Volunteers

Here at Escuela Katitawa we have been able to accomplish many things because of the help from hundreds of volunteers who have come from all over the world to lend a hand in what we believe is a worthwhile project.

The volunteers come to Ecuador in order to make a difference and to experience the unique culture of the indigenous community of Salasaka. The people and the children, in return, get to learn about other cultures and countries in a very personal way - something completely different than reading a few paragraphs in a textbook.

There is no minimum time period required to stay and work with us. Some volunteers are here for a day, others for six months or longer. We want you to enjoy all the time you spend here, so as soon as you feel it is time for you to leave, we will support you in that decision.

SCHEDULE

We ask volunteers to work a minimum of seven hours a day, Monday through Friday.

A normal day starts at 7:00 in the morning with breakfast and around 7:30 the volunteers walk together to the school, where they can teach, help in the garden or with construction work. At 1:00 we have lunch and then there is the Afternoon school with the children of the community (from 2:00 to 5:00). In the evening we come back to the library and do some private lessons. At 19:30 we have dinner together. Depending on what you help with, you might work in the morning or in the afternoon or a bit of both.

Most volunteers use the weekends for traveling around this beautiful and captivating country. Salasaka is close to the spa town of Baños, Quito is a day trip away and so are the beautiful lagoon of Quilotoa or the volcanoes Chimborazo and Cotopaxi.

TASKS

You can choose between different kind of tasks, depending on the necessities of the moment:

• teaching English, maths, computer classes or any other subject you are familiar with;
• helping out in the library;
• construction work;
• helping the cook in the kitchen;
• fundraising;
• working at our plant nursery;
•  anything else that is needed or that you are good at.

FOOD AND ACCOMODATION

Accomodation: Our new volunteer quarters has space for 17 volunteers in five sleeping rooms, a large kitchen and living area. A room with a double bed is also available for couples. There is a bathroom with a shower (hot water available) and a laudry (no wash machine). Internet access with Wi-Fi is available in the volunteer house.

Food: Monday to Friday we provide 3 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for the volunteers. The meals are not gourmet, but most of the time they are tasty.

EXPENSES

Unlike most other volunteer programs, we do not charge someone to come and work for free. We do however ask for a very modest donation of $20 per week, to help cover some of our expenses. If you are staying with us for less than two weeks, we ask you to pay a rate of $7.50 per night.

So with a mere $20 a week you have a bed, internet access and three prepared meals a day (Monday to Friday). Anything extra you want to buy for your own comfort will generally be very cheap here in Ecuador (e.g. a meal at ca. $ 1.00), as is travelling around the country (ca. $ 2.50 to Quito, $ 0.50 to Baños) if you want to have adventures on the weekends.

Our work here in Salasaka is not funded by any external organizations, and without the help of volunteers and donors we would cease to exist.

RULES

As Salasaka is an indigenous community, many cultural aspects will probably be different from your home country, or even most other places in Ecuador. Body piercings (other than earrings) are not permitted for our volunteers while at the library or school. This is not a custom in the community and is not permitted for the women here. Rings on your fingers and toes but please not in your nose. It is fine in other places but not in your lips, tongues or faces. We do not want to offend so we ask that if you have rings in any of these places, please take them off while in Salasaka. There are no illegal drugs permitted at any time in the volunteer quarters. Smoking is permitted as long as it is not in front of the kids or inside the school, library or volunteer house.

HOW TO ARRIVE TO KATITAWA

To get here from Quito, take any bus from Quito's southern terminal "Quitumbe" to Baños, and ask the driver to stop in Salasaka. If you are coming from Baños, take a bus towards Ambato, and again ask to be dropped of in Salasaka.

Most likely you will be dropped off in the city center near the pedestrian bridge (el puente), from there you can take a camionetta (pick-up truck) to the school, the library or the volunteer house.

If you arrive in the morning, ask for “Escuela Katitawa”.

If you arrive in the afternoon, ask for "La Biblioteca Rosa Maria" or the casa comunal "Mangiwa" (the house of volunteers is directly next to the library). In the library there are volunteers from 3 to 8 p.m. After these hours go directly to the new volunteer house, Mangiwa.

MAP

WHAT TO BRING

• different kind of clothes - the weather here is almost the same all year long, with cold nights, evenings and mornings. During the day the weather can change within minutes and as soon as the sun comes out it gets hot. Best thing is to dress in layers, have a jacket or something that you can take off, a sweater for chilly moments and a t-shirt for hot times. It doesn't rain too much around here, but sometimes it might.
• Sunscreen;
• Pens and pencils for the children of the school.

APPLICATiON FORM

For other questions write an email to volunteers.schedule@gmail.com.

If you want to help us in other ways, please see our page “Support us” (LINK).