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What Is Included
- Food
- Accommodation.
- An excellent
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Hello all!
I am having an absolutely wonderful time down here in Ecuador. Quito is a pretty different city to say the least, but it's something that I'm thoroughly enjoying. I arrived here on August 4th and instantly realized that despite six years of Spanish in school and having to speak some Spanish at work this summer, I had a very long way to go. At first it's rather intimidating trying to interact with people, especially when asking for directions or buying something. However, Outreach has it set up so that the first two weeks are spent taking Spanish lessons at a school right down the street. And thank goodness. At first, four hours of lessons a day sounds pretty laid back and easy, but it is the most intense four hours of conversation I've ever done. Stop paying attention for a second and you're completely lost as to where the conversation is going. A nap afterwards is almost always a must. All of the lessons are one on one, and my professor is great. We spend probably half the time learning new verbs or tenses, and the other half on conversations about everything from politics to sports to life in Ecuador, England and the United States. It's amazing how quickly you learn that way! We also have a laugh in the afternoons and join in with salsa dance and cooking lessons – all in Spanish.
My host family is great. I live with the host mom, Monika, her two children, and other volunteers doing projects in Quito. Right now there are four other volunteers in the house. We live right near the heart of the city, so there's plenty to do and see. My favorite place has become the bakery down the street, you can run down and grab some huge pastries for about 50 cents apiece! Not everything is cheaper here, though. Huge import taxes place a premium on items normally found in America, but staying away from the strip and buying in markets can be rewarded with excellent $5 dinners and $4 trousers. It certainly is half a world away.
Tomorrow will be my last full day of Spanish lessons, and over the next couple of weeks I will have three 2-hour lessons to make up for time lost. I didn't have class Monday, for example, because two others and I took a weekend to the jungle, where we swam in the rivers and played with monkeys and everything in between. I missed today's class because I went with Monika to the hospital where I'll begin volunteering at for the next six weeks, beginning next Monday. The first two weeks will be in the surgical department, the next two in the trauma ward, and the final two will be up to me to decide at a later date. On September 30th I'll be going off to live in the jungle for a month, and work in a very small hospital with a shaman who grows and practices natural medicine. Very excited for it all!
Alex Knopp. Gap Year Medical Volunteer Ecuador
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intensive language course
on arrival in the country.
- Project related travel (in country).
- In-country support from Outreach International Coordinator.
- Support and documentation for visa application.
- Airport pick up.
- Training and briefing in the UK, including a teacher training course and fundraising awareness
day.
- A weekend or short trip. See country descriptions.
- Public Liability Insurance.
- Specialist Backpacker Travel Insurance*
- Language CD course, available upon request from UK.
- Flights to Galapagos from Quito (Galapagos projects only).
- Galapagos work permit (Galapagos projects only).
- Five day Himalayan trek. (Nepal Projects ONLY).
- We put a lot of time and energy into visiting projects, selecting ones which genuinely benefit
from volunteer support and making sure that your skills and interest are properly used. We like to
meet all potential volunteers to brief you about your selected project so you can make an informed
decision about whether it is right for you. The cost of this is covered by your placement charge.
Please note: it does not include the cost of international flights.
However we can help your organise these. We recommend WEXAS. They provide real value for money
combined with high levels of service. For more information visit their website,
www.wexastravelmanagement.co.uk.
Please contact Alex Crosby who will be delighted to assist with your plans. 020 7838 5894 or
alex.crosby@wexas.com.
Please note a few individual projects require a small additional charge, this is mentioned on the
project descriptions.
For full details of the breakdown of our expenses
click here.
* The Backpacker Travel Insurance is a specialist policy designed for those
who volunteer and work on their travels. Cover includes baggage, personal
accident, emergency medical expenses, repatriation, personal liability, plus
much more. It can be extended for volunteers wishing to travel independently
after their placement. This insurance is provided by Mind The Gap Year.
Gap Year and backpacker insurance, safety and assistance.
Fundraising
An important aspect of the UK office support is to advise volunteers how to
raise money for their project. You will all have the opportunity to attend one
of our fund raising awareness days in Somerset and will be provided with a pack
full of ideas about fund raising activities.
"To my complete amazement and gratitude to wonderfully
generous people all the hard work paid off and the Auction, raffle and small
profit from each ticket sale raised a few pounds over £3000!! at the
Supper evening on Friday - how fantastic is that. Thank you for your positive
encouragement and for having Peter to give such a good fundraising awareness day
as I heeded his words about location, as good as one can get, and about getting a
professional auctioneer in, Peter Lewis was great and new quite a few of the
farmers and other friends as lived locally."
Sarah Dale
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