Volunteers and Supporters

Would you like to volunteer with Ayuda Directa?
We are a small organisation with a few full-time active members. Moreover our members are drawn from all over the world who work in a voluntary manner with our Ecuadorian members for the benefit of the less well off in the country.

As a volunteer you will most likely be located in one of our projects. Although we have some in Quito, most are located elsewhere, often in the countryside.

We welcome anyone who wishes to help us as a volunteer. However for both the volunteer and the organisation, it is very important to be aware of mutual needs and capacities.

Below is a summary of the possible ways in which your might work as a volunteer as well as some of the things you will need to be aware of.

Needs:
In the area of medicine and general health, for placements and various medical brigades, we are looking for:
• general doctors
• paediatrics
• dentists
• gynaecologists
• ophthalmologists
• nurses

For our projects in agriculture and production, we are specifically interested in people with qualifications in:
• Agricultural Science
• Veterinary
• Production and sales of cheese

Finally, for our work in the area of education, we are currently looking for qualified people in:
• Education - Primary (4-12) and Secondary (12-17) levels
• Psychology - Particularly with children and/or cases of abuse would be a preference

From time to time, we need specialists in other fields. If you are interested, just contact us.

Prerequisites:
We ask that all the volunteers provide the following themselves:
• Return Air ticket
• Travel insurance to cover as a minimum their period working for the Fundación and as a recommendation cover for the entire length of their time outside their home country
• Adequate documentation to allow them stay in Ecuador. As well as a up-to-date passport, there is a range of visa requirements, depending on your nationality. Check with the nearest Ecuadorian embassy / consulate for more information.
• Sufficient funds to support themselves while in Ecuador. Most living, transportation and meal costs will have to be borne by the volunteer as the main part of the Fundación’s funds are for those in need in Ecuador.

Furthermore, the following information is valuable both for volunteer and the organisation:
• The volunteer should be of good medical health. The combination of work and location can be strenuous. Even being based in the relative comfort of Quito is not so easy. At 2800m above sea level and noted as the city with the second highest levels of air pollution in the world (after Mexico city), many people have had difficulty acclimatising, especially in the first few weeks. It would be wise to have a check-up before departure and to inform the organisation of any pre-existing medical issues.
• The volunteer’s level of Spanish should be adequate for the role he or she will play, working for the organisation. As all of our projects are people based, conversational ability is valued more than any academic qualification. Bear in mind that Ecuador is a bilingual country of many contrasts. Even native Spanish speakers can have problems in the beginning with regional dialects. If you are planning to combine volunteer work with lessons in Spanish, we would ask you to be as realistic as possible in the time you will need to learn the language well. As a guide, you should take into account whether your native language is similar to Spanish, such as Portuguese, Italian or French and/or whether you already a good command of 2 or more languages. Both factors considerably reduce the time needed to adequately learn Spanish.
• The volunteer should be proactive and dynamic. As the organisation is small and as Ecuador is a country where things could be better - the ability to react, adapt and maintain control & focus are invaluable characteristics. Many of the projects are visited on a regular basis, but sometimes a month can pass between one contact and the next, so it is important the volunteer can be a self-starter / motivator.

A lot of the above is basic common sense. If you have any doubt, question or query whatsoever, don’t hesitate to contact us.
To reiterate, volunteers are both needed and welcome in the organisation, but it is better for everyone, to be realistic, practical and open about the work in Ecuador and the aims of the volunteers.