FBU - Rural Development and Cultural Exchange

  Ecuador

• All Other Regions of Ecuador: 
Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: Ongoing

Description: The Fundacion Brethren Y Unida (FBU) is a non profit (non religious) NGO who, in addition to daily project and environmental education activities, runs volunteer programs from 1 week to a month or more. We have worked on rural development in Ecuador for 50 years, in numerous communities across the country.

We offer the exciting opportunity for volunteers to come and live and work with a family in a rural community. You can choose from: the county of Pedro Moncayo, in the northern Andes (west of Cayambe), the Intag region in the sub-tropical western Andes and the community of Columbe in the central south Andes: or all three should you have the time.

These longer programs, usually a month, are designed for flexibility. For example, a week can be spent at our hacienda in Picalqui (the same as the organic agriculture program - details of which are on our web site) followed by time living and working in a community. You will live with a campesino family in their house, one volunteer (or couple if requested) per family: thus more is learnt, and faster. All families are carefully selected, and have a range of living standards, but we guarantee a private room and somewhere private for bathing.

The emphasis for this home stay is the exchange of culture and customs between the volunteer, the family, and also the community members. We therefore request that volunteers try to have at least basic conversational Spanish (as communication is an essential part of this experience), and approach the culture with an open mind.

Volunteers 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 experience volunteers will live and learn about the traditions and daily lives of these campesino families.

There will also be opportunities during the stay to work with other families and "comuneros" on a wider variety of activities. This provides a broader experience of daily life and for further integration into the community.

Through our wide ranging contacts we can also organize programs specific to volunteers requirements: eg: teaching program, womens group work, forestation, local development, environmental education.

Typically, whilst living in the communities, volunteers will be able to:

- Work on the land: prepare seed beds, sow, weed, water, plant and harvest your lunch
- Manage the farm animals (normally chickens, pigs, cows, sheep and guinea pigs): from milking cows to pasturing.
- Participate in mingas (community work) - an excellent opportunity to witness the strength of the community bond within some of these more isolated areas.
- Work in the community tree nursery (depending on the community)
- Reforest micro-valleys with native plant species
- Help out or teach in the education centres and schools - we work with several underfunded rural schools and our "teaching program" details more about this activity
- Go to market to buy supplies, and perhaps buy or sell a farm animal - has to be experienced to be believed.
- Help in the kitchen and learn to cook traditional Ecuadorian meals
- Any construction that may need doing (eg fixing roofs, making fences, animal pens)
- Participate in the local cultural fiestas
- Play ecuavolley or football in the evenings
- And of course, practice Spanish

Naturally this list of activities isn't definitive. You are encouraged to get fully involved with the community and opportunities and invitations will soon come your way. Also the foundation may be managing a project within the community (eg Biogas alternative energy, reforestation, paramo management, tree nursery development etc) and so there could be the opportunity to participate.

The three communities are very different in terms of climate, agriculture, culture and tradition. Therefore please be sure of the area you wish to stay in (see our web site for further information to learn more about the different communities) and be sure to read the community projects pages on our site for details of the development work undertaken in the different areas.

**Please note, for those wishing to take Spanish classes before going to live in a community, we can arrange them for you during your week at the hacienda.

Highlights:
- Total immersion into Ecuadorian culture
- Great opportunity for improving your Spanish language
- Get well off the beaten gringo trail
- Yours your skills to help in any way you can

Qualifications:
- We welcome volunteers with or without experience in rural development, agro-forestry, agriculture, forestry, nutrition or teaching.

- Volunteers usually spend a week at our hacienda where they will gain experience in the type of work they will encounter in the communities, and of course have a chance to improve their Spanish and rural vocabulary.

- A basic level of Spanish will be required, and if planning to teach in local school, an intermediate level.

Cost in US$: 350 per month

With the fee we pay the family and community for receiving you, we cover the costs of administrating the program and the remainder is used by the foundation, a non profit NGO, to maintain its rural development work through community training workshops.

For an additional fee we can arrange for Spanish classes to be taken at the hacienda, out in the country and providing a relaxed and peaceful learning environment.

Credit Available: yes

Salary / Pay: Volunteers will have the opportunity to live and work in rural Ecuador with campesino families, experiencing their customs and culture whilst learning Spanish. This is a unique experience, with families selected to meet your personal objectives for the program, made possible becuase we work with 12 communities and over 30 families. This is a great opportunity to see and understand the real Ecuador and step away from the tourist trail.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Volunteers are expected to be self reliant, enthusiastic and committed to learn and to help, both within the foundation and also in the community where they stay. They should be culturally sensitive and with a desire to learn new cultures and customs.

Age Range: 18+

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Ecuador Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of 1-3

Application Process Involves:

• Written Application

Year Founded: 1953