Community Partner since 1996.
My Short-term Service Trip to Ecuador
While short-term volunteering has gotten a bad rap because of ill-conceived and DIY efforts, we know that a steady stream of short-term volunteers, simply put, can change lives and the world. Katie, an Ecuador Global Volunteer and University of Iowa student, reflects on her short-term service trip to Quito. I was given the amazing opportunity to volunteer in […]
Girl Scouts Volunteer Abroad
Beyoncé sings about it; we know it’s true: Girls run the world when they work together with purpose and kindness. Redmond, WA Girl Scout troop demonstrated their influence can extend all the way to Quito, Ecuador! And, they earned mature new perspectives in return. Dedicating their spring break to service, the Scouts focused their energy caring for at-risk children […]
The Best Volunteer Programs in South America
There are many natural and cultural attractions that inspire travelers to explore South America – especially in Ecuador and Peru (Machu Picchu and the Galápagos Islands to mention a couple). However, to know a place and culture is to know her people. When you volunteer in South America, you obtain a unique perspective through the lives of the local […]
“Until I come back, Lord” – A Great Quito Legend
This is the sixth part to our series on Myths and Legends. Now in Ecuador, here is the legend of father Almeida, the most popular Quito legend. One day during the colonial period in Quito, Manuel de Almeida, a catholic young man, renounced all in life to become a monk at the San Diego monastery. […]
Explore Quito, Ecuador: You’ll Fall in Love
While on your Global Volunteers adventure in service in Ecuador, you can take your free time to explore Quito and the countryside. Nestled high in the Andes Mountains, Quito is the capital of Ecuador. Due to its very well-preserved colonial center, it was the first city ever to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. […]
Helping Children in Ecuador – Playing, Teaching, Feeding & Hammering
Ecuador Country Manager Maggie Bjorklund describes opportunities to help children in Ecuador with Global Volunteers. In the gorgeous Andes Mountains of Ecuador, South America, Global Volunteers partners with the Foundation of Ladies of Calderón, a non-profit organization that runs two daycare centers on the margin of the city of Quito for disadvantaged families in the […]
Photos of Service in Ecuador
Global Volunteers Team #164 in Quito produced engaging photos of service in Ecuador as well as some of the numerous cultural activities. The seven volunteers, including four scholarship recipients from the University of Iowa, served at FUNDAC daycare centers for economically disadvantaged children, helping to care for babies and toddlers, and assisting with light labor projects. We offer this pictorial example […]
Volunteers in Ecuador Reflect on Their Experience
A team of volunteers discuss the experience of serving in Ecuador: “As I sit down and write and reflect on today, I realize what an amazing opportunity I have been blessed with – a great team leader, a new and beautiful country to experience, and most of all, I am reflecting on the lives of everyone I […]
Squealing With Excitement at the Park
Alyssa, a Global Volunteer in Ecuador, reflects on two weeks of caring for children in Ecuador, offering: “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” – C.S. Lewis. Today is our last normal day at the daycare. Tomorrow, we’ll be celebrating and saying our final goodbyes. It’s hard to […]