Ecuador Volunteer Programs from $21/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

I had an amazing experience with IVHQ when I decided to travel and volunteer abroad. From start to finish, they provided exceptional support and guidance, making it a truly memorable journey.

Their pre-departure assistance was invaluable, helping me prepare for the trip, from visa applications to packing lists. The orientation they offered gave me insights into the local culture, which enhanced my overall experience.

During my time volunteering, I was impressed by the organization’s commitment to the community. They had well-structured projects and dedicated local staff, ensuring that our efforts were meaningful and impactful.

Safety was a top priority as well. Ivhq took care of accommodation, transportation, and had emergency plans in place, which gave me peace of mind throughout my stay.

The connections I made with both fellow volunteers and the local community are something I will cherish forever. This organization truly fosters a sense of global citizenship and provides a platform for personal growth and cultural immersion.

International Volunteer Headquarters is an incredible organization that connects people with community partners all over the world. Thanks to IVHQ, I had an incredibly meaningful and impactful summer in Quito, Ecuador. During my time there, I volunteered with a non-profit organization called Ubeci, whose mission is to provide educational and social opportunities for city children who work in the markets with their parents.Through fun and informative activities, I along with other volunteers helped these kids develop crucial life skills, such as sharing, communication, mathematics, and more. This volunteer placement brought me so much joy and I looked forward to going to the market every week. I am incredibly grateful for this experience, as it has expanded my outlook and enabled me to become apart of an international effort to better the future of our world's youth.

I felt like there was always support for me whether that was pre-departure, on the ground, or when traveling as well as after. The staff were very helpful and fun and gave useful information. This opportunity allowed me to really gain valuable practice with Spanish, as in this two week program gave me better practice than a 4 month study abroad. And of course the valuable impact made on the community, and for me, the environment. My project was for Environmental Education and I worked with the Marine Park to help endangered sea turtles!

Can’t speak for the Quito program, but Santa Elena was incredible. It is in a small village, Ballenita, located right on the seashore. The local nonprofit has a nice apartment like building that has their office and the residences. A nice courtyard provides a great meeting place for volunteers. The school is mere blocks away and students live in the neighborhood, and call out “hello teacher” as you walk around town. The school is a bit chaotic, but it felt easy to slide right in and teach. I feel their resources are few so you’re really appreciated by the teachers and students.

I was in Quito, Ecuador teaching for their Music Project for nine weeks. It was such an amazing and eye-opening experience. This was my first time out of my country, and IVHQ made it so manageable and comfortable for me! I loved it so much that I am going on another trip through them for teaching music this coming year! My favorite part of the entire trip was getting to meet all of the new people. You make so many connections you would not think of. I have made new best friends that I know I will keep for a lifetime. I highly recommend going through them for your future international travels!

IVHQ only cares about the money and not the health and safety of its volunteers. I could probably write ten pages worth of major mistakes they made. If you're considering choosing the program in Quito I would strongly suggest you choose either a different location or a different company altogether. Before I arrived they had changed the curfew hours due to the younger volunteers breaking the rules and did not inform us. During my time there some of the younger volunteers had broke curfew again and had alcohol in their room and were never kicked out. Riots in Ecuador had broken out and our programs had been shut down temporarily. They never informed any of the new incoming volunteers before arriving. I decided to leave a week early while I was still able to reach the airport before the riots closed down the streets and since I was type one diabetic I did not want to be stuck for an unknown amount of time. The day after I left my fellow volunteer found out she had Covid and strep throat. She was taken to the hospital by one of the program directors and she left her there alone for hours. For days my friend had to rely on other volunteers to bring her food in water until she contacted Sammy and complained. The food itself was not enough either, if you got to the table last you would not have dinner or breakfast and the meals were very small, not even enough for a child. Since this is part of what we pay for I think it is ridiculous because we are told to only bring extra money for lunch. In the end, most volunteers had to leave early because of the riots and did not receive refunds. When I contacted Sammy about several issues she tried to blame it on my lack of knowledge about the country and that since I am from America I am very fortunate and do not realize how well I have it in my country. I am an international studies major and I am very well informed about developing countries which is why I chose to do NGO support in a South American country. Overall I am very disgusted with this company.

I volunteered with IVHQ for 4 weeks with the Kindergarten Program in Quito and it was definitely one of the best experiences I've had in my life. I absolutely loved the school that I volunteered at and the kids were all so sweet. Each day I came into the classroom, I was greeted with a huge group hug. I helped the teacher with passing out materials and snacks and keeping an eye on all of the kids. I think it is definitely helpful if you know some Spanish so you can understand what the children and teachers are saying to you. If you don't know a lot of Spanish, taking the Spanish classes through IVHQ is very helpful. I thought it was so cool that the Spanish teachers would take us on outings to learn more about Quito. I explored the Centro Historico, museums and an artisanal market with my teacher. The Volunteer House was nice and the breakfast and dinner they served were yummy. I felt very supported by IVHQ and the local Volunteer Connection Ecuador team throughout my journey. My biggest regret was not booking for a longer period of time to explore all that Ecuador has to offer.

My trip to Quito was one I will never forget, I am a teacher in the States and I really wanted to go out of the country and give back. I never could have imagined what I was walking in to. The kids and staff are wonderful and very appreciative of ever volunteer there. The community is awesome and the children are even better. All of these children deserve a chance to dream and have goals and I think by doing our part they can see they can do much more with their lives. I plan to do more things like this, but this trip I will never forget.