Overview
Spend next summer learning to shake your jungle coconuts with indigenous tribes and help with vital community and conservation projects! This varied and diverse placement takes in two different locations each with their traditional communities, enabling you to see the diversity this sensational country has to offer. You'll travel from Quito in the Andes, right down into the Amazon Basin and onto the Pacific Coast for the ultimate South American experience.
First we take you down to the village of 'Bua de los Tsachila' in the Tropical Midlands, home to one of the last remaining Tsachila communities of Ecuador. Experience their fascinating culture, learn about the practice of Shamanism and help to protect their fast disappearing way of life. Help locals to develop their community by building traditional dwellings, replace bridges and create walkways through the surrounding rainforest.
The second placement is Estero de Plátano, set the Pacific Coast this is a stunning environment where the rainforest meets the ocean in a spectacular bay. Live among the traditional fishing village learning about their traditions and customs and helping the community improve their standard of living by participating in developing various social development schemes. At the end of the day cool off with a refreshing dip in the Pacific Ocean, splashing around with the community’s energetic and playful children and help to run after school clubs to entertain and teach.
On weekends, experience thrilling white water rafting adventures and surf some of South America's best breaks.
Projects are sustainable giving long-term benefits to both the community and environment.
How you help
Helping Who
The coastal community and the Tsachila people.
Helping How
Community tourism projects
Rainforest
- Helping at the community Museum – exhibits and translations
Pacific Coast
- Help the community develop community-based tourism by giving your feedback on the services offered
Community projects
Pacific Coast
- Help in the local school teaching English and environmental education, collaborating with long-term volunteers
Rainforest
- Work alongside the local cacao producers in the organic cacao cooperative
Conservation Projects
Pacific Coast
- Join the community action group for recycling and waste management and help clear up the beach
Rainforest
- Help to repair traditional cabañas in the cultural centre with traditional eco-friendly building materials
Your base
Your Team
Maximum of 12 volunteers per departure. Age 18 – 27 years.
Accommodation and Meals
Pacific Coast: Type of accommodation will vary depending on which of two communities you visit. In Caimito you will share a house built in the traditional style, made from cane with thatched roof, beds are provided. The coast is hot but you are next to the sea and can cool off or wash with a swim. Electricity is provided. In Estero de Plátano: you will immerse yourself in the local culture by staying with a host family. Cuisine at the coast is well renowned in Ecuador for it’s use of flavours and local ingredients. Expect to eat plenty of fish, soups, potato and rice dishes, your host family will cook you good quality local food daily. Volunteers will be expected to help and take responsibility for some domestic duties.
Food: breakfast will be boiled rice and plantain, etc. Lunch – soup followed by boiled/fried rice, pasta, eggs, plantain, vegetables. Occasionally meat like chicken or local fish. Dinner – same as lunch. Ecuadorians like plain food so take Tabasco etc. to spice things up. You can buy snacks, crisps etc. in the local shops. They have electricity and there is an internet café in the village about five minutes away.
Rainforest
in Bua you will share a cabaña built in the traditional style, made from cane with thatched roof, beds are provided. Toilets are European style and there is piped water. Showers and running water (although not hot).
As far as feasibly and practically possible, produce will be sourced and brought locally to benefit the local community. If a volunteer has a special dietary requirement we will do our best to accommodate them. You will have to pay for all soft drinks, beers etc. – a large beer is $1.50. Safe drinking water, tea, coffee, squash etc will be provided throughout at each phase.
Quito
This will be in the Yanapuma accommodation which has shared bedrooms, hot water, showers, loos etc. Andy will buy food and leave breakfast cereals, bread etc. and dinner (spaghetti, tomatoes, bread, vegetables) which you will have to cook yourselves. If you don’t want to cook the food provided, there are some excellent cheap restaurants – serving Italian, Chinese and South Ameican cuisine which will cost you about $2-6.
Weather
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 Yanapuma staff – the local communities only speak Spanish! It is, therefore, helpful to speak some basic Spanish. Yanapuma will give you one or two Spanish classes as part of their orientation when you first arrive. Additional lessons will be given if desired. Yanapuma will send an English/Spanish speaker with the volunteers to the placements.
Time In/Out
Time In
You will be met at Quito airport and taken to the Yanapuma apartments in Quito for a short induction and orientation course, covering all aspects of safety, responsibilities, health, culture, politics, conservation and community issues etc. From here you will be escorted to each location and inductions will be held at each.
6 week programme: 4 day orientation course in Quito followed by approximately 3 weeks at Bua. Return to Quito for a few days before spending the next 3 weeks at Chichicorumi.
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.
Time Out
Weekends free to travel. If you wish to visit a particular place of interest this can easily be arranged.
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
Dates
2010 for 6 weeks
5th July
2011 for 6 weeks
4th July
Costs
Up until 31st August 2010
6 weeks £1768
Up until 31st August 2011
6 weeks £1788
Includes:
Donation to the project communities of £80 per person
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 & 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, departure tax (payable in USD), 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 & accommodation whilst away from the placement location and any excursions not listed above. We are happy to arrange flights through STA Travel (ABTA 99209 & IATA 9122411) 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.
