did there, I really cannot expressions the gratitude I have for my program and its awesome and varied opportunities. I worked in the hospital three days a week either in the laboratory, emergency department, or outpatient shadowing doctors. In the lab, I helped with many different types of tests including blood and stool. Using the microscope to peer into the rich world of parasites in this part of the world was really amazing. In the emergency department, I was able to see all kinds of cases including 3 live births!!

These experiences were unlike anything I was able to witness in the States. Besides the hospital, I also worked along side a Peace Corps volunteer I met in town. I assisted her with 3 sets of sex education workshops to the local teenagers since these classes are not always taught in the schools there, which is really a shame in a community where teenage pregnancy and STD's are so prevalent. Additionally, I worked with the volunteers at the station on many environmental projects that included planting corn, painting schools, cutting bamboo, herding cattle, fishing, constructing trash cans, and picking up litter on the local beach. These activities taught me much about the environmental problems in the area and the steps being taken to combat them.

I could keep writing about this awesome place, but if you are interested in an adventurous, fun, and enlightening trip I would definitely recommend travelling to the Coastal Forest Reserve in Ecuador!! There are also many places to visit in the surrounding area, nice beach towns, and plenty to become involved with once you are there. Becoming immersed in the community is probably the best way to have a great experience so talk to people and be social!

My trip to Ecuador, arranged through this wonderful volunteer organization, was my very first major excursion of this sort, and so I was pretty nervous to begin with. But with the extraordinary service and personal guidance given to me by my UBELONG mentor, I arrived at my placement - I'm convinced - more prepared than I ever would have been had I gone through a more expensive organization. And the perks of volunteering through UBELONG didn't end there: while I was in school teaching English or helping to clean up Ecuador's beautiful beaches (thus unable, at times, to get to the phone), my mentor was personally taking calls from my worried mother and reassuring her that yes, I was safe and doing fine. Plus, our conversations that took place both during and subsequent to my placement really helped me make sense of this complex, wonderful experience and place it in context both globally and personally. On the whole, I would say that my experience working with UBELONG was completely, totally, overwhelmingly positive; I sincerely recommend them to the prospective volunteer, and I hope that their success continues to allow them to offer amazing experiences to new generations of volunteers and world-changers.