Program Requirements

Volunteers must be 17 years or older at the beginning of the program. Volunteers need to have an open mind and an interest in working with children. The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference. Basic to intermediate Spanish recommended.

Project Location

The Project is located in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island which is one of the most visited towns in the islands. Most visitors at least pass by here on their way to other Islands or on one of the many cruise ships. Puerto Ayora several nice beaches that can easily be reached and it’s the best place to be for day trips to other Islands such as Bartolome, Santa Fe, Floreana and Isabela as well bay trips or diving trips.

The population on Santa Cruz is about 15.000 but they also have a couple of  thousand illegal workers as the tourist industry attracts people from the mainland.
 

Airport Receive/ Transfer: Volunteers are picked up from the Galapagos Airport by the local coordinator or representative. Those volunteers who are arriving overland or are already in Ecuador  will be picked up from the bus station or at a meeting point decided beforehand.

Orientation:A half day orientation will be provided by the local staff. Areas like culture, greetings, locations, transportation, safety and volunteer placements are given during the orientation. Volunteers are given a local tour of Quito city on the first day.

Lodging:Accommodation is provided with a local Ecuadorian host family which would be around 10-15 minutes away from the center. All volunteers are provided with separate rooms in most cases. However, in a some cases you would be sharing the room with a fellow volunteer. All host families are carefully selected and approved by the local staff and have past experience oh hosting international volunteers. All accommodations have running water and electricity available.

Food:The host family provides two meals per day (lunch and dinner). Lunch and dinner will be rice, a bowl of soup, fried meat (chicken, beef. pork or fish) and a lot of vegetables. Ecuadorian food is light and healthy and is not very spicy and hot.

Insurance: All participants are covered for full comprehensive Travel and Medical insurance for their time of stay in our project. To view a copy of the Insurance Coverage provided, please click here

In – Country travel assistance: Volunteers are assisted by the local staff and coordinators for any kind of assistance they need for their travel arrangements.

In-country support: 24 hours support provided by our local staff. You will be provided with the contact details of the local coordinator and staff who will be contactable 24 hrs once you are in country.

Pre-departure information: After we receive full and final payment all participants are provided by a pre-departure information booklet which will have all vital information about your program. The Pre Departure Information Booklet provides the complete details of the country, project locations, Visas, Immunizations, Things to Pack list, Accommodations, Contact Information etc.

Start Dates
Volunteers can begin their project placement on any Monday of the month throughout the year.

Program Costs
Volunteering Solutions strives hard to keep costs low and offer you the lowest prices with professional services to volunteer abroad. Compare our prices and services to other organizations and you would be surprised to see the difference.