Children's Day Centre, SOS - Ecuador

Product Details

SOS El Tejar provide a day centre for young children from poor, often single-parent backgrounds where they have suffered from neglect. The project is located in the Panecillo area of Quito near the bright, colourful Camal market and near the CENIT project for street children. The building is in self-contained grounds set around a small playground. There are six classrooms and also a kitchen where food is prepared for the children. It is located on the flanks of the Pinchincha volcano in the western part of Quito. There are amazing views of the old town. It is a lively, bustling part of the city but also one of the poorest areas. Many of the children have very low self-esteem. The staff are warm, welcoming and very supportive of volunteers. They create a great family atmosphere that volunteers would be an integral part of.

Volunteer Responsibilities

Most of the older children attend school but this in only for approximately three or four hours a day. Due to overcrowding at school they study in shifts. Children aged one to five are permanently at the centre and need care, love and constructive play activities organised for them. Half of the six to twelve year olds need help in the afternoon; the other half need help in the morning. This help will include homework brought from school, assisting in one of the classrooms and organising your own independent activities and lessons. These might be English, art, music, sport or basic work on computers. Like many Outreach International project your exact role will be determined by your skills and interests.

The children are perfectly bright but are often badly behind at school because they receive little parental support. Many of them have not attended school until the time that they were registered with SOS and many of them have had to work on the streets so have not been in a position to go to school. It is believed that volunteer support and guidance will boost their self-esteem and give them the extra education they need to catch up with their peers.

In addition to providing them with an education it is hope that volunteers will recognise the importance of giving them the much needed love, care and attention that in some cases the have never been shown.

This would suit those who want to help out at a valuable, grass-roots project. You would have direct contact with the humble communities of Quito and work as a valuable member of a small, passionate team of volunteers and permanent members of Ecuadorian staff.

Accommodation and time off

Work would be from 8:30 until 4:30, five days a week. You could live with a family in Quito but the project is based very close to the spacious Outreach house. Like all Outreach volunteers you would attend an intensive two-week Spanish course when you arrive in Quito. The children and staff do not speak English so a knowledge of the language is important. It would be easy to socialise with the volunteers based in Quito and you would be invited to join in with the occasional Outreach weekend trips. You would be in a good location for exploring other parts of Ecuador. It is a small country with dramatic scenery, boasting snow-capped volcanoes, the Amazon rainforest a gorgeous coastline and the Andes rising to over 5,000 metres. Public transport is good and organising expeditions can easily be done through the South America Explorers Club. All Outreach volunteers are registered members of this club and have full access to its great facilities and clubhouse.