• Gift Catalog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
Call Us: 800-487-1074
Global Volunteers
  • Countries
    • International Partnerships:
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Ecuador
      • Greece
      • Italy
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs:
      • Appalachia – West Virginia
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Rosebud Reservation – South Dakota
      • Española – New Mexico
  • Projects
  • Give
    • Giving Options:
      • Donate Now
      • Gift Catalog
      • Ways to Give
      • Philanthropy
  • Impact
  • Blog
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Volunteer Voices Ecuador

A Glimpse of the First Day of Service in Ecuador

The first day of service in Ecuador started after much anticipation by team members. Our Team Leader, Maggie, emailed detailed messages and did a thorough orientation on Sunday, so we felt prepared to work at the daycare center.

We left for Calderón shortly after breakfast. Our rocky drive up the mountain on a narrow road revealed a spectacular view! We sat back and enjoyed being taken care of by our very experienced driver, commenting endlessly about the beautiful scenery which will surely be shared with family and friends for years to come. We reached our destination after approximately 30 minutes.

first day of service in Ecuador

The mountains around Quito on the road to Calderón

After we introduced ourselves to the daycare center caregivers,  Maggie pointed out project after project completed by previous teams of Global Volunteers over a 20-year partnership with FUNDAC. I wanted our team to work equally as hard and to be just as productive as previous teams. I mentally noted that we’d be assisting and nurturing children one to three years old. There would also be an English class taught for the tías. The sole male on our team was offered additional duties of painting, replacing tiles, and sanding.

Work Begins on the First Day of Service in Ecuador

We were each assigned to a tía’s class. I worked with Tía Fernanda and the three-year-olds. Tía Fernanda introduced me to the class and morning activities began. Today’s lesson was the naming of animals. The students repeated the name of the animal as each animal was revealed. Then Tía Fernanda cut out a picture of each animal, pronouncing and reinforcing the animal’s name again,  before handing a picture to each student. The students, in turn, repeated the name of each animal. I was asked to paste each animal on a poster as each child passed me an animal, then we taped the poster to the wall.

Washing Hands…and Eating Snacks

At this point, we stopped for the kids’ morning fruit snack. There was a flurry of activity with bathroom breaks as we helped them wash and dry their hands. Next, we took them to the dining area and supervised their snack break, then took cutlery back to the kitchen, cleaned the table, and had another round of washing hands before going back to class.

service with children in Ecuador

Global Volunteer Barbara with her class in Ecuador

We resumed our morning activities by coloring animals. After each child’s animal was colored and their name and date written on their picture, it was placed on the wall. My picture was also placed on the wall, to the children’s delight! Another round of washing and drying hands and bathroom breaks followed; then to the cafeteria for lunch and afterwards, nap time. There was a change of clothes as needed after nap time, followed by…washing and drying hands! And then, an afternoon snack.

By day’s end, I reflected on my apprehension about how our team would measure up to the impressive work by previous Global Volunteers teams. I knew that our work, though not all visible, was just as important as other volunteers’ construction, painting, and mural drawings we saw earlier in the day. I felt confident I had truly helped Tía Fernanda with her day’s work!

Post by Barbara

day of service in Ecuador

Hadley posing with children from her class

Share this:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
May 16, 2016/0 Comments/by Maggie Bjorklund
Tags: teaching children
https://205eev2oa0jm1t4yb914s1nw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Quito-2.jpg 1125 1500 Maggie Bjorklund https://205eev2oa0jm1t4yb914s1nw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2014-GlobalVolunteersLogo-Web.png Maggie Bjorklund2016-05-16 21:46:192016-10-18 09:53:27A Glimpse of the First Day of Service in Ecuador
You might also like
Reymontówka is a beautiful and comfortable 200-year-old restored manor house in Siedlce county. “Reymontówka” – Volunteers’ Home Away from Home in Poland
Having fun learning English in Greece A Summer Memory in Greece
Falling in love with Tanzania Falling in Love with Tanzania
Volunteer with children in Ecuador Up Close in Ecuador: “Here I am. Welcome to my life.”
volunteer in Poland Summer English Language Camp in Zakopane, Poland
Prepare food for children in Peru Preparing Food at the Largest Children’s Home in Peru
First Days of our Appalachian Adventure in Service
work with teens and youth Veteran Global Volunteer Circles the Globe to Work With Teens
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

You must log in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Partner Communities

  • China 66
  • Cook Islands 44
  • Cuba 117
  • Ecuador 88
  • Greece 68
  • Italy 54
  • Montana 42
  • Nepal 16
  • Peru 98
  • Poland 77
  • Portugal 42
  • South Dakota 8
  • St Lucia 57
  • Tanzania 144
  • Vietnam 43
  • West Virginia 24

Categories

  • Boomer Volunteers
  • Conversational English
  • Couples Volunteering
  • Culture and Traditions Worldwide
  • Development Impact
  • Family Volunteers
  • Free Time Options
  • Global Volunteers
  • Group Volunteering
  • Impact Stories
  • Individuals on Teams
  • Projects for Professionals
  • Reaching Children's Potential
  • Repeat Volunteers
  • Retiree Volunteers
  • Staff Worldwide
  • Student Volunteers
  • Uncategorized
  • Volunteer Voices
  • Women volunteers

Tags

alumni volunteers American Indian culture Appalachian culture best destination peru Care for children Caribbean island College groups Conversational English cook islands economy covid-19 covid-19 consequences Cuba people-to-people donate for children Earthbox gardens economic support Essential Services food insecurity Funding your fee Health and nutrition High school groups Labor projects lgbt program peru resume resume high shcool retiree service-learning share food Spring break summer volunteer program support children Support women teaching children teaching english team leader things to do peru top places to visit peru tourism cook islands tours peru travel peru volunteer benefits Volunteer impact work on reservations Work with youth youth volunteering
  • About Us
  • Boards of Directors and Advisors
  • US and International Staff
  • Our Beginnings
  • Our Vision
  • Community Partners
  • Collaborators
  • Compare Us
  • Volunteer Vacations FAQs
  • Accountability and Agreements
  • Travel Risks
  • Impact and Outcomes of Service
  • Donate to Global Volunteers
  • Donate to a Volunteer
  • Money Matters – Explaining Your Service Program Contribution
  • Discounts & Fundraising
  • Alumni Center
  • News/Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Agreements
  • Site Map
  • Contact
  • Podcast
  • Volunteer Portal
  • Employment
Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Subscribe receive notifications of new posts and updates by email.

Global Volunteers - Partners in Development ® | © Copyright 2002 - Present Global Volunteers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Global Volunteers is an apolitical, non-sectarian, non-profit (501C-3) tax-exempt organization.
  • Send feedback about this web site and its administration.
Alumni “Pay it Forward” Through Program Scholarships View of Quito Hugs, Kisses, Laughter Reward Volunteer Opportunity in Ecuador
Scroll to top
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.