Overview
This amazing and varied placement takes in three different environments each with their traditional communities, allowing you to see everything this sensational country has to offer. You will travel from the Andes right down into the Amazon Basin and onto the Pacific Coast for the ultimate South American experience.
On the Pacific Coast you'll spend 3 weeks living in a beach-side community in the heart of pristine coastal rainforest. From the village it's a short stroll through coastal forest to isolated beaches and coves where you can explore and surf to your hearts content. Your projects will include assisting local farmers to bring in their Cacao (chocolate!) harvest, clearing the beach and helping to develop the small local school.
You will then spend 3 weeks working in Chilcabamba, a small village high in the Andes, a land of volcanoes and thermal springs. Chilcabamba has a wonderful community of traditional Kayambi people, about 3 hours drive from Quito. Projects include developments to the community school, creation of a playground and assisting families with their livestock. Experience true high-altitude living at nearly 14,000 feet, surrounded by spectacular rolling hills and snow capped volcanoes, such as Cayambe, which you can climb at the weekends. The area is well known for its traditional craft markets and local people famous for their colourful ponchos and distinctive panama hats adorned with peacock feathers.
The third phase is in the Amazon Rainforest a magical environment with its ancient trees and meandering rivers, only accessible by canoe. Live in a small village of traditional Quechua families, learning about their Shaman traditions and helping the local community improve their standard of living. When you're not white water rafting, discovering hidden waterfalls and entertaining the communities children, help to build classrooms and extend the ethnographic museum.
Projects are sustainable giving long-term benefits to both the community and environment. All development initiatives are chosen and led by local people ensuring that The Leap’s projects are well managed needed by the community.
How you help
Helping Who
The villagers of Chilcabamba and indigeous people of the Amazon and Coast.
Helping How
Eco-tourism projects
Amazon Rainforest
- Development of an Ethnographic Museum
- Medicinal gardens maintenance
Community Projects
Pacific Coast
- Help in the local school, repainting classrooms and working with children.
- Build compost bins for people's homes, and install soakaways to take the used household water away safely.
- Learn traditional jewellery making skills.
Andes
- Playing with local children in the community nursery.
- Build new classrooms and decorate the nursery
Amazon Rainforest
- Run after school fun club for local children.
- Help with everyday cooking, building, fishing and making traditional jewellery.
Conservation Projects
Pacific Coast
- Help to encourage more ecological farming methods among local agriculturalists.
- Plant trees as part of the reforestation project.
Amazon Rainforest
- Help develop and maintain the Botanical Gardens.
- Preserve traditional building methods by helping local people to collect and use sustainable materials from the jungle rather than concrete and corrugated iron sheeting.
- Develop a system for dealing with litter.
NB. The exact itinerary and updated placement guidelines for your team placement in Ecuador will be sent to you a few weeks prior to departure. We work with several communities in the coast and Amazon regions and projects are determined by each communities individual needs and priorities. The ethos of our work in Ecuador is that projects are run cooperatively, all development initiatives are chosen and led by local people ensuring that The Leap’s projects are well managed needed by the community. Projects are sustainable giving long-term benefits to both the community and environment.
Your base
Your Team
Maximum of 12 volunteers per team, minmum of 3. We can accommodate 2 teams, rotating in turn through the placement phases. We try to balance the genders in each team and will notify you of this prior to departure. Age 18- 27.
Accommodation and Meals
In the communities you'll live in a house built in the traditional style, made from cane with a thatched roof. Beds are provided and in all locations there is electricity, running water and plumbed toilets. In the Andes, you'll stay with families in the village, sharing a room between two.
Three meals per day and clean drinking water are provided and vegetarians can be catered for. The cuisine generally consists of rice, beans, pasta and potatoes with a some meat and fish and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Quito: You will stay in Quito for weekends whilst switching between phases, at the Hostal Otavalo Huasi. This is a fun, clean and comfortable hostel in the city centre close to local amenities such as internet, laundry services, bars and restaurants. The hostal has shared bedrooms, hot water, showers, loos and a lock up where you can leave your belongings. Breakfast is provided and food is supplied for you to cook other meals yourself.
Weather
Pacific Coast: Rainforest, normally humid and hot with coastal breezes. Rains from time to time.
Andes: Cool in the mornings, warm during the day and cold at night. Rains from time to time especially in the rainy season between January and April, normally a couple of hours in the afternoon. Driest time is October to December.
Amazon: Rainforest. Hot and humid, expect rain in the rainy season normally a couple of hours in the afternoon.
Communication
You will only be able to communicate in English to the team leader – the local communities only speak Spanish! It is, therefore, helpful (but not essential!) to speak some basic Spanish. You will be given one or two Spanish classes as part of your orientation on arrival. Additional lessons will be given if desired.
Time In/Out
Time In
Those choosing a 6 week placement will fly out with those who have chosen the 10 week option. You will all be met at Quito airport and taken to the Yanapuma Spanish School where you will be given a short induction and orientation course.
Generally activities on the projects will take place 5 days per week for 6 - 8 hours each day with weekends free but these will have to be flexible according to events. Project hours are normally 8 to 3 pm.
6 week programme: approximately 3 weeks, at 2 of the communities described above. 10 week programme:approximately 3 weeks in each community.
If you are travelling for 6 weeks and have a preference as to the 2 communities you would like to visit in your itinerary, we will do our best to accommodate this. However, it may not always be possible due to the situation on the ground and needs of the communities. Please remain flexible.
Time Out
Your weekends are free to travel but please bring spending money for your free time and for any activities or excursions you choose to do.
Top Trips
Exploring cloud forests, trekking, climbing Cotopaxi volcano, kayaking, tubing and swimming in the Napo river, white-water rafting, canyoning, caving, or jungle tours, snorkelling, surfing, horseback or hiking and camping trips.
Explore the Galapagos Islands and Pacific Coastline .
Costs/Dates
Departure Dates
2010 for 6 or 10 weeks
January 4th, March 30th, July 5th (6 weeks only), September 2nd
2011 for 6 or 10 weeks
January 4th, March 31st, July 4th (6 weeks only), September 1st
Once on the placement it is possible to switch from the 6 to 10 week option on receipt of the extra payment.
Costs
Up until 31st August 2010 Up until 31st August 2011
6 weeks £1768 6 weeks £1788
10 Weeks £2468 10 Weeks £2500
Includes:
Donation to the project communities – currently £80 per volunteer
Selection and briefing on all aspects of the scheme.
24-hour emergency back-up, management and support by UK team and in-country Placement Manager and English speaking guide, with reliable communications and infrastructure.
Safety and induction course on arrival.
Airport pick up and transfer to and from the placements.
Food and Accommodation throughout.
Not included:
International flights, internal flights (not applicable), travel insurance, Ecuador visas (not required for 90 days), medical expenses (reclaimable through travel insurance), soft drinks/beer etc. Volunteers will be responsible for any independent/weekend travel expenses e.g. food and accommodation whilst away from the placement location and any excursions not listed above. We are happy to arrange flights through STA Travel who are well known for offering good value.
Donation To The Community
Included in the cost of the scheme is a donation set at the level indicated above. The donation is sent directly to the communities by Yanapuma and the chief of the community decides what it is to be spent on. It helps, alongside other funding, to pay for the materials they need to continue project work. This will be done in a transparent way ensuring you leave a lasting legacy. Given the average monthly wage is approximately £100 per month the donations do actually go far and in the past Leapers have paid for second hand computers, first aid supplies, children’s clothing, developing health care etc.
Exchange Rates
Please note that as we are paying the project host in US Dollars to cover all in-country costs, and the cost of the placement is set so far ahead, if there is a big change in the exchange rate or fuel icrease then we reserve the right to increase the cost of the scheme, as per our Booking Conditions, but will absorb any minor fluctuations, and will give plenty of warning if we have to raise prices slightly.
