Volunteers work in a day care centre for abused women and children in the old
colonial city of Quito. This local grass root initiative provides education and social work. Gap year
and career break volunteers provide valuable support teaching English.
Description of Project
The project is ideal for anyone interested in educational or social work abroad. It's set in a
beautiful colonial style house in the old part of Quito. It is a day centre for abused women and
children. The streets surrounding the house support a thriving, colourful abundance of life. Vendors
and merchants drown the noise of traffic which struggles to make its way through the narrow C17th
streets.
The building was renovated to a high standard in 2000. It provides a base for women and children
who are victims of domestic violence and abuse. Women come to the centre to receive therapy,
psychological and social support. This is provided free of charge by professional members of staff.
The staff also visit the families in their houses and offer counselling as deemed appropriate. Children
from these families attend school in the morning but spend the afternoons at the project doing their
homework and attending extra lessons. These are important as many of them have missed out on valuable
years of their education. They cannot study at home due to domestic difficulties. The children are aged
four to thirteen but the majority are eight or nine years old.
Summary
Project Code: E3
Main Activity of Project: Teaching disadvantaged children.
Minimum Period of Stay: Two months.
Cost: Two months: £2460. Three months: £2965. For full details of our prices please see our costs page.
Volunteer Responsibilities / Activities
Volunteers are needed to work at the centre every afternoon for four hours teaching approximately
25 children English and helping them with their homework. They are keen to learn English, as a
knowledge of the language opens doors to a range of employment opportunities. The lessons are based
in a well equipped room with modern educational facilities, a computer, art and craft materials, books
and plenty of space. You would be encouraged to make full use of the materials and offer the children
a broad range of educational activities depending on your skills and interests.
Help is also needed in the mornings working with small groups of just three or four children whose
mothers are attending the clinics. Professional support and advice is permanently on hand. This is
needed as the children, although keen to study, have not always been taught how to learn and lack the
discipline associated with children from 'normal' backgrounds.
There is an associated project working with street children that needs volunteers every morning to
help with sports, teaching and giving groups of needy children some much need attention.
You could make a real difference – to others and yourself!
Outreach International need volunteers to work abroad in schools,
hospitals, orphanages, with the disabled, animals and animal rescue, wildlife, physiotherapy, medical projects, sports and on humanitarian and conservation projects in South America, Central America, Africa and Asia, including Ecuador, Mexico,
Costa Rica, Cambodia, Nepal, the Galapagos Islands, Kenya and Sri Lanka. We're always looking for Gap Year students or anyone who wants to take a career break, Summer holiday, Easter or Christmas vacation break or a few months or a year out volunteering
overseas.
