A volunteering program’s idea is simple: To help, protect and get to know the nature and the people through voluntary work. This may not be a priority for some people, but it is a lifestyle and a philosophy for a few others. Having this experience in Ecuador is something as rewarding as amazing, due to its great diversity –in all senses. Even though it is a relatively small country compared to the rest of Latin American countries, Ecuador is abundant in natural landscapes and completely different cultures. It is a diverse, multicultural and multiethnic country. This means that landscapes and wildlife, as well as people, races and traditions change drastically within a few miles, giving us the impression of being in a different country. This variety is precisely what makes Ecuador a destination with endless volunteering alternatives. In only one country, there are four different surroundings among which volunteers can pick:
• The Coast: the fishing and agricultural communities are found in the Ecuadorian coastal region, from the beautiful beaches of the Pacific Ocean to a few miles further to the East. Working in the middle of nature, staying at the typical bamboo-made houses and meeting one of the most unassuming, friendly people of the world who will make volunteers feel welcome will certainly provide a joyful, wonderful stay. Contributing to these communities is immensely appreciated. A few days after working at this place, volunteers will feel as if they have been living there for years, as part of the peasant family.
• The Andean Region: hundreds of indigenous communities, living in houses made of adobes (sun-dried bricks made of clay and straw), are settled down next to the mountains of this beautiful Andean landscape of blue skies. Each community is certainly unique; each of them has a different culture and a different way of seeing life, always under the golden rule of respecting and coexisting with each other. This respect for diversity has made them capable of welcoming with joy and without prejudices people from everywhere around the world, with any kind of ideology, willing to share their time with mutual learning and affection. A lot of foundations and associations have developed volunteering programs here, each contributing to the development of these communities, their millenary agriculture and their education.
• The Amazon: the jungle is located to the East of Ecuador, crossing the Andes. If you want to get to know the work of scientists, help discovering new species and learn about them, the Amazon is perfect for you. It has a wonderful ecosystem full of fauna and flora that remain unidentified always in need of volunteers on its various scientific stations located at rivers and tropical forests.
• The Galapagos: these islands are very similar to the Amazon in terms of variety of fauna, flora and ecosystems, but a little different to the rest of the volunteering options regarding costs and logistics. Nevertheless, Galapagos has always had a special charm. Various foundations are in constant need of volunteers for their ecosystem preservation projects, whose main objectives are to avoid the insertion of foreign species and the pollution of the environment, as well as helping reforesting the area and taking care of the endangered species. Volunteering at the Galapagos would undoubtedly be a valuable contribution to preserve this natural living laboratory.
Ecuador amazes with its great variety of cultures and ecosystems. No matter which volunteering program you choose, it will always be a unique experience that only a few people in the world get to enjoy, remembering it forever.
Photo: alexindigo
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