Affordable Volunteer Programs in Ecuador from $290

I spent 2 months volunteering in Quito Ecuador in a private school. Also, I volunteered last year but I kept my review in a doc. I've decided to post it here for future volunteers. I'm from the states and I've studied abroad 2x prior to this volunteer trip. I'm also semi-fluent in spanish at a B2 level. Ok, let's begin.

Volunteer Placement:
I volunteered at a private school in south Quito. I assisted a teacher for 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes. I helped the teacher pronounce words and corrected their grammer as they were at an upper-intermediate level of English but weren’t fluent. One time after classes my head teacher asked me how to pronounce the difference between, “beach” and “b*itch”. I enjoyed my placement a lot, but I felt four weeks was enough because even the children eventually lose interest. They cried like crazy when my friend, Yan, was only there for 2 weeks. They like new faces. Also, I feel I would have made a better impact at a public school where there were 0 teachers of English and budget cuts.
Homestay:
I stayed at 2 different homestays during my 8 weeks of volunteering. For the first 4/5 weeks, I was at S's (since this is a late review I'm gonna call her "S" but if you're there you'll know). I really liked our living quarters. It was sort of like a hostel and us volunteers had privacy. There were 2 beds to a room and some of us got our own. She was a 20 minute walk from VCE or 25 cent, 5 minute bus ride. Her food was okay at times, and delicious others. She was a bit stingy at times and skimped on giving us 6, satisfying portions. She also did a few shady things and made up rules but I would give her a 7/10. Unfortunately, my other housemates were brutally honest in their feedback form and the volunteers before us had also made several complaints to the head of VCE so we were moved into different locations and they put S on a “2 month break”. I really hope she is still serving volunteers though. She was sweet and she tailored one of my skirts. After, I got placed in Myra’s house alone because I was staying the longest and a “big group was coming in 2 weeks”. I heard a few things about her house but they didn’t seem to drastically negative….If I only knew. If you are with a decent sized group at Myra’s your food quality should be okay. The best places to stay would be at America’s and the volunteer house. I heard about those 2 the most. The best breakfast is at the volunteer house. If you stay at Myra or Susana’s you will get bread, jam, a fruit and tea. The volunteer house makes omelettes, pancakes, etc.

Language Lessons:
Don’t buy too much at first. I originally paid for 30, then lowered it to 20. If I had to do it again I would have just stuck with 12 or none at all. If you are a beginner/intermediate, you may find it beneficial to take lessons but I would not recommend it for advanced students. 3/5 volunteers who lived with me took the beginner classes and none of them liked it. One didn’t even finish. However, I did meet other non-advanced volunteers to enjoyed their 12 hours but most people were bored. If you are a language lover like me and you are a beginner just buy 12 hours and decide if you want to extend or not. I’m advanced and even my teacher said I did not need to take lessons, I only needed conversation practice, which he failed at giving. I was past subjunctive, etc. Another advanced student from Switzerland lived with me as well and did not find it beneficial to take lessons. After finishing my hours I bought some Verbling.com lessons from another teacher. You decide.

Volunteer Connection Ecuador(VCE):
Sigh, I’m on the fence. They do really great with the feedback they receive when you fill out a form every two weeks. If you make a complaint they ask if you want to leave and switch you from a project. The negatives would be miscommunication and low level of English from some workers. They also treat us like children. Besides the curfew, one time I emailed the head of VCE that I would be taking off my first day after over 7 weeks of volunteering. They ignored my emails and only communicated with my host mother for 3 days. This ruined my last week as my driver was told not to show up as my host mother had not seen me as of yet. You can't come here for 2 weeks and feel you know what's happening.

Ecuador:
The first country I’ve been to with no beggars. If poor people want money, they either sell something or they perform. That was my biggest shock. It was beautiful. Speaking of beautiful, the country is beautiful with nice food and diverse landscapes. I love how close everything was and how there were endless things to do each weekend. It’s also very cheap for those of us from the US, Europe, and other wealthier countries.

Volunteers:
Most are young. Either late teens or in their twenties. There were a handful of older folk in my 8 weeks. I saw 3 in person. Many came for short stints my first 6 weeks and my last two, people came for 8+ weeks. The main negative of this placement are all the short term stints however, but it's life. Not everyone has time. It’s easy to make friends as you all live together and volunteer together, especially with the street children project. Depending on your stay, you could get really amazing people, or the opposite (not bad but boring), but most people are the same as back home except a handful may think they’re special because they travel. On that trip I met great people, but only about 5 stood out. I’m sure I wasn’t any more special to anyone else either. Just regular gap year folks.

VCE Impact:
I felt we were needed. Many schools lacked English teachers. There weren’t any particular jobs that us volunteers took from other locals. At first, I was suspicious of the street children project until I volunteered 3 days with it. The children in the market really look forward to the volunteers. They are so poor that their parents have them working in the market with them, and a lot of the children I saw had rotten teeth and dirty clothes. The street children project brought them excitement, gave them attention, taught them lessons, and most of all, allowed them to be kids.

Also, sometimes I felt like IVHQ could be doing more. Like there was some type of maintaining poverty or the current situation of the people for the volunteers. I’m not sure how much money VCE gets from us volunteers, but it appears to be little as the NGO team has to request a lot of donations to keep on running. Some projects seem very simple. In fact, most projects make an impact but not a strong change for the people as most volunteers are short term. I also read online that VCE isn’t allowed to take any non-IVHQ volunteers on. That sounds super sketch. You would think IVHQ wants to help as many suffering people as possible but a lot of it is about money. They are the middle man. Check the next topic.

Ethics:
The only thing I was adamant about before volunteering abroad was no orphanages. It just seemed extremely unethical to me. Today I still do not know where I stand on the issue of volunteers working with orphans short term. I’ve read about the positives and negatives. Anyway, some time after my trip I discovered responsible volunteering. It is a site that gives information about different organizations like IVHQ and the ethics of volunteering. A few of their posts made me give IVHQ the side eye, so I decided to message past volunteers on FB their opinions. A lot of what responsible volunteering and other negative reviews about IVHQ said were true to some extent, but they’ve improved a lot. IVHQ FB pages also deletes negative comments off of their Face Book pages so there really can’t be a real topic of discussion, so don’t drink the koolaid. I literally found old posts of people complaining about why their commentary was being deleted. I’d love for others’ to send me information as well. Some placements are in fact unprepared for volunteers. A few don’t need them. Either way, until proven wrong, I believe IVHQ benefits communities more often than not.

Safety:
Ecuador felt very safe for me. As long as you exercise caution, you should be good. I kept my bag in front of me whenever I was on public transportation, and rarely had my phone out while distracted. Only one girl got robbed at knife point on her second day. She was on her phone in a park near VCE office when a local came up to her and stole her phone (threatening with the knife).

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At the end of the day, I volunteered for selfish reasons. I wanted to travel. I wanted to learn Spanish. I wanted an enriching life experience. I wanted to have fun. I did all of those things. I’ve added more experience to my life and I’ve had the privilege of impacting the lives of my students and every person I’ve met on my trip (in some way or another). Would I volunteer with IVHQ again? Absolutely.

i chose Physical Education as my program and wanted to choose skateboarding as the sport i taught to any school that had any kind of area to accommodate, the local team through IVHQ and VCE in Ecuador helped and were very excited for this project idea since no one had done this kind of thing before in their volunteer program. I was able to get sponsorships to help support the project and donate tons of skateboards and equipment like helmets etc. and once i got to Ecuador and the school i was volunteering at you could tell the kids were so stoked. Skateboarding is a Universal Language that teaches respect, commitment and community and i think the kids not only learned a lot of great life lessons from learning how to skate over the 2 weeks i was there, but they saw how one can achieve success by doing what they love, what they are passionate about and by helping others to learn that as well. Not to mention also the food was great, and was able to make great friends from this trip that ill remember forever. Can't wait to go back!

My experience volunteering in Quito, Ecuador was rewarding and worthwhile. I loved my placement and I truly felt that my work contributed to the development of the community every day. I was able to utilize all of my strongest skills at my placement and felt appreciated and welcome there. IVHQ is an amazing volunteer organization and this was my fourth volunteer abroad trip with them; I highly recommend volunteering through IVHQ!
I was not, however, impressed with the local team in Quito called Volunteer Connection Ecuador (VCE). When I was robbed my first week, I received no help from VCE, and their office doesn't have international calling. There were also issues with one of the VCE staff members intervening in our volunteer work in a negative way.
Overall, I would recommend this program and I would DEFINITELY recommend IVHQ! Just use caution with VCE and don't rely heavily on them for support. Get advice from your placement directors rather than the VCE directors.

My experience with this program though only for a week was an amazing adventure. Every day was filled with laughter, community service and happiness! The living arrangements were comfortable and welcoming. All the other volunteers and staff will always be remembered for this. This program tho on the more expensive side was well worth the cost. The food was great and we were all always well fed. The host house was very secured and all the volunteers and I felt safe 24/7. I hope this review helps you choose to travel with IVHQ as it was a dream week.

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.