Affordable Volunteer Programs in Ecuador from $290

The passion of the local team was severely infectious, as I entered hoping to grow as a person and exited with a family.

I got to work closely with kids in the street children project, and it was even more motivating to go to the markets when they greet you running with a hug! The administration support work I did was also very valuable, as the staff made me feel appreciated all throughout and I gained useful knowledge in how a nonprofit organisation works!

My family (4 kids from 17 to 8) and I had a really good experience working with the VCE Street Children program. It was hard work, but really rewarding! The volunteer coordinators, host family and everyone involved made it a good experience. We don't speak a lot of Spanish in the family, but that didn't hinder us too much in working with the children. We felt like we had an opportunity to contribute in a small way to the experience and hope that others continue to select and participate in the program.

My family, including 3 children 13, 12, and 10 volunteered through IVHQ in the Sreet Children program in Ecuador. IVHQ made this trip possible with excellent customer service and an easy step by step method.
I spoke to IVHQ, for the first time, 4 weeks before we landed in Ecuador. Though this is not an ideal lead time to plan a trip like this, because they are so organized, helpful and overall fantastic I was able to plan a fabulous trip with their help. I felt comfortable and safe for myself in my family because of the support, information and training.
I will use IVHQ again. They were our travel agent, concierge, and booking agent all in one.

I had the privilege to spend February 2018 in Quito Ecuador volunteering with Volunteer Connection Ecuador (VCE.) From the moment I arrived at the airport until the day of my departure the members of the VCE team were welcoming, knowledgeable, and extremely well-organized. Their Monday group orientation for new volunteers provided the necessary framework to get started with projects most suited to our skills and interests. On the first day of our placement, a fellow volunteer and I who had chosen to work in community development, were escorted to the school where we would spend our month volunteering. This allowed us to feel comfortable with the local public transportation system and also was a wonderful introduction to the staff members with whom we would be working. Since I am a retired teacher very involved with school and community gardening in the U.S., my placement could not have been more perfect. My days there were spent in the beautiful gardens, working with staff and students. I was in paradise! My fellow volunteer spent most of her time helping with kitchen duties and also spending time with the students on the playground. On a few rainy days we worked in the school’s library.
I want to thank Gina Molina, VCE’s program manager, for her part in creating a very memorable experience for me. In addition to making our integration into the school community seamless, she also acted as a “travel agent” by setting up weekend excursions outside of Quito. VCE also connected us with patient and energetic Spanish teachers. After returning to my accommodations (which were also fine, by the way) after volunteering at the school, I prepared for afternoon language lessons. Never a dull moment! I hope to return within the year to work again with this very impressive organization.

I cannot tell you how amazing this volunteer opportunity was. The IVHQ folks were amazing!!! My placement at the school with Kindergarten students was unforgettable. As if that wasn't enough, I made like 50 new friends and we traveled every weekend. The younger gals knew what to do so I just followed and had a blast. I never thought I'd have my arms wrapped around a tree in the Amazon Rain Forest but I did. Then I zip lined - BACKWARD! The girls made me do it and I don't regret a second of it!!!

I loved my short time volunteering in Quito. I volunteered on the street children project and loved it. The staff were very friendly, welcoming and inclusive. The children clearly loved the sessions as they were fun, age appropriate and interactive with lots of songs and suitable resources. The volunteer accommodation was comfortable and well presented. Food provided was also a good standard. To anyone looking into doing this I would say go for it.

Volunteering in Quito, Ecuador was a lifechanging experience for me. Traveling to another continent alone can be terrifying, but from the minute I stepped foot into the country, I felt welcomed by local staff and fellow volunteers. At the airport I was met by a representative from Volunteer Connection Ecuador as well as two other girls with whom I would be sharing the taxi ride to the volunteer house. We quickly hit it off, and ended up making holiday weekend travel plans during the car ride. Orientation was incredible, as it included a thorough walking tour of Old Town (one of the most incredible areas of Quito) followed by a briefing from the local staff. The local staff in Ecuador were adored by all volunteers, especially those on the Street Children project. Every morning, we would wake up and travel to the markets together, where the local staff always made us feel safe and watched all volunteers carefully on the bus rides there. The program itself is incredibly impactful as you grow to love the kids from day 1. Possibly some of the sweetest children you will ever encounter, the hardest part about going home is leaving them behind. When not volunteering, you are able to grow close to those in your homestay, sharing meals at home, weekend trips, and nights out together. I was able to travel with fellow volunteers to Baños and the Amazon, something that I will not soon forget. Taking a trip with IVHQ is sure to be one of the best experiences of your life, as every person you will encounter will help you grow as a person.

I had never been to south american so i didn’t know what to expect. Also, this was my first volunteering experience. IVHQ are very supportive and they take care of you in the whole process not only until you pay and confirm your spot! The street children program was quite the life changing experience for me! It was exactly what I needed to make sure I am making someone happy just by being there. The children are adorable and their smiles were worth everything for me. The only thing i would comment on would be the language barrier, which is why i would recommend IVHQ has a mandatory requirement of basic Spanish for all programs. I was practically suffering in the first week to communicate with the staff and kids at least until Spanish lessons kicked in! 😀
It is a good program and UBECI is trying to give those children the support they need. With some changes, this could be one of the best IVHQ programs.

I volunteered in Quito, Ecuador for 4 weeks and for the most part it was a wonderful journey, but it's been over a year after my experience and it's important I finally write a review. Part way through my stay, I was robbed with a knife a block away from my host family's house during daylight (7:30 am). I was wearing plain, modest clothing and had no flashy jewelry on etc. I was carrying a backpack as I was going to meet a volunteer friend at the bus stop for a weekend trip. I was in no place to fight off a man in my face with a large knife (and turns out he had an accomplice waiting for him a block away) and gave everything to him as he demanded. I was fortunate that I was not harmed. I ran to the bus stop to find my friend. The director of VCE was called. He asked if I was okay which I appreciate but to my knowledge did nothing else. My host family was really helpful and walked with me to the police station. The police tried to ignore what happened. My host father, who I will forever appreciate for this, argued with 3 different officers for nearly an hour until they agreed to write a report. My complaint IS NOT that I was robbed. This is not anyone's fault. It was difficult in many ways, to do things like acquiring some medications I lost, but my complaint is how it was handled by VCE. Although I would have preferred VCE share this with volunteers to alert them, at the very least they could have asked if I needed help replacing anything, or asked how I was doing. I told different staff what happened and this was not shared between them. Maybe one time, one of the staff could have said, "How are you doing?". My fellow volunteers were amazing. They gave me extra things they had like a rain jacket, basic medicines, etc. There was another volunteer, also a young white female, robbed with a knife nearby her host family's house (different house from mine) a couple weeks after I left Ecuador. I heard she was not hurt but that there were 5 criminals involved; I never heard the full story. My roommate there witnessed a daytime robbery a few blocks from the office, near the mall. I am concerned at the safety of these neighborhoods. I had been to South America twice before (once before to Ecuador) so I felt I had good travel common sense. This review would be entirely different had I not been robbed and I would be raving about the VCE staff and experience, the awesome Spanish lessons, the bakeries, adorable Ecuadorian kids, and friends I made from around the world. Those are bright memories I have and I understand all the stellar reviews for VCE, as I almost was in that position too. But it bothers me how my robbery was handled. IVHQ I WOULD recommend to people; the Ecuador program I would not. IVHQ handled the situation much better. I told them about the robbery in the review and I could tell in the email they truly cared and wanted to understand what happened. That meant so much to me, so thank you, IVHQ. VCE does incredible things for people of Quito, and the staff really are wonderful people that provided great program support. I was the first volunteer I'm personally aware of that was a victim of robbery at knife-point, so I realize they may not have known how to handle such a situation, which is one reason why I wrote this review. So many areas of Quito are beautiful, and I hope things are going well for VCE, but I will never return.

I participated in the Street Children Work project in Ecuador. I absolutely loved this trip for so many reasons. First of all, IVHQ does such a good job of responding to emails and making sure you're safe and prepared to travel, and also help you arrange weekend trips easily. Secondly, I really liked the homestead aspect. On the trip, volunteers are placed in the home of an actual family living in Ecuador with other volunteers. The food they cooked was amazing, and it was interesting to see how they lived their lives in Ecuador. Also it was awesome to meet volunteers from all around the world. For the actual volunteering, the kids were great, they're all super grateful for your presence and very loving. The UBECI staff is so good with kids and it's really fulfilling to see how excited they get when they see us in the markets. Ecuador is also relatively inexpensive to the states and has a fun nightlife on the weekends. Overall, I really recommend this trip and IVHQ in general.

I was reluctant to travel alone as a single female, but could not be any happier that I did! Between the experience itself and the friends that I made along the way, this program was life changing! I worked for a month on the Street Children Project in Quito and never wanted to leave. From teaching English to children falling asleep in your arms, it was beyond my every expectation. The children are so loving and want nothing more than your love and attention. The UBECI staff was amazing and made you feel comfortable and right at home. I also took part in the Spanish lessons that were offered and they were intense, but I learned a great deal. Safety was not an issue as you travel to and from the street markets as a group. While staying in Quito, I was placed at the volunteer house. At the house, on our downtime, we played games, had movie nights, and planned our next adventures. Those of us at the house generally traveled as a group on the weekends as there are so many things to do and see! I would recommend this program to anyone that is looking for a hands on experience that will impact the children's lives and their lives forever.

I didn't realize what I was getting into. I had a great time and am glad I went but I didn't like the city of Quito at all. You do have to have a god level of Spanish speaking skills in order to talk with anyone. The only people I met who spoke Spanish were the people at IVHQ and the fellow volunteers. You will be staying with a host family who does not speak English. It is hard, but a great experience nonetheless.

I have previously traveled with IVHQ to Kenya and China, but out of the three programs I have participated in, working with UBECI in Quito has been my favorite. Though there are things that could be improved upon from an NGO stand-point, the intent and mission of the UBECI staff and program coordinators is incredible. Jairo and Javier (the group leaders) were amazing with the kids, they always led fun, engaging lessons, and you could tell that they cared very deeply about the kids and their welfare. The kids were so much fun to play with - they were all so happy and so friendly, it was so rewarding to be able to work with them, to teach them, to be examples to them, to play with them, and to learn from them.
With most people, especially with me and the programs I have participated in, I always go in thinking that I am going to do my best to serve the kids and make even the smallest difference in their lives, but after you go home, you realize that the kids made such an impact on you and helped/served you more than you ever thought possible. This stands true for this program - I learned more from working with UBECI than I ever thought possible, and I am eternally grateful for that.

My volunteer trip to Quito, Ecuador in 2 words would be "life changing". I had never heard of IVHQ before and so when it started getting close to when it was time to leave I got a little bit more nervous. A week before my trip I came across a Facebook page for Ecuador IVHQ Program, so I joined it and got to reading on tips from past volunteers and even met volunteers via Facebook who were arriving the same time as me, seeing this eased my nerves. I felt more ready than ever. When I arrived in Quito, Ecuador with my boyfriend and as we walked right through the "exit doors" into the airport lobby there was a man with my boyfriend and I's name on the sign, which was super easy and comforting to see. He took us to our accommodations where our host mom Monica was there to welcome us to our new home for the next 2 weeks and to show us around. They instantly made us feel at home!! We met the volunteers that were living in the Volunteer House as well and we all clicked instantly and were laughing and sharing about ourselves in no time. Monday came along and we had orientation which was super informative and answered any questions we may have had. We also met the IVHQ staff that worked in the offices and everyone was sweet and eager to help us. Tuesday we jumped right in and started volunteering, we met the staff of the organization, UBECI, whom we would be volunteering with for the Street Children project. Everyone in this staff was so sweet and you could tell by the first day they truly cared about the kids and the difference that we were making. I fell in love with all the kids! We would wash their hands, play games with them, and have small interactive lessons with them. The connection that my boyfriend and I made with the kids, staff, and other volunteers was extraordinary. We had become one big family!! And to top it all off the meals that the host families would cook for us were delicious and I still crave them to this day. The time flew by and by the end of the trip the only regret I had was not staying longer. I would 10/10 recommend to anyone who is considering volunteering abroad or in a different country! Can't wait to go back one day! Thank you IVHQ staff and UBECI staff!

I originally went to Ecuador because I needed something to pad my resumé for PhD program admissions. What I got instead was something much more than that. During my time there, I spent most of my days in the NGO Support project, with some days spent in the Street Children project, seeking funding and logistic support for the UBECI Foundation, which seeks to better the lives of underserved and underprivileged children at risk in the capital city of Quito. Not only is the cause a good one, but the organization itself is fantastic. The team takes their charge seriously and they really do make a difference in the lives of the children they serve. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are a godsend. To have been able to work with them was truly an honor, and I expect to be going back some day very soon.

But beyond the work I did, I can happily say that I was satisfied with every aspect of my trip. I planned it through IVHQ, who partners with VCE in-country, and both of them saw to my every need. My accommodation in the Volunteer House with Monica and Byron was an excellent experience. We were well fed, warmly welcomed, and made to feel at home. On top of this, VCE provided many travel opportunities around the city and beyond for decent prices, which I took great advantage of.

All told, the relatively cheap cost of this program along with the excellent work environment and the overall good experience makes this trip ideal for everyone, regardless of your travel or volunteer experience. People of all ages and backgrounds were there, including whole families. I highly recommend you take advantage of this opportunity.