Voluntary
Voluntary brochure for US (PDF)
Current recruitment adverts for volunteers for a specified period of time are published on the main page of our website.
The foundation decides who will be qualified for volunteer workabroad. It decides also about the departure of a volunteer (after a prior verification of the passport, experience and volunteering skills, and after skype interview in Spanish).
The foundation does not take any financial responsibility for purchasing a ticket, a visa and vaccinations without prior approval of the Foundation.
What is volunteer work and what tasks does it have?
All over the word there are people who want to take care of other people so they spend their time using their abilities and money to help people who need it. We often might be surprised when hearing answers volunteers give when asked why they do volunteer, as often answers include: „because each person should give help”, „because everybody would do the same”, „ because one should behave like that”. From those simple answers one can notice that a volunteer work changes the whole person and impact his or her values. A volunteer worker copes with everyday life which sometimes is full of suffering. Giving help can influence a volunteer’s life and change his or her values. A volunteer, through helping, discovers his or her humanity. A lot of people help by using their abilities and interests. The idea of a volunteer job is simple: you give help and in exchange you receive food, accommodation and the possibility of meeting people from all over the world. Working as a volunteer abroad can have many benefits like the possibility of exchanging his or her experience with others, meeting new people from different countries, and learning something about the culture of a country where he or she works. The leader of the above foundation is a catholic missionary nevertheless he accepts all people willing to help!
Volunteer tasks:
- Creating centers which will provide warm meals for kids and youth from poor families.
- Helping children with their homework.
- Helping children who can’t go to school by visiting them at home, helping them with learning, and giving financial support (buying uniforms and school accessories).
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Organizing free time for the kids and youth (depends on skills and experience of a volunteer):
- art classes (drawing, painting, collage)
- music classes (singing, choir)
- PE (football, table tennis, aerobic, basketball, badminton, jumprope)
- boarding games (Chinese game, bingo, chess, draughts and others)
- field games (here and hounds)
- educational cinema (DVD films)
- education (writing and reading classes, mathematics, geography especially for children who don't attend school)
- language classes (English)
- organising trips for children (ocean for teenagers, swimming pool for younger kids)
- theatre classes
- handicraft workshops (fomix)
- Organizing free courses for poor and unemployed people.
- Organizing different educational and cultural activities on the city area.
- Visiting families who are under the foundation’s care.
- Organising classes for leaders (School of Leaders)
- Organising birthday parties for children ( once a month one big birthday party for all children who have birthday in the same month)
- Helping in the canteen (setting tables, bringing meals, feeding young children, checking the list of attendance)
- Workshops – all volunteers (local and from abroad) take part in workshops (planning classes for a week, birthday parties, discussion about work)
- Visiting children in schools (primary and secondary schools)
- Coordinating different projects (a specified project chosen in accordance with a volunteer’s interests).
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Administrative responsibilities:
- a volunteer is responsible for updating and managing the website of the Foundation
- responsible for updating and managing the website of the Foundation on Facebook
- updating children's card file index
- writing the volunteers' blog
- taking photos of children and their homes
- exchanging e-mails with adoptive parents
- translating skype - callsbetween adoptive parents and children
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writing grant-aided projects
From a volunteer we expected:
- Creativity – each new idea is very precious.
- Availability – due to the specificity of work, it is not always possible to plan working hours and all duties.
- Commitment- a person who comes should be really willing to help.
- Flexibility- the ability of adaptation to new situations is very helpful.
- Unselfishness- the only award which can be expected is appreciation from the people who we help.
Foundation provides:
- Accommodations including single and double rooms with bathrooms or shared bathroom (it depends on the place where a volunteer works)
- Full board (it depends on the place: volunteers can buy products and cook for themselves or one meal during a day is provided) The costs are calculated on the basis of bills and receipts and in the end of the month the account is sent to the Foundation Board of Directors)
- The Internet.
- The possibility of part defrayal of journey expenses (given sum of money depends on the length of stay).
- Spanish Courses (when a volunteer stays longer than six months).
- Ecuador visa (formalities legalisation of the visa in Ecuador and defrayal of expenses when a volunteer stays longer than 6 months). A volunteer is obliged to settle all formalities in Poland (Rejtan street, Warsaw) in order to get a visa. All required documents from the Foundation are sent in the traditional way — through the postal service.
Obligatory:
- get a visa to Ecuador in a country of residence (for stays longer then 6 months all costs of it will be reimbursed)
- basic knowledge of Spanish language
- minimum stay: 6 months
- buying a round-trip ticket (after agreed terms with the Foundation, half of the ticket costs will be reimbursed for stays over 6 months)
- filling an application form doesn't mean, that the candidate is automatically approved as a volunteer.
- a person applying for admission to the volunteer program is required to refrain from buying the ticket until the time of his arrival is established and confirmed with the Foundation the period of his arrival.
- The candidate for a volunteer is obliged to exchange e-mails with the Foundation and respond to any inquiries concerning his or her volunteer work, arrival, experience of working with children and volunteering skills.
Important information:
- The Ecuadorian currency is US dollars (one should not take paper money of face value higher than 20 dollars, as they are not accepted for everyday use); Bring small denominations bills: 5$, 10$ and 20$. In supermarkets 50$ is also accepted but only when the total cost of the purchasing products is 30$ or more.
- In banks you can exchange small denominations bills for large denomination bills.
- Polish and US citizens do not need visas when they come for less than three months;
- In Ecuador flat plugs are used and the voltage is 110 V ( converters can be easily bought here);
- Passport should be valid AT least 6 months since the planning date of leaving Poland, the most convenient is having a valid passport for the whole period of staying;
- International driving licenses is valid for 3 months, but for the time being it is not necessary. If it is needed, the Foundation will inform a volunteer.
- Shops are well supplied. There are no problems with buying every day necessities;
- Most credit cards are valid here.
- no vaccinations are required, but should be vaccinated against yellow fever, typhoid and hepatitis
- prices of the products are comparable to European prices and disproportionately high earning.
- It’s better to keep money in underwears (because of many robberies during journeys). You can keep money e.g. in socks or a bra.
What to bring and what not to take:
- In places which are located in the mountains, nights might be chilly so warm clothes are also needed (at least 2-3 sweaters, 2-3 pairs of trousers, an anorak. Gloves, a scarf, warm woolly socks can be also necessary.) You can buy these things in cities at so called mercado artensal, which are manufacture products market (warm alpaca ponchos, warm woolly socks and so on). On the coast it is hot so you will need summer clothes.
- The Foundation provides a computer for administration work. However, two or three volunteers usually use it so it’s good to take a notebook.
- A small camera can be also useful. It’s better to take a pocket-sized camera because of frequent robberies.
- It is better to buy measures against mosquitoes in Ecuador as they are more effective here;
- Towels and bedclothes are provided by foundation so there is no need to take them;
- Pocket Polish – Spanish or English -Spanish dictionary is very helpful;
- You don’t have to take a lot of cosmetics – you can buy almost everything in Ecuador and prices are similar to average prices in Poland or USA.
- Expenses on personal hygiene items (a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, soap and others) and other personal items (e.g. clothes or shoes)
- a volunteer decides whether or not to take a mobile phone. Mobile work, but only 4-band. Phone calls from Ecuador to Poland are very expensive (Orange: 2 zl for a text message and 10zl for a minute). It’s better to contact with family via skype.
- It’s useful to take shoes good for every kinds of weather: sandals, flip flops, trainers. Trekking boots are not necessary, good trainers are enough.
- Take some elegant clothes, e.g. a dress or a shirt. Sometimes locals organize parties – fiestas and it’s good to look elegant.
Consular information related to visa:
In order to get a visa, one should contact the Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador by phone. Then one will be informed about formal requirements for a visa. A volunteer then informs the Foundation what documents are necessary and the Foundation sends them through postal service. After collecting all documents the volunteer arranges the meeting by phone with the representative of the Embassy. The volunteer takes all collected documents for the meeting.
The Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador
www.mmrree.gob.ec (Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ecuador)
A visa application charge is paid in bank (in dollars). The volunteer will be informed about the target bank account number during the meeting with the Representative of the Embassy. He or she is obliged to deposit money into this account.
The total cost of the visa: $180 ($150 for the visa and 30$ for visa stamps)
Buy a ticket:
One can purchase a ticket after prior approval of arrival (the date of arrival should be consulted with the Foundation).
Suggested airlines (USA – Ecuador) : AA; United, Aero Gal
The cheapest flight: 1000 usd (with changes)
Important information:
The rule of thumb is when the volunteer comes from Poland or USA, he or she should bring something which is not available in Ecuador, e.g.
- sausages (Cracow’s or dry pepperoni sausage)