Overview
Volunteer on building projects in the Ecuadorian Andes

This two week or more volunteer program brings you into the heart of the Ecuadorean Andes and surrounding indigenous communities, around Otavalo, home to the Otavaleño indigenous who hold remarkably strong ties to their native culture and traditions. Here you will embark on building energy efficient stoves with the families in the communities, which decrease wood consumption and remove smoke from inside the house. You will also undertake 20 hours of one-on-one spanish and head out horseback riding in the surrounding areas. Trips to the Galapagos Islands can be organised from Otavalo and are a must if you plan to explore Ecuador after your program.

View Film Footage, images, blogs, stories from the field, video diaries and more at the programs media centre

Being aware of the negative problems is one thing, though being part of the positive cure is another. These stoves bring far more to the lives of the community than one can imagine!

Rufus Langsley, 2009 GVI Volunteer

What Difference Does This Project Make?

Currently, families cook on open fires inside their homes, with smoke inhalation a daily occurrence, especially for the young children still draped over the mother's backs over the open fire. By building enclosed brick stoves with chimneys to take the smoke away, the air is cleaner. Also, due to the design, the stoves use less wood, leaving more time for work and study and less damage to the surrounding environment. Families who have already had a stove built by volunteers through this program have said that the stove generates greater and longer lasting heat in their home than the open fire did before. One Mum has also said that now she doesn’t have sore and watering eyes from the smoke

Highlights

Make a visable, hands-on difference in the future of indigenous communities, get immersed in the local culture, experience and live amongst the breathtaking beauty of the Andes Mountains, start and finish from scratch the stoves and see others in action, get one-on-one Spanish tuition and horseback ride in the surrounding areas.

Location

Nestled high in the Andes Mountains of Northern Ecuador, Otavalo is a quaint town of 50,000 people surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes. It´s home to South American´s largest artesenal market, and is the perfect base to explore the rest of the country. It is two hours from the capital, Quito, 5 hours from the coast and 4 hours from the jungle.

Field Conditions

Volunteers live in a residential suburb of Otavalo, a 15 minute walk from the centre in very comfortable conditions with a local host family. Hot water for showers, three meals per day provided by the family, and your own bedroom in the house can be expected. The food is typical of the area, and vegetarians are typically catered for.