Program Reviews

Can fully recommend a year in Ecuador. I have such a great time here and made personal growth in new experiences everyday. I live in a hostfamily and can improve my Spanish and learn more about the ecuadorian culture.
At work I assist in english classes at a school for kids from vulnerable families. My work is isn't that hard but don't expect it to be a picnic.
Personally I would recommend my project „Proyecto Salesiano" to a person that is advanced in speaking spanish, because the students mostly aren't able to understand any english

I’m having an engaging, authentic and fun experience volunteering in Quito with Fundacion VASE.

The Program offers a nice balance between social work, cultural experiences and travel opportunities with the tight-knit community of volunteers.
Since the beginning of my stay in October I’ve had the chance to travel to many cities within Ecuador, with other volunteers as well as friends I’ve made here.
I’ve also gotten to know Quito well, make many friends and attend a ton of fun cultural events.
At the same time I’ve been working 25 hours a week at a school for disabled youth, learning Spanish and contributing to equal opportunities for the students.

I am thoroughly enjoying the experience of living in Cañar and being part of the PRIMOK project. Cañar is a small indigenous community where I learn a LOT about what it's like to live on agriculture and selling products on the daily market; The cities Azogues and Cuenca, where I take dancing lessons and go out at night, are only a one-hour bus ride away. So I'm getting the best of both worlds!
Working for PRIMOK, I take on the role of an English teacher. Although I am not a qualified educator, PRIMOK appreciates me for my motivation to learn while teaching, my intuitive understanding of the kids' needs and my fluent English. My fellow teachers are volunteers from all around the globe whose age ranges from eighteen to sixty; The high diversity of our team results in enriching interpersonal exchange. What we all share: high motivation to improve the project! I highly recommend PRIMOK for curious volunteers with good English skills who enjoy working with kids and adolescents. Cañar may be your place to go if you are unafraid of experiencing a little culture shock, a mountain lover and/or a foodie: The Indígenas' affection is generally expressed through generosity in offering tons of delicious foods.

Ecuador is a completly different county than Germany. And i am glad that it is, otherwise i wouldn't have learned so much about me. Also it got me out of my comfort Zone, which helped me grow more as a Person. Vase is a great Organisation, they are Always there for you when you need them. I would consider them more helpful than my Organisation in Germany.
I also really Like how different the whole country is. From the dschungle over the mountains to the beach, you can experience a lot here. Also i have Made some great friends who i really like

I am a german volunteer with VASE and working in a primary school in Quito with two more volunteers.

I live in a very kind and integrating host family in Quito, approximately one hour from my project by bus. In the project I support the English teacher and teach music and arts. The primary school has about 200 students in the age between three and twelve years.
Although the project is sometimes a little bit spontanious with decisions and the children are often noisy in class, it's rewarding to see the children being happy and kind to you.
Next to our usual work schedule we sometimes attend to special celebrations on the weekend, e.g. a football cup (picture) or traditional festivities.
Due to the excellent ubication of Quito and Ecuador being a small country you can easily use weekends and vacation days to explore all the amazing nature and cities of Ecuador (coast, amazon rain forest, sierra and Galapagos).

All in all, I really recommend doing a volunteer service with VASE in the formal educational sector because of the rewarding work, the numerous possibilities you have in your free time and because you can really learn a lot about yourself and the ecuadorian culture.

Vase is the best option if you are looking for something in south America, the have a lot of programs from schools to working in the jungle.
The best thing is that you get to live with people from another countries and learn a lot of this beautiful culture. Is a small country but it has a lot of biodiversity.
You should definetely go to all the beaches, specially montañita. Try to visit a lot of places while you are there.
Do not forget Galapagos that is the most amazing thing, you can swim with sharks.