Volunteering in Otavalo

Ecuador

about Ecuador

Ecuador is located in the northwest of South America and is the smallest country in the Andes with a total area of 283.561 km². With about 16 million inhabitants, it is one of the most densely populated countries in South America. The capital, Quito, is located at an altitude of 2.800 meters and lies just below the equator, which gives the country its name. Ecuador borders the Pacific Ocean to the west, Colombia to the north and Peru to the east and south.

Ecuador is divided into four main zones: the coast (Costa), the Andes (Sierra), the Amazon basin (Oriente) and the Galapagos Islands. The coastal area consists of wide plains with fertile soil, mainly used for agriculture. The plains are only a few meters above sea level, which means that temperatures can rise quickly. In addition to extensive plantations, you will mainly find mangrove forests and tropical forests. Guayaquil, the largest city in the country, is located in the south of this country.

The Sierra are the highlands of the Andes and are formed by two parallel mountain ranges: the Cordillera Occidental and the Cordillera Oriental. The Andes runs through the center of the country. Both the capital Quito (2800m) and the third largest city Cuenca (2500m) are located in these high mountains. Ecuador is known for its large number of volcanoes, some of which are still active. The so-called “volcano road” is formed by volcanoes such as the Cayambe (5790m), Antisana (5704m), Chimborazo (6310m) and Cotopaxi (5897m). The Cotopaxi Volcano is the highest active volcano in the world.

The Oriente is located in the east and consists of a tropical jungle area (la Selva), with a very varied flora and fauna. The area is intersected by a number of major rivers. The two most famous national parks are Cuyabeno and Yasuni. This green lung is seriously threatened by rampant logging and many concessions for mining and petroleum.

The Galapagos Islands are located 1000 km west of the mainland. The archipelago consists of a group of 13 large and dozens of smaller islands. Five islands are inhabited. The islands are of volcanic origin and have never been connected to the mainland. This makes them particularly unique from a geographical point of view and they are home to unique animal species.

about Otavalo

Our projects in Ecuador are based in Otavalo, a city in the Andes, 100 km north of Quito. Here you will find the headquarters of our projects.

Otavalo is a city in the high Andes in the north of Ecuador. The city is surrounded by volcanoes, Imbabura, Fuya Fuya, Cotacachi. In Otavalo you will find the largest craft market in South America every Saturday.

The city is located in the province of Imbabura at an altitude of 2500 meters, has about 53.000 inhabitants and takes its name from the Indian tribe Otavalo. This tribe has managed to maintain its own culture and identity and adapt it to modern times.

By modernizing the textile industry in particular, a lot of money has flowed into the community and people have bought back the original land from large landowners. Compared to many other places in Ecuador, the city of Otavalo itself is prosperous with a cheerful streetscape.

projects

The head office in Ecuador is located in Otavalo where we have our base of operations to the rest of the country.

The project work in Ecuador consists of 'growing together', going through a process together with the local population. Through sustainable projects that directly address the problems, values such as respect, shared responsibility, transparency, trust, discipline and solidarity play a major role.

We direct and guide experiential learning processes among vulnerable population groups to promote the local economy and sustainable agriculture, so that associations and productive organizations can evolve socio-economically towards independence.

We believe in integral processes, where cultural, anthropological, socio-economic, scientific-ecological and educational aspects are intertwined.

housing

The first two nights our volunteers always stay at the office in Otavalo for their orientation.

During the rest of your volunteer work you will stay in a single room in a homestay close to your project environment. All accommodations are selected for their safety. Volunteers are never housed in dangerous or unsafe areas. Water shortage can occur, but never for a long period of time. Amenities depend on where you stay.

You always stay in a homestay. Sheets and towels are always provided by the host/hostess. There is hot water everywhere except in Nanegal; nanegalito; Gualsaqui; Moraspungo & San Jose. Each homestay has a western toilet. WIFI may be available in some places but it is unreliable. It is best to arrange your own mobile internet (our team will help you with this).

Fieldwork

You may do fieldwork for a few days, but keep in mind that luxury is not always available. In remote areas, you may need to wash in a bowl of river water. Tap water is only available in the cities; in the villages this is more exceptional. You will only find hot water in urban areas. Water can also be boiled on a wood fire in the remote areas.

Stay at the coffee plantation of El Limonal

Meals

All meals are the responsibility of the volunteer. Some accommodations have cooking facilities, others do not. The team managers will be happy to explain where you can do your shopping.

For about 7,5 EUR / day you can already eat in your homestay prepared by your local host / hostess. In Otavalo & Atuntaqui there is no cooking, you can use the kitchen here.

Except in El Limonal & the Carchi province, you can easily eat anywhere in the city.

leisure

Otavalo is surrounded by volcanoes, Imbabura, Fuya Fuya, Cotacachi where you can walk extensively. In Otavalo, the largest craft market in South America takes place every Saturday.

The most famous tourist places in the Otavalo area are:

Craft market
Peguche . waterfall
The waterfall of Taxopamba
San Pablo Lake
The lakes of Mojanda
Condor Park
The Imbabura Volcano and Fuya Fuya can be climbed, it is recommended to do this with a licensed guide.

There are also big festivals every year

Fiesta de Yamor
Pawkar Raymi
Inti Raymi

Costs

Volunteering abroad comes at a cost and it is not the intention that the community you will help have to pay for it. If there were sufficient budgets to cover these costs, we would spend it on a local employee who knows the local culture and daily customs. If you want to know more about our transparent system, take a look at the transparency page.

local costs

These costs, which you pay on site, are specific to your stay, such as your accommodation and meals. Through payable locally you are also sure that your contribution will go directly to the person who organizes it and will not be left behind at various “intermediate stations”.

Note: these costs are only for individual volunteer work. For group projects, different prices apply depending on various factors

The cost is €50/week

What is included

Local costs and preparations specific to your stay;
Accommodation 7/7;
Airport pickup;
The first transport to your project on the third day.

What is not included

There are probably other expenses that you would like to take into account. The list is a brief summary of the most common possible costs:

International flights;
drinks;
Breakfast and dinner;
travel insurance;
Costs related to your free time;
All meals: for 7,5 EUR/day per day you can already eat in local restaurants or with your host family. It can be even cheaper if you prepare your meals yourself.
Visa fees;
Internet: There are several options, depending on your wishes. You already have a basic 30 day plan for 5 USD.

Connection fee

We want to ensure that there is sufficient influx of volunteers to keep each project viable. After all, many projects require continuity from volunteers in order for the project to succeed or to create sufficient impact. Unfortunately, marketing and raising volunteers costs a lot of money. The budgets that the participating organizations collect during recruitment campaigns are used to develop projects in the south for the benefit of the local population and we therefore do not want to address these funds for marketing campaigns.

The membership fee serves to cover the costs of our volunteer platform. We ask each participant for a one-time contribution of €130. This is only the first time volunteering and only after you have been accepted. After payment of this contribution, you can do unlimited volunteer work in the future at any project (if there is room and you meet the requirements of course).

As soon as you are a member, we will inform you as soon as new projects are added to our alliance.

What is your connection fee used for?

Annual costs for the management of our platform such as management of the registration database, website, administration…. We try to keep these costs to a minimum, but they must be covered. We have a beautiful website that needs to be maintained and on which all information regarding our programs and our organization must be kept up-to-date.
Promotion costs money and we want to make ourselves as visible as possible in the streets in order to find enough volunteers for each project. This contribution is therefore also used for promotions on various media, printed matter, but also the presence at trade fairs & network events.
We are volunteers and put a lot of energy into our projects but also into your preparation. In the past we had volunteers who did not show up. That is very annoying for our team and the local people we support. We see this contribution as a kind of guarantee that you will keep your promise.
You get your own personal webpage where you can write everything about your experiences abroad and in that way keep the home front informed about your adventure abroad.

You can read all about the possible costs on our transparency page.

practically

We will of course not let you leave without thorough preparation and guidance. With Volunteer Abroad Allliance we have developed a system that ensures that you can sleep soundly and leave with peace of mind for your volunteer work abroad. As soon as you have been accepted and everything has been arranged, you can count on the guidance of our experts.

Once you are registered and accepted for your project, your preparation can begin. You already get a lot to read on the website, but you can also prepare for your trip in other ways. Once you have arrived, you can also count on the guidance of our local team.

Project page

Volunteering will have an impact on you and on the local population. We think it is very important to create awareness for you as a volunteer, so that you can optimally prepare for what awaits you as a volunteer. That is why you will receive the login codes for the project page after acceptance as a volunteer. Here you will find information that is important to you as a volunteer for your preparation. You can read everything about your project, accommodation, instructions for a visa application, a packing list, cultural advice for your country and much more…

Personal Mentor

Our experienced mentor will contact you and will help you with advice and answers to the questions you have. Your mentor is a member of an organization that is part of our alliance and has been working with fundraising for the project you are traveling to for years, so you can speak of a real specialist. Our mentors are members of our alliance and have years of experience in the projects. This system ensures that you receive 100% expert guidance from VAA.

Safety in Otavalo

Your safety during your volunteer work is very important to us. We only allow volunteers to travel to areas that we are confident are politically stable. If this is not the case, the project will not proceed. Each participating organization of the alliance closely monitors the security advisories. Of course we can also rely on the local employees of these organizations. They live and work there themselves and know the area very well.

Climate in Otavalo

Ecuador has a very changeable climate, which means it can be variable at any time. In general, however, in the Sierra there is little variation by day or by season, with changes occurring as you climb or descend. The coastal and Amazon lowlands have a wet equatorial climate, but the higher you climb, the colder it gets.

Precipitation is mainly influenced by proximity to the eastern or western slopes of the Andes; in the west, June to September tend to be drier and October to May usually wetter; in the east the opposite is true with October to February drier and March to September much wetter. There is also variation in the amount of precipitation as you travel from north to south, with the southern highlands much drier than the landscapes to the north.

The coast enjoys good weather all year round, although it is cooler between June and November, when a sea mist known as garua sets in. January to May are consistently the hottest and rainiest months here. The Galapagos are also affected by garua between May and December. January to April are the hottest months here, with heavy but short rainfall also possible. In the Oriente, you can be hit by rainfall at any time, but it is wettest from March to September. Most cities are in a comfortable subtropical zone.

Local team in Otavalo

In every country where the organizations of our alliance are active, this project has at least one permanent employee. This employee organizes your project and your stay together with your mentor. You can always contact them during your stay; They are there for you for advice and practical information, but you can also count on them in case of an emergency.

On our team page you can look for our local team members.

Travel to Otavalo and reception

When you arrive at your destination you will be welcomed by a member of the local team and sometimes even by your mentor. At some destinations you will be picked up by a local VAA employee who will be waiting for you at the airport. In other destinations it is easy to travel independently to your project from the airport. We will then give you an extensive introduction to your new living and working environment.

Once accepted as a volunteer, you will receive a detailed route description from us on how to get to your project. We deliberately do not share this information in advance. The organizations within our alliance take their task seriously, our projects are not tourist attractions. It is also very disturbing for the local employees but also for other volunteers if someone suddenly appears at the projects to take a look.

Health in Otavalo

We are not doctors ourselves and we do not know anyone's personal background. That is why we advise everyone to make an appointment with your doctor or travel vaccination center in good time before traveling to your destination. You can also always take a look at the website of the tropical institute of medicine for the latest state of affairs at your destination.

Every organization within our alliance has an emergency procedure. In addition, you will also receive all emergency telephone numbers once accepted as a volunteer. You can find all this information on your personal project page.

Visa for Ecuador

You always enter Ecuador with a tourist visa that is valid for 90 days. Your tourist visa can be extended up to 180 days. You will receive all information once you have been accepted as a volunteer. Please note that there are costs associated with renewals. Our team will help you with your renewal.

If you want a longer stay of up to 2 years, a visa must be arranged at the consulate of Ecuador in your home country. The prices for this visa change regularly. Applying for this visa is a real administrative burden, so starting early is recommended.

Typical Day in Otavalo

You probably already understood after reading the foregoing that an average day does not exist during your volunteer work. Every day can be different and that is the beauty but also the challenging thing about volunteering. We ask you to be flexible and proactive at all times.

New ideas and initiatives are continuously being launched and other volunteers may need your help. There is a good chance that you will work on multiple projects. Remember, the more you invest in your experience, the more you get out of it.

What is guaranteed are the pleasant evenings and free time together with the local team and other volunteers, so that you will not get bored and make new friends.

Language

The main language of Ecuador is Spanish, which is spoken by about 93% of the population. This language was first introduced by Spanish colonizers in the 16th century and became the language of government, business and religion.

Our local team members speak English, German and even Dutch. You don't need to speak Spanish (English is sufficient), but keep in mind that communication with the locals may be difficult.

Our projects in Ecuador are a great opportunity to learn Spanish or improve your language skills.

Code of Conduct of a Good Volunteer in Otavalo

All organizations active in the alliance take their work very seriously. From general preparations to details that you never think about, but that are important to give you a safe, comfortable and meaningful experience. We spend a lot of time preparing, monitoring and executing our preparation materials, but also our on-site projects. We hope for your part that you give 100% during your volunteer work and do this in a respectful way both for us, but even more for the local population.