Current Volunteer Projects in Ecuador:
1. Organic Farming and Environmental Education on the Ecuador Coast - £1173 ($2053) for 4 weeks
2. Work in an Ecuadorian NGO in Quito - £795 ($1391) for 2 weeks
3. Work in a Day Care Centre for Children of the Rubbish Dump in Ecuador - £795 ($1391) for 2 weeks
4. Childcare and Therapy at an Orphanage in Ecuador - £795 ($1391) for 2 weeks
5. Ecotourism and Conservation in the Mindo Cloud Forest - £895 ($1566) for 2 weeks
6. Fair Trade Development and Agroforestry Internship in the Amazon Rainforest - £795 ($1391) for 2 weeks
7. Environmental Conservation on Biological Stations in the Galapagos Islands - £1535 ($2686) for 3 weeks
8. Environmental Conservation on Biological Stations in the Amazon Rainforest - £995 ($1741) for 3 weeks
9. Environmental Conservation on Biological Stations in the Andes - £995 ($1741) for 3 weeks
10. Environmental Conservation on Biological Stations on the Ecuador Coast - £995 ($1741) for 3 weeks
Please note that project availability can change frequently. Please check our website for the latest updates.
Interview with Emily Wyszynski, world famous Kaya alum
GO: Why did you decide to volunteer with Kaya Volunteer in Ecuador?
Emily: I had saved up some money and wanted to travel somewhere new in the world, but I wanted to do something more meaningful than paying to stay at a resort, etc. I thought it would be great to experience a country by working with the people who live there and by making a physical (as well as monetary) contribution to their projects.
I researched quite a few companies that offered volunteering opportunities abroad, and I felt that Kaya provided a legitimate and well-organized connection to the projects that I was interested in. Their website was clear and easy to navigate, and they were always quick to answer my emails and enquiries.
As this was my first time volunteering, but also my first time on a big trip abroad by myself, I (along with my family) had several worries before I travelled. Kaya was very helpful and addressed all of my questions/worries and provided valuable advice on travelling in general, going abroad and going it alone.
Emily making a new friend
GO: Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
Emily: In the mornings, you would help prepare the food for the animals and then proceed to clean the cages and provide the animals with fresh food and water. After lunch, your duties could include constructing new structures or fixing existing structures for the inside of the animal cages or helping to fix things (cages, steps, etc.) around the Centre. Some animals were also fed later in the afternoon. Every other week, the volunteers and staff would go to teach a lesson about various environmental issues to the children at the local school. This involved some brainstorming for lesson ideas by the volunteers and preparation of teaching material (drawings, posters etc.).
Some of the children from the local school we taught at (we sponsored their team with jerseys)
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Emily: First of all, I feel very lucky and fortunate to have had this experience. I am also so glad that I took the opportunity to do something like this. I learned so much about myself and about other cultures (through the Ecuadorian people and friends/volunteers from other countries). I feel awakened after this experience and that my adventures have just begun. I want to continue exploring and learning about new places in the world. I have started to learn new languages, as I can see how important and valuable it is to an experience and to improve yourself as an individual.
My experience definitely changed me. It made me more flexible as a person. When you travel and volunteer abroad, you don’t have as much control over your surroundings or what happens, so it teaches you to let go a little and just let things happen. This has made me more calm in many situations since I’ve returned home. One thing I didn’t expect with this experience was to think differently about my career path. I participated in this project to work with animals, but what I didn’t expect was to enjoy the teaching aspect of the project as much as I did. It made me realize that I love interacting with people about things that I’m passionate about. I am now looking to transition myself into taking my knowledge of animals and the environment and using it to get people excited about getting involved and caring about the living world outside of themselves.
Being away from home (in my case, on my own) and having these experiences allows you to spend some quality time reflecting on what you really enjoy in life and what you want to do for yourself to be happy.
10,186 Awesome Followers!
I personally love animals and love working with and learning about them (especially new species I have no knowledge of). I was also interested in working on a project involving the environment and conservation. As this was my first time volunteering, but also my first time on a big trip abroad by myself, I (along with my family) had several worries before I travelled. Kaya was very helpful and addressed all of my questions/worries. One of the Kaya coordinators told me that volunteering is probably the best way to travel solo, as you have the ability to meet new people and others in your situation.
As part of the program, you will help prepare the food for the animals, clean cages and provide the animals with fresh food and water daily. Other duties included constructing new structures or fixing existing structures for the inside of the animal cages or helping to fix things (cages, steps, etc.) around the Centre. Every other week, the volunteers and staff would also go to teach a lesson about various environmental issues to the children at the local school.
There were many highlights I would say. Just being able to see and learn about new species in the world (especially the Amazon Rainforest) was great. Specifically spending extra time with the species that were not going to be re-released into the wild (the songo songo and the coati) was very special and meaningful. I loved taking a tour of the new project site and the family’s plantations by trekking into the Amazon. They let us try different fruits they had there and it was just interesting to experience how they live and work every day. Getting to explore the nearby cities on weekends was also a fantastic cultural experience. In addition, before I had left, I had read that soccer is a big sport in Ecuador so I decided to bring a soccer ball as a gift to the children at the local school. They absolutely loved it and were so happy! It was very touching to see how much this one simple gift meant to the children.
I would recommend that anyone considering this project actually has a genuine love or appreciation for animals. The work isn’t necessarily the most glamorous, so if you don’t truly care about the animals you may not take as much pride in your work which is only going to affect their living conditions and well-being. The main purpose of the Centre is to look after the animals and, as a volunteer, you are there to help them with this objective. You shouldn’t expect to be catered to or to be living in style. I would also fully recommend anyone participating in this project or volunteering in Ecuador to do is to learn Spanish. You don’t have to be fluent by any means, but the people really appreciate if you try and can communicate on some level. I only went to Ecuador with basic Spanish skills and found it a bit difficult. Lastly, I would recommend anyone participating in this program to be flexible. I found there were minor aspects of the program that I knew about before my trip, that were not entirely accurate once I got there. I have learned that although you may have expectations for a trip, it likely won’t turn out exactly the way you think it will. You may think this means your experience won’t be as great, but in reality it just means your experience will be different. This is one of the most important things I’ve learned from my experience- to learn to be flexible and to understand that you can take new (and unexpected) things away from a trip.