| Volunteer Name: | Bailey R. |
| Project Attended: | Education Outreach for Child Workers in the Markets |
| Country Attended: | Ecuador |
| What made you choose to volunteer in Ecuador, and on this particular programme? | I volunteered in Ecuador because I wanted an experience where I could make a difference in people’s lives and develop my Spanish. I chose this program because it seemed to have real hands on experiences which would allow me to gain more perspective and because I love working and playing with kids. |
| Can you tell us a bit more about your role(s) on the programme? | I generally worked with the children on the older side of the participants, playing football with them a lot and trying to connect with the boys while preventing them from fighting. I was also one of the volunteers with the highest level of Spanish and so I often translated for the directors and also was more involved in the reading and writing with the students. |
| How do you feel that you benefitted personally from taking part in the programme? | I benefitted in so many ways - from the kindness and genuinity of each kid that I met, being inspired by the work ethics of the program leaders, learning about the reality for these children, and developing my Spanish. |
| What were the highlights of your experience overall? | The highlights were playing football with the children and just talking with them about simple things like their favourite players and teams. I also loved my host family and really connected with my host brothers, through things like playing simple pranks and also playing football with the neighbourhood kids. |
| What does travelling as a volunteer mean to you vs travelling as a tourist? | Travelling as a volunteer is a different experience because you approach the location you are in as a place not just for your enjoyment, but to learn about the people and the culture and to try and make an impact. Travelling as a volunteer I think also causes people to pay more attention to the aspects of a country that extend beyond sightseeing and food and shopping, and to look more closely at the way people live and to be more integrated. |
Testimonial
“The experience has affected me very positively as I have learned a lot and formed lasting friendships. It has also made me definitely want to do a similar program again for a longer amount of time. I would highly encourage volunteering in Ecuador. Above all, the people you will meet as a volunteer are among the kindest and most passionate I have ever met.”
Recent comments