Programs Abroad

ECUADOR - Farm Stay at Family Farm in rural Ecuador

	Project: Farm Stay Booking Nº: EC126 Country: Ecuador + Location: Intag or Pedro Moncayo Minimum Stay: 1 month Start dates: Year round Price: 1 month, from 500 USD
More Photos...

Task

Work on family owned land
Prepare seed beds, sow, weed, etc.
Harvest local fruit and vegetables for meals
Manage farm animals
Participate in community programs (community gardens, tree nurseries, etc.)
Facilitate programs or offer help in education centers and schools
Farm Maintenance (fixing roofs, making fences, animal pens, etc.)
Reforest micro-valleys with native plant species

The mission of the Cultural Exchange Program is to foster the creative abilities of men and women in rural Ecuador while encouraging an atmosphere for sharing knowledge and promoting citizen rights. This aim is channeled through attempts to construct organizational and technological proposals to allow the improvements in the quality of life for rural Ecuadorian communities. Throughout all projects and missions, the Cultural Exchange Program prioritizes the fundamental principals of collective responsibility, equality, solidarity and respect for nature.

Volunteers will follow the daily routine of their host family, getting up when they do and passing the day together on the land or in the community. Through conversation and practical experiences, volunteers will learn the traditions and daily lives of theses "campesino" families. There may also be opportunities during the stay to work with other families on a wider variety of activities. This allows greater experience of daily life and for further integration into the community. Tasks may vary due to the family and farm needs.

Daily work on the farm can vary from milking the cows to planting maiz, beans and yucca depending on the area. Be sure to bring working clothes for the farm and plan on getting dirty. Volunteers should be enthusiastic, creative, communicative, energetic, organized and open-minded to new cultures. The English this rural community is typically very poor or non-existent so general knowledge of Spanish will be very useful. Rest assured, not all is about work! Volunteers have the weekends free to travel, hike swim or whatever may be your interest.

Accommodation

The emphasis for a home stay is the exchange of culture and customs between the volunteer, family, and also community members. After spending a week at the foundation’s head quarter hacienda, volunteers will be placed with a local family within the community. Volunteers will have a single room and become a part of the family. There may be an opportunity for a double room for couples traveling together, depending on the current situation. Accommodations include three meals a day, seven days a week. Meals are usually typical local food from Ecuador. This means food is from the garden or is purchased at a local market. A typical meal is rice, meat, salad as well as home-made soup. Vegetarian options can be accommodated with prior notice. Basic necessities can be purchased at a small store in the near-by town or a short twenty minute bus ride can take you to the other shopping options.

Requirements

Language:
Intermediate level of Spanish is required

Skills:
No special skills are required.

Age:
18+ years

Vaccination:
Please ask for medical advice in your home country and check the entry Regulation that apply for your country.

Insurance:
Full travel & medical insurance for Ecuador

Visa:
Tourist visa (90 days, not extendable); for longer stays volunteer visa (valid for 6 months).

Details

Established in 1953, the foundation that manages the farm is a non-profit, non-religious Ecuadorian NGO that has initiated various projects in rural

Ecuador

. The foundation is an institution that works on rural development projects together with small-town communities. The foundation promotes the participation of farming communities in processes of building and strengthening their identities through projects orientated with an agro-ecological focus, the protection of micro valleys and forests and environmental education. Other activities undertaken by the foundation are volunteer programs focused on the promotion of cultural exchange, nationally and internationally. While colloborating with local government the foundation manages development projects, strengthens initiatives of “campesino” and indigenous organization and trains leaders to drive proposals for social development in their communities. They aim to defend the existence of campesino agriculture in front of processes of concentration of land possession, of the destruction of natural resources through their extraction by large companies in front of the homogenization of consumption and the exclusion of public investment in the rural sector. Their principles are cultural understanding, exchange of knowledge, respect for nature, community participation and harmonization.

Prices

Duration	in USD
1 month	500.-
2 months	990.-
3 months	1,490.-
Additional week	100.-

One time registration fee 75 USD.

What’s included:

Accommodation
3 meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Orientation kit
Local support
24h-Emergency Number

What’s not included:

Flight
Airport Pick-up
Medical Insurance
Visa (if necesary)
Personal expenses
Local Travels

Country

Country Information Ecuador

Ecuador, appropriately named after the equator, holds a massive imaginary line running directly through its middle. Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in South America with an area of only 100,000 square miles. Ecuador borders with Peru in the southeast, Colombia in the northeast and the Pacific Ocean splashing along the entire west side. The population of Ecuador is 14 million with the capital city of Quito holding 2 million residents.

Though Ecuador lacks bragging rights in their size, the country surely stands proud with their breathtaking landscapes, lush vegetation zones and varieties of climate. The climate, mainly determined by altitude, with tropical sun to heavy rain an average day in the Pacific coastal area, to temperate dry climate regions in the Andean highlands. Further, the Amazon basin on the eastern side of the mountains shares the climate of other rain forest zones.

Ecuador is one of eighteen mega diverse countries in the world with thousands of different animal and bird species. The famous Galapagos Island, a very special spot on earth, located about 620 miles away from the mainland and home to unique flora and fauna such as the giant tortoises. The islands are also historic for being the birthplace of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.

When exploring even deeper the 100,000 square mile piece of land, you will find diverse attractions for tourists and volunteers alike. Some highly recommended areas of exploration are the Amazon jungles, the Amazon basin, Andean Mountains, Volcanoes (active and dormant), tropical forests and variety of beautiful beaches. The Pacific coast is a perfect place for ocean diving, relaxing on the beach and enjoying hours in the sun. For those backcountry lovers and nature fans, rest assured the terrain of Ecuador offer much in both silence and adrenaline driven activities.

Due to Ecuador’s geographical diversity of ocean, mountains and island chains, any time you choose to travel rest assured one section of country will be in peak season. June through September are typically the dry months. The general high peak season of festivals, fiestas and crowds lie between mid-December through January and then again from June through August.

When traveling to Ecuador you will be absolutely amazed by the unique and natural beauty of this country. Keeping in mind that this country is one of poorest regions in South America, you will be surprised by their friendliness, efforts to help you and elements of preserved culture. UNESCO declared Quito, the capital city, a World Heritage Site in the 1970’s for having the best preserved and least altered historic center in Latin America!

No doubt, you will feel comfortable and ease while enjoying this open-minded and hospitable society.