Our child care project
A big part of the Ecuadorian population still lives below the poverty line. For poor families it’s often hard to give their children a careless childhood, because there isn’t enough money for healthy food and not enough knowledge for a good education.
Child care center
A lot of families in Ecuador are ‘one parent families’ and more than once the mother is still a teenager, without any education or job. When a mother does have a job, often they take their children with them to work, where they have to sit in a corner and be quiet. Alcoholism among parents is also a common thing.
Not far from our office there is a daycare that receives children in the ages from two to twelve years on a daily basis. The kids follow a curriculum that is recognized by the Ecuadorian government, get a healthy meal and they participate in workshops and sports classes that are organized with the help of international volunteers. The children grow up in a safe environment and receive the attention they deserve. At the same time their parents have the opportunity to complete their education or to earn a living.
As a volunteer you work on a daily basis in the daycare. Your job consists mainly of supporting the teachers who often have a lot of experience working in this place. You work with children across different ages, each with its own story. Characteristic for this project is creativity, enthusiasm and of course dealing with young children.
My farewell of the market was very emotional. The feedback I received from the other volunteers moved me deeply and the band that I created with these people is very valuable to me.
The special thing about this project is that you’re really working with the underclass of society. A valuable project for valuable people. It gives you a different picture of reality.
How can I help?
Spanish
Location
Costs
Requirements
Typical day
At the child care project, you can work as a social worker, a coordinator or an assistent to the manager. students can follow internships in fields like psychology, pedagogy, anthropology, social work and more.
- Design, plan and organize sports and games, hygiene workshops and educational activities;
- Invent creative activities for the children;
- Create a safe and stimulating environment for the children;
- Encourage discipline, respect and cooperation;
- Think actively with the organization and the project; what is needed? What could be (done) better?;
- All kinds of tasks in the kitchen;
- Provide personal attention to children who are behind.
It is important to take spanish lessons to be able to participate and communicate with local people. In our office in Quito we have experienced teachers. During the lessons besides Spanish you will learn about culture and get enough experience. This is ideal because you will also have the opportunity to participate in all our projects in Quito: English school, swimming school, soccer school and other interesting activities, see our Spanish course page.
The prices of a Spanish course in your country of origin normally vary between 20 and 30 euros per hour. Local Dreamers offers its volunteers and interns excellent Spanish classes for the price of only € 11 per lesson. Every volunteer and intern are very excited about our Spanish lessons.
- Spanish Basic: €264,-24 lessons
- Spanish Intensive: €440,- lessons
- Spanish Specialist: €660,- lessons
The main office of Local Dreamers is in Quito the capital of Ecuador. There is also the meeting point to direct our volunteers and interns to the different projects. Our facilities have everything you need to prepare your lessons. We have a pleasant working environment with computers, internet and printers. In the cafeteria you can prepare a good cup of tea, coffee and a snack. Outside our office, just one step away, you will have access to all the facilities you need, for example, a large supermarket, restaurants (with a full menu for less than three euros) stationery stores, bakeries and even hairdressers, etc.
Upon your arrival at the airport, José Luis (our driver) will be waiting to take you to our office, where one of our guides will be waiting to take you to your lodging and will also teach you everything you need while you get used to the projects and how to get around in Ecuador.
In consultation with us and the daycare we offer a lot of different internships. There is a collaboration with a lot of different disciplines such as psychologists, social workers, doctors and podiatrists and depending on the situation and the needs of the moment you can do your internship on a daily basis. Please contact us if you want to know more.
First 4 weeks: €790,-
From the 5th week: €150,- p.w
WHAT IS INCLUDES?
- Preparation and guidance
- Management of your accommodation
- 24/7 in-country support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Airport pick-up
- Personalized guide, orientation and preparation with our team in Ecuador.
- Access to all computer equipment, printers, paper, internet, and other materials necessary for planning.
- Accommodation
- Breakfast and dinner included if you stay with a host family
- Feel free to prepare your own food and have full access to a clothes washer and dryer if you stay in our volunteer house.
By choosing one of our projects in the city of Quito you have the opportunity to participate in all the other projects in Quito at no additional cost
As a serious and responsible organization we ask for the following requirements to participate in our projects:
• Fill out registration form
• Sign general terms and conditions
• Sign code of conduct
• Have travel insurance
• Vaccines
• Criminal background check
• Copy of passport
Important: to reserve it is necessary to pay a registration fee
You can work part-time or full-time at the youth center, depending on your further program. Normally you start at 9 AM and finish your day around 5 PM. In between you have ample time to have lunch with your colleagues, fellow volunteers and interns and of course the kids.
Free-time activities
During your stay with Local Dreamers you will live with one of our local host families or you will have a room in our volunteer house. It’s completely up to you. Both the host families and volunteer house (located above our office) are located in central Quito, near the historical center and the tourist center.
In the weekends you are free to come and go wherever you want. Ecuador is incredibly versatile, but still relatively small and easily accessible. From Quito you can easily go on a discovery tour and get to know more of this fantastic country. Our coordinators are happy to help you on your way. If you want to take a little more time for a trip, that is of course always possible. We are a flexible organization and are happy to think along with you.
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