Volunteering: WWW.VOLUNTEERINGECUADOR.ORG, a non-profit, small, organisation, offers you the opportunity to assist some of the most underprivileged and needy children in Ecuador and at the same time, learn Spanish and explore this diverse, spectacular and exciting country. Few countries can boast such cultural and physical diversity. Ecuador is home to the Amazon jungle, Andean snow capped mountains and volcanoes, serene Pacific beaches and the word renowned Galapagos Islands.

We offer volunteering opportunities and Spanish language-training to those tourists who would like to conduct these activities in parallel to their touristy plans. Therefore you only require a tourist visa which is granted free of charge for three months or more upon your arrival at the Quito Airport.

Costs of volunteering and / or Spanish training (American Dollars):

- Registration fee (one time payment): $190 which permits us to cover our operating costs (there are no salaries), which includes visits to the projects before choosing one, 24 hours support, a welcome dinner, airport pick up and a certificate of attendance.

- Host family cost: to cover a fully equipped bedroom (TV, DVD), bath/shower, board and laundry, with one of our upper middle class host families at the best residential neighbourhood in Quito. Minimum stay: 30 days.

Living room of one of our host families homes

- Spanish classes: For 20 hours spanish classes there is a $30 registration fee which is paid only once. Groups up to 4 students cost $135 and one to one tuition costs $180.


Our affiliated first class Spanish academy

- Volunteering Schedule: This is flexible. Volunteers usually work in the mornings (4 - 6 hours) and learn Spanish / salsa / sight see etc in the afternoons. Some volunteers prefer to volunteer from Monday to Thursday in order to tour the country at the weekend.

" I volunteered in Quito for 6 weeks. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had in my life. I was working at a centre for children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. When I finished my placement the children definitely have a special place in my heart forever. Everyday the children would amaze me with their bravery and individual personalities. My Spanish was limited but the children did not care, they made it their job to help and teach me! Quito was a beautiful city to live in and I was extremely comfortable with my host family, and they really treated me like part of the family."
San Francisco USA 3 July 2007
Jennifer Wong

"Honest, friendly and welcoming, low cost, flexible, genuine... I could not have expected anything better from a volunteering organisation. I fell very lucky that I found WWW.VOLUNTEERINGECUADOR.ORG. The organisation allowed me to achieve so much in my three months, both in the volunteering work itself and also in the realisation of abilities I never thought I had. Working with the kids was very rewarding and it was very hard to leave them.
Due to the fact that VE is also runs at minimum prices purely based on costs, I was also able to volunteer for the length of time I desired, unlike if I had gone with some of the more expensive companies whom essentially offer the same thing, if not, less. VE is an organistion clearly commited to helping the poor, unlike other companies who unfortunaltely capture the market but are, without doubt, out to make a profit.
Because of the nature of the organisation, and the welcoming accomadation of the host family, I really now feel part of the VE family, and know that I now have a family in Ecuador forever."
John Willoughby ( United Kingdom )

"After I had decided to work for an ONG in Ecuador, it took me some time surfing on internet to find what I was looking for: a small, dedicated, non profit-making organization which would offer me a very specific job and which would really make me feel useful. And I finally found it with volunteeringecuador.org. It was even tailor-made. My dream had always been to work with Indian kids, and I spent part of my days surrounded by them. In a poor but safe area growing fast with many people coming from the country, mostly Indians, every morning I would be greeted with cheerful and happy smiles by hundreds of kids ("Hola profe", "Hola teacher") It was maybe the best moment of the day and I kept feeling thrilled every time I got into the school grounds.
Marcelo, the head (and the heart) of volunteeringecuador.org, is always ready to help and makes everything possible so that you can be comfortably accommodated for a very low cost. In the end I think I got much more from all of them than I could give them and I only regretted I had not planned to stay longer."
Jean-Philippe Emery

"When I was researching other volunteer organizations I was frustrated because most of them were large, one needed to pay an enormous amount of fees to lend their services to the organization, and I was not very comfortable with that type or arrangement. My first impression of WWW.VOLUNTEERINGECUADOR.ORG was that it was a small organization that was truly focused on helping the people. Luckily I followed my heart, contacted WWW.VOLUNTEERINGECUADOR.ORG, and soon began an experience that would change me forever. I had never done any volunteer work in the past nor had I been to South America before but I can honestly say that I had the time of my life here. I met amazing people involved in the organization as well as the people that I worked with. WWW.VOLUNTEERINGECUADOR.ORG is dedicated to helping the people of Ecuador in any manner possible. It may be a small organization like the country of Ecuador but I believe many times the smallest things have the most to offer".Stephanie Lacika

For more references, please click "TESTIMONIALS"