Sustainable Roots

My boyfriend Douglas and I spent six weeks volunteering with Sustainable Roots during the summer months of 2016. We had an incredible experience working with Toni and the other volunteers creating fun activities for the kids during their summer vacation. From rock climbing to creating GIANT models of the planets from recycled materials, our time with the organisation was truly incredible. We also enjoyed teaching English in the village and taught classes twice a week to the preschool kids and every evening to the older kids. We focused our lessons around fun activities to encourage the kids to enjoy learning English whilst simultaneously improving our Spanish.

Cosanga is a beautiful place surrounded by nature and the sense of community living in such a small village made us feel really welcome and at home. We also took advantage of our proximity to the amazon basin and spent a few weekends exploring the amazon jungle.

Living in the volunteer house was great fun as we were able to cook our own meals an in the evenings we spent time getting to know the other volunteers and members of the community.

We had such an amazing time that we have already made plans to go back as soon as I graduate from University. I would recommend this organisation to anyone who is interested in volunteering overseas.

For 2 months I spent my life in the little, lively town of Cosanga volunteering as an English Teacher for Sustainable Roots. My entire life I had dreamed about volunteering abroad and what it would be like to immerse myself in a culture, but I wasn't prepared for the experience Sustainable Roots was going to offer me. From the most energetic boss you will ever have, to the cutest kids you will ever teach, to the most welcoming neighbors, and breathtaking landscapes, this is an experience not to be passed up.

I remember walking off the bus the first day with Toni (our boss) after she picked me up from the airport and I could see the impact this Organization had on the town from day one. We weren't able to walk the 50ft to the Organization house without about 100 kids (okay, I'm over-exaggerating, but you get the point) running up to hug her so excited to tell her some story of the day; Or the adults in the town, stopping her to ask a question or just to chat. And after that day, the same happened to me whenever I walked outside. Sustainable Roots helps to bring the town together - hosting community mingas to build a park where the entire town shows up to help, and helping better educate the children because children are the future. It is a powerful thing to be a part of. I cannot count the amount of hugs I received, nor quantify the amount of love I felt.

Building a 2.5meter Jupiter out of recycled bottles, playing soccer in the pouring rain, creating scavenger hunts for the kids, beautiful hikes, trying to make a fire while camping in the rain-forest (it worked!), stargazing, and telling scary stories when the power went out, all kept life pretty interesting. If you want any funny stories I have plenty! Not to mention exploring the country on the weekends - jumping off bridges, swimming in rivers, accidentally being part of an Ecuadorian comedy act in a park in Quito, attending music festivals, and hiking to swings on cliffs were just some of my experiences. And I can't forget the friendships that were made. I now have friends from all around the world - Scotland, Ireland, and Ecuador. They are people who will always hold a special place in my heart, along with the town of Cosanga. Every part was amazing. Ecuador is an awe-inspiring country.

If you're unsure whether to do this or not- don't be. I was just like you once, reading the reviews on this website wondering if this would be the right fit for me. I wasn't fluent in Spanish, and I've never taught. But these things didn't matter so much - because as soon as you arrive you will want to work as hard as you can for these people, because they are amazing, inspiring, and beautiful.

It is the adventure of a lifetime you won't ever want to end!

I spent two months volunteering for sustainable roots and it was an entirely positive experience. The organization works hard and gets a lot done, even with their limited funding. One of my favorite parts about this organization was its connection with the community. Sustainable Roots hosts many free classes for the local people in its volunteer house. After classes, many kids hang out at the volunteer house. The volunteer house almost serves as a community center for the children. I enjoyed being constantly surrounded by lively, loving, and accepting children.

My time there was spent teaching and helping out with classes, planting trees, working in the greenhouse, and traveling around the country on the weekends. Cosanga is a beautiful place that not many foreigners visit. I enjoyed being entirely immersed in a culture so different from my home. It's also a great place to learn Spanish because none of the locals speak english.

If you are thinking about volunteering with Sustainable Roots DO IT. It was my first time outside of the US and I feel that my time there positively impacted the way I think about life forever. Cosanga and the people I met there will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Sustainable Roots is one of the best international non-profits out there. I volunteered with them for six months after I graduated college and the experience changed my life forever.

I majored in International Development and through my classes quickly learned that not all International Non-Profits are created equal. Many cause more problems than they alleviate. However, Sustainable Roots is not that way. This program seeks sustainability by looking at the community's needs rather than trying to impose its own agenda and I think that's what makes it so effective.

One of the best things about volunteering with this program is how valuable your roll is in it. You're not just a useless participant, but a creative contributor helping to craft and execute its mission.

This is a program for people who are looking to be truly immersed in a culture, rather than just be a tourist.

This is a program for people who are looking to actually make a difference, rather than just collect an experience.

But that's not to say my experience was't full of adventures. Because it was full of too many to count. Full of zip-lining, rainforest trecking, food sampling, river touring, waterfall rappelling, cow milking, city scoping, hot springs soaking, volcano hiking, artisan shopping, bridge jumping, rock climbing, jungle camping, monkey meeting, and white-water rafting, But, most importantly, it was full of people. People with big hearts in a small town and I am forever grateful.

Stepping outside of your comfort zone is paramount for personal growth and that is what I did when I went to Ecuador. However, when I arrived, I immediately felt welcome and included when Toni (Sustainable Roots Founder and the raddest person on Earth) met me at the airport. She is the nicest and goofiest friend you will ever have.

The people who live in the town are friendly and will do anything to make you feel like Cosanga is your town too. From Don Lucho manning his tiny store that sells whole chickens down to lollipops that, I'm pretty sure are illegal in the United states because they are so sweet, to the people outside of the town who teach you how to milk cows and whistle for birds.

It is difficult living in a foreign country, learning a foreign language and practicing foreign customs, but that is what makes the experience worthwhile. Well, that and teaching English to the most adorable kids in the entire world. The students are eager to meet and become friends with any and all volunteers.

I stayed for six months and wanted to work and change my visa just so I could stay longer. I miss Cosanga, Ecuador everyday not because of the unparalleled beauty, but because of the people I laughed, played and sang with.

I HIGHLY recommend Sustainable Roots.

-Robert