Skip to main content
An official website of the European UnionAn official EU website

European Solidarity Corps

The power of together

Assistance in education development indigenous communities - LO-CA

ASSOCIATION POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT DES INITIATIVES CITOYENNES ET EUROPEENNES

Fundación VASE - Cielo Azul

Otavalo, Ecuador

Description

Cielo Azul project is located in Otavalo (2 hours from the capital Quito). It works in different communities around Otavalo with indigenous people in their rural schools. The aim is providing education to the indigenous communities. In Cielo Azul schools classes are given to children and young people from the indigenous communities. Volunteer activities include agriculture, environmental care, sports, computers, English lessons and arts and crafts. The volunteers will work mainly with kids from 4 to 10 years old. The volunteer works 4 to 5 days per week between 8am and 1.30pm. S/he helps in the school in the areas where help is needed-specially English. The volunteer can help in the school garden harvest vegetables for lunch or get active offering workshops or free-time activities for the children. Many families live from agriculture and expect volunteers to help in this task and in their daily activities as part of the family dynamics. https://www.volunteervase.org/

Accommodation, food and transport arrangements

The volunteer lives (3-4 days) in a local family in the community during the week. The family offers a simple life and food, most of the families neither have hot water, nor internet, nor washing machines, but the volunteers have the basic resources and they can develop themselves without problems. The other 2-3 days the volunteers have a shared flat in the center of Otavalo for washing clothes and for taking a hot shower and sleeping there during the free days. The transportation is included, they can go with a teacher from the school or in a car-bus that get the volunteer to the community.

Training during the activity

The LO-CA project offers training cycles to improve the digital skills and to implement small local actions (SLOCAs) on the topic of Project management, Inclusion and diversity, Environment and Climate, Human rights and Sustainable local community development All volunteers of the project will learn together and implement the SLOCAs during the deployment, with help of coordinators and local trainees. On arrival, an orientation camp during 3 days and 10 days of Spanish lessons before the start of the project will be provided, as well as training with the local mentor and with the teacher.

Participant profile

Required: skills for working with children (4-10 y.o.): patience, initiative, energy and joy - Knowledge of Spanish - B2. The volunteer will help the educators with activities including: - Planning classes and taking care of the children - Practice sports and activities (games, music, art) - Preparing food (with families of the community) and distributing lunch among the children - Playing outdoors and helping to keep the spaces tidy -Participation in English, mathematics, science and art classes -Preparing workshops and campaigns (with the other volunteers: dental care, sexual education, etc.

Activity dates

A total of 52 week(s) during the period 01/05/2025 to 30/05/2026


Activity location

Otavalo, Ecuador


Individual volunteering


Looking for participants from

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, North Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, Türkiye


Activity topics

Social challenges

Health and wellbeing

Education and training

Creativity and culture

Physical education and sport

Working against discrimination (including gender discrimination)

Nutrition and subsistence agriculture

WASH (Water, sanitation and hygiene)


Deadline for applications

Application deadline: 31/03/2025 23:59