Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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The Volunteer Projects
We work directly with local NGOs and Community based organisations, taking great care to select the organisations we partner with always making sure there is a real need for volunteers and the work that volunteers do will make a difference to the local community.
We work hard with the selected local partner organisations to develop roles for the volunteers focusing on areas where real difference can be to help the organisations meet their objectives. Through a dedicated team of local managers we constantly monitor the progress that is made through the volunteer programme and constantly review the thrust of our volunteer programmes to help local communities
This Project
Coastal Ecuador is a poor region traditionally based on the declining fishing industry as its main income. Our project is based in Puerto Lopez, small fishing town, where teenagers are largely lacking in prospects, facilities and guidance. This means that they often lack direction and can be led into the underworld of drug or gang culture or leave their own community and head to the big cities in search of a more positive future. This project uses Sport as a means of reaching out to these teenagers and bringing them a sense purpose within their own community.
Your presence will make a genuine difference to them and to the social future of this community. As well as giving them a stronger purpose through their love of sport, you provide a link to the greater world which can stimulate and change their perspective. Through the sports coaching you are installing them with discipline, a sense of value, team spirit and positive direction plus a sense of achievement that they may never have experienced before. Outside of training time you will be helping them with their English language skills and this can lead to employment for them in the future in Tourism or other fields. By making friends, simple as that may be, you are providing a sense of support, encouragement and belonging which is lacking in this community. Your awareness of the greater world can stimulate them and show them what they can achieve in the future if they apply themselves. By helping in providing this life foundation and direction you can help avoid these young people from turning to drugs or gangs; which is a growing problem in the area.
You stay with a local family which provides them with a much needed income and business and allows you to integrate well into the local community. Your home is within waking distance of the project so no transportation is required during your project. You will live within the local community and be supporting local enterprise, shops, restaurants etc.
By taking Spanish lessons whilst in country you are also creating employment for local teachers.
We employ a local country manager in Ecuador which is creating employment in country and ensures a smooth operation and support for you during your stay.
Foundation:
We have our own foundation, a registered charity, which our travellers and volunteers can join us in supporting.
Aims of the foundation are:
The advancement of education, the relief of poverty and sickness and the preservation and protection of good health through the provision of financial assistance, volunteers and such other forms of support as the council members may from time to time determine.
The Foundation supports local communities by:
- Making grants to individuals
- Making grants to organisations
- Providing other finance
- Providing human resources
- Providing buildings / facilities / open space
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
