Volunteer work in environmental protection in Ecuador
- Varied activities
- High recreational value
- Knowledge sharing
You care about nature and environmental protection and you would like to get involved to counteract the increasing pollution of the oceans by plastic waste? Then help an NGO in Ecuador in their effort to protect the sea and local beaches! Support in the areas of environmental education, communication or administration and use your individual strengths!
Santa Elena
from 20 years
2 - 3 weeks
/ from €1.190
Sunday
Take immediate measures to combat climate change and its effects.
What's the matter?
The place of action is a small NGO by and for people who care about the sea. It is spread over various coastal cities in the Santa Elena region and several communities around Guayaquil. The organization runs so-called ecoclubs in all of these places, in which they educate local children and their parents about environmental issues - in particular the importance of marine protection - and encourage them to become active themselves.
In addition, the organization also works with various local groups, including farmers, fishermen, women and young people on the topic of sustainable community development and has also had great success in salvaging several tons of plastic from the beach and sea over the past few years.
The increasing pollution of the world's oceans with plastic is a global problem. Ecuador is not spared from this problem either and many beaches in the country have a high level of pollution from single-use plastic.
The situation is also made more difficult by the fact that many adults lack awareness of the problem and often mistrust the responsible authorities. In addition, young people, especially children in rural areas, lack extracurricular offers and opportunities to get involved - especially in the area of ​​environmental projects.
The NGO tries to counteract this lack by supporting motivated volunteers. The place of assignment is always open to new ideas and ways to contribute your knowledge and skills!
The organization works to bring people closer to the importance of the seas. The population should also be encouraged to produce less waste and avoid plastic. In addition to raising awareness of the importance of marine conservation among the local population and encouraging them to take action themselves, the organization also aims to gather knowledge in order to transfer similar projects to many other communities. In this way, new environmental projects for sustainable development are to be created.
Your tasks as a volunteer
In order to achieve the above goals, the organization needs support in various areas. Depending on their interests and previous knowledge, volunteers can get involved in the areas of communication, administration or environmental education. This can involve the following tasks:
Communication:
- Creation of social media content and management of channels
- Development of digital education campaigns
- Creation of audiovisual content for the projects
Administration:
- Support for fundraising campaigns
- Elaboration of a business plan
- Finding funding opportunities
Environmental education:
- Creation of teaching content, materials and plans
- Conducting workshops on environmental education for children and adults
- Other activities, such as Beach & Underwater Clean Ups, Awareness Campaigns,...
For the areas of administration and communication, you should already have some work experience. In the field of environmental education, no specific specialist knowledge is required, but a good level of Spanish (B1/B2) is required. If you have experience in diving and snorkeling, you are welcome to use these skills for various activities. In general, you are welcome to incorporate your individual knowledge, experience and interests into the work on this project and thus contribute to environmental protection.
Since the daily tasks depend very much on the respective work area and the upcoming events, it is difficult to map an exact daily routine. Basically, as a volunteer you work between four and six hours a day during the week. There are also occasional extra activities of usually two to four hours on Saturdays.
From December 20th to January 10th, the organization suspends all activities due to the holidays.
Accommodation Catering
Homestay in Salinas, Ecuador
During your stay you will live with one of two host families near the town of Salinas. Depending on which family you stay with, you either live in your own room or share it with another volunteer. You share the bathroom and all other rooms with the family. You can also use WiFi here.
Both accommodations are located in a rather quiet area. The beach and shops for daily needs are within easy walking distance and it is not far to the nearest bus stop. The area is generally considered safe during the day, although a little more caution should be exercised at night.
Location
Santa Elena
The provincial peninsula of Santa Elena lies west of the Ecuadorian coast and boasts a variety of beaches, a distinctive natural and animal world and a tropical climate.
Around 40.000 people live in the capital of the province, which is also called Santa Elena, and enjoy the atmosphere of a modern and lively city. The surrounding beaches - and there are quite a few of them - are not only popular with surfers: every now and then you can also spot a whale or sea lion.
Here you have an excellent combination of urban flair and rural surroundings, with the coast also not far away. You can also use and improve your Spanish skills in Santa Elena! Connect with the locals and discover this exciting corner of Ecuador!
Your free time in Santa Elena
If you're in Santa Elena as a volunteer, don't forget to pack your bathing suit, because after your work on the project you'll have time to extensively test the beaches in your area.
Discover the beautiful beaches along the Ruta del Sol, a stretch of coast that runs through the provinces of Santa Elena and Manabi through several small towns and cities.
The internationally renowned beaches of Ballenita, Salinas and Montañita are particularly popular. The perfect places to relax, swim and sunbathe.
Alternatively, you can try other activities there, such as scuba diving, surfing, sport fishing and paragliding. As the crowning glory, it is worth watching the beautiful sunset from the beach and ending the day with it.
Whale watching is very popular in the Santa Elena region. If you want to see the impressive sea giants, take part in a whale watching boat tour. You will certainly never forget the sight of the beautiful animals.
Cultural activities are also not neglected in Santa Elena. Step back in time at the Los Amantes de Sumpa Museum. The special feature: The museum is located on an old cemetery of the indigenous Sumpa people. The skeletons found there are estimated to be 5000 to 8000 years old. A find of a 20 to 25-year-old couple embracing in the grave is particularly beautiful. In addition to the human remains, numerous antique objects such as pots, tools and carvings are also on display in the museum.
On-site procedure
Arrival in Guayaquil
Our driver will be waiting for you with a sign with your name right at the exit of Guayaquil JosĂ© JoaquĂn Olmedo Airport. Because there is only one exit, you won't be able to miss it.
The drive from the airport to Santa Elena takes three hours. In Santa Elena you will stay with a host family. Once you've arrived, you can drop off your belongings in your new room and explore the property. Your orientation course begins the next day.
language course
If you have booked our language course in Quito, this five-day course will take place there directly in the accommodation. You can brush up on your Spanish skills and at the same time get to know everyday life in Ecuador in an interactive course through joint trips to Quito. Then you should fly on to Guayaquil on Sunday.
Orientation program in Ecuador
During the first two days that you are in the project, our team will prepare you for your upcoming stay in Ecuador. You will be offered activities that will help you get to know the country and the people better and learn more about the culture. Our team will show you what you need to consider so that you can find your way around the area and inform you about your activities and tasks in the project.
Your first day in the project
As soon as you have familiarized yourself with everything, you can start with your project work. To do this, you will drive to the deployment site together with one of our team members the next day. You get to know your contacts and the area there. Depending on how much previous knowledge you have and depending on the assessment and needs of the local specialists, you will be slowly introduced to the work or you will soon be assigned your own tasks.
Pricing
-
2 weeks of participationbase fee€ 1.190, -
-
up to 22 weeks respectivelyextension week€ 260, - / week
included
Services
Before departure
- Individual advice and support from our trained RGV team in Munich
- Organization including placement in the project and coordination of your stay on site
- Assistance with preparation: visa, health care, travel insurance, etc.
- Non-binding flight advice
- Travel ABC with packing list for your travel preparation
- RGV t-shirt
On site
- Orientation program with the team on site
- Support and guidance from the on-site team
- RGV 24h emergency number
- Project t-shirt to wear during on-site activities
- Airport transfer on the agreed day of arrival
- Accommodation in a host family
- Meals: Breakfast and dinner
After return
- Participation confirmation of your voluntary commitment
- Reflection course on your experiences abroad
- Evaluation sheet and optional feedback discussion
not included
Services
- Round trip
- Private expenses on site
- Excursions with microlight flights
- Travel and cancellation insurance
- Visa and Vaccinations
- All nights outside your agreed accommodation
- Public transport and extra transfers
- Airport transfer on departure day
Individual
Recommended additional offers
& must-haves
Would you prefer to stay in a single room? Are you vegan or do you have special requests for food? Or do you want to do some cool trips with other volunteers in your free time and explore the country?
With us, you benefit from a variety of optional additional services that you can add individually to your booking, depending on your preferences.
Cheap flights with our flight partner thanks to volunteer rates.
Would you like to receive a cheap flight offer for your stay abroad that is perfectly tailored to you? After you have successfully registered, you can have a non-binding offer created.
The excellent rates for volunteers, students and young people are a great advantage. Arrival times and flight time changes can also be sent directly to RGV upon request, so that our RGV teams in the destination countries are always informed about your arrival times.
These special tariffs give you special added value:
- maximum flexibility for rebookings and cancellations
- generous baggage allowance
- Additional discounts on one-way flights: The new volunteer tariffs include attractive discounts to reduce your financial burden on one-way flights (e.g. for stopovers, project or country combinations).
Benefit from the 4 in 1 ERGO travel insurance.
You can easily book the long-term travel protection of ERGO Reiseversicherung after you have registered. You will receive the links to this automatically after a successful registration.
The following building blocks are included:
- Health Insurance
- Comfort protection: accident, liability and interruption insurance
- Travel insurance
- One week language course in Quito or Santa Elena
- Interactive online TEFL/TESOL course for volunteers
- Interactive online TEFL/TESOL course
-
Two tools to get you started on your personal developmentPersonal development introductory courseFree of charge
RGV
FAQ
to the project
How far in advance do I have to register?
Ideally your registration takes place at least 3-6 months before the desired departure date, But also short-term registrations are up 1-2 months before the planned departure is possible.
But it could be that your dream project is already booked. In this case we will try together to find a suitable alternative for you.
Can I travel with a friend or in a group?
Yes! On request we enable a double room if you for two with a friend or a friend, or an apartment or other suitable accommodation for groups.
We are very happy to enable our participants to go on a project and share accommodation with friends. Shared accommodation is usually possible both in the volunteer house and with the host family, although the room in the volunteer house may also be shared with other participants. In some locations there is also the option of sharing an apartment.
When registering, please always mention the person(s) traveling with you!
Can I combine projects?
Yes! You can combine projects at one location, at different locations, but also in different countries. It is also possible to combine a project with a trip. You can specify your desired combination directly when registering.
Combination options at a glance:
- Combine programs in one country
- Combine programs across countries
- Combine a program with a language course
- Combine a program with ours Adventure & Trips
There are a few things Project combinations to note: The minimum length of stay per project must be observed and you may incur additional costs for country combinations, for example for an intermediate flight.
What are the project fees used for?
Although we are a non-profit organization, there are costs associated with volunteering abroad. Find out here, why volunteering requires money and what your project fee is used for.
What visa do I need for Ecuador?
For Ecuador you need a tourist visa, which you can apply for upon arrival. This is valid for 90 days.
What language skills do I need for the project in Ecuador?
Good knowledge of Spanish and English is required for this project.
What vaccinations/ health precautions do I need?
If you are traveling from a yellow fever area, you need a yellow fever vaccination. Otherwise there are no compulsory vaccinations.
We generally recommend a consultation in a practice for travel and tropical medicine.
You can get general information about recommended health care and vaccinations online Center for Travel Medicine as well as on the side of Foreign Office.
Does the project always take place?
The project closed in December.
What are the requirements for the environmental project?
No special prior knowledge is required to participate. Motivation, good health, the ability to work in a team, fun working outdoors and an interest in environmental issues are important.
What do I have to consider as an LGBTQ person?
Please be aware that homosexual acts are considered undesirable in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and are even punishable by law in some places. In general, people who are identified as queer are often exposed to hostility.
For example, get information from Foreign Office about the exact regulations in your destination country.
Ready to volunteer in Ecuador? Start your adventure abroad with Rainbow Garden Village!
Rainbow Garden Village has been offering volunteer work and internships abroad since 1999. What started as a small student initiative in Ghana has now grown into an organization with over 250 projects around the world.
You can be sure that your work as a volunteer will be an unforgettable experience. Bring your commitment and your knowledge to do good locally - and at the same time benefit from the unique experiences that will promote your personal development.
Become part of our RGV community!
We look forward to you.
RGV
Your way
to the volunteer
1
Choose your volunteer project and register online.
2
We will review your application and confirm your participation.
3
Prepare for your assignment online or in our preparatory seminar in Munich.
4
Here we go! During your volunteer work, we will support you at any time with our on-site team.
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Impressions &
Impressions
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