International Health Volunteers

  Ecuador

• All Other Regions of Ecuador: 
Esmeraldas,  Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months and 1-2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 3-6 months
Dates: Open

Description: Medical Volunteers: Doctors, Nurses, Medical Students, Dentists, and Public Health Students

The volunteer doctor will work together with the Ecuadorian rural doctor (employed by the Ministry of Health) in our health center in La Y de La Laguna in coastal northwestern Ecuador. He/she may be responsible for performing a wide range of procedures, such as: caring for the acutely ill patient, suturing wounds, attending walk-in patients, and treating a variety of infectious diseases. The doctor will also provide preventive care, family planning advice, and participate in vital public health and vaccination campaigns. Illnesses most often seen at the health center can include: infectious diseases such as acute respiratory infections and urinary tract infections, malaria, typhoid, leishmaniasis, diarrheal diseases, accidents, obstetric and gynecological conditions, musculoskeletal disorders, pediatric conditions, snakebites, and more. The volunteer doctor will fill the role of primary doctor of the health center during the rural doctor's vacation weeks. The rural doctor attends patients approximately 15-20 days out of every month.

The volunteer nurse of the health center will have several opportunities to learn and practice with the doctor. In addition to assisting the doctor with patients, the nurse should be prepared to develop and implement public health and vaccination campaigns. Depending on experience and willingness, the nurse may be asked oversee the Health Center in the doctor's absence and/or provide further training and guidance to our locally-trained nurse auxiliary.

Medical students will initially be able to learn from the more experienced volunteers and medical personnel. In addition to attending to patients, the medical student will be asked to develop public health campaigns in conjunction with our network of health promoters throughout 26 communities and with the Ministry of Health. For this reason, medical students must cooperate with communities, the local health committee, health promoters, health center staff, fhn Ecuador staff, as well as different bodies of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health.

Volunteer doctors, medical students & nurses also have the exciting opportunity to travel to local communities to vaccinate, provide public health education, and more.

Please join us in this exciting and unique international health opportunity - by working in a beautiful, tropical region in South America that has only recently received health services!

Note: We typically prefer health professionals who have generalist training (GP's, FP's, ER docs, etc), but sometimes arrangements can be made for specialists depending on their technical needs (i.e. we do not have an OR for surgeons, but an OB/GYN might be able to do some great women's health work, etc). We are also open to doctors in their specialty training programs in their respective countries as well as highly capable medical students in their final year only. In addition, many incoming medical volunteers perform one to three weeks of training at the nearest municipal hospital to (1) familiarize themselves with local diseases, (2) learn about local disease terminology and treatment patterns, and (3) refresh their skills in any necessary areas.

Conservation Volunteers:

Conservation & Environmental Activities - Based in La Y (minimum 3 months, 6 months preferred)

Foundation human nature, in conjunction with local communities, is currently developing environmental activities focused on garden development and maintenance, waste management, community and youth education as well as the creation of a network of communication and collaboration among different actors in the communities. We would expect the conservation volunteer to participate in multiple prongs of this program. For this reason, volunteers may exercise flexibility and creativity in developing their volunteer plans, as long as they clearly define their objectives and are ready to adapt them according to current community-level needs and realities.

* Community Garbage
Together with the community, the first on-site volunteers at La Y constructed the community's first garbage pit and designed a program for the creation of community garbage bins. At present, this project is in need of further maintenance and updating. The volunteer will work with various community leaders and specifically, the Comité ProMejoras, to coordinate education and pick-up efforts in order to keep the community clean. Further, the volunteer is encouraged to develop a youth group to maintain and further this effort.

* Environmental Education & Sanitation
Environmental education is essential to a sustainable conservation effort. Volunteers should organize workshops, theatre skits, organizational activities, and other awareness-raising efforts in collaboration with schools, health promoters, community leaders, and the schoolchildren in the region. Further, the volunteer will develop and administer education programs for the communities. Environmental education can be linked with the community library projects or incorporated into health promoter and/or community workshops administered by fhn staff.

* Medicinal Plant Garden
The garden project began in August 2001 as a collective project between foundation human nature and the community of La Y. The project was inspired by the need to conserve both the medicinal plants and knowledge of the region. The goal of the garden is to provide the region with free botanical remedies. In addition to these services, the garden has the potential to serve as an educational tool for both the children and adults of the community. Currently, the maintenance of the garden is a cooperative effort of the health center administrative staff, the health promoters, and volunteers.
The volunteer will be responsible for supervising the upkeep of the garden and redeveloping a functional compost system. Environmental volunteers may also partake in educational activities, and vice versa.

In addition, we seek people with biological or ethnobotanical backgrounds who are willing to improve the book of medicinal plants that we have in the health center. We would like to elaborate the therapeutic recommendations in this book and to systematize methods for collecting, identifying and labeling medicinal plants (involving process of drying and storing the plants effectively). Ideally, we would like to create an easy to use resource library of ethnobotanical knowledge to be used by medical staff, volunteers and community members.

* Vegetable/Fruit garden
We are establishing a vegetable and fruit garden to enable the Health Center to become self-sufficient. The volunteer will be responsible for garden maintenance and community education and collaboration. Eventually the health center garden can serve as a model for people in the communities. Through workshops with the health promoters in the past two years, we have planted a variety of fruit trees around the health center. Most recently, volunteers have assisted us in replanting vegetable gardens around the health center. Health promoters are currently in charge of providing basic maintenance of these gardens, but we hope that volunteers can assist in maintenance and replanting efforts as well as developing ways of including the larger community in these sustainable gardening efforts.

Education Volunteers:

Library & Educational Activities - Based in La Y (min. 3 months, 6 months preferred)

Background: Most of the 31 villages within the region have a primary school, but not all of them have professors. About half of the schools are supported by the government through funding and teachers, while the other half are supported solely through monthly payments by the parents of the schoolchildren (Padres de Familia). Basic education is provided for most of the children up to the age of 12, but the quality of education is variable. Normally there is just one teacher in each community and the teacher must teach one class to 10-30 children of different ages and educational levels. In addition, many children have to work in the fields while simultaneously attending school. High school and university attendance is extremely rare. Secondary education is only available on Saturdays in La Y (the region's central town) and the Laguna. If children would like to attend secondary school, they must leave the region, separate from their families, and move to a city.

Assessment of Educational Need: Working together with teachers in the region, the education volunteer will develop educational programs on several topics. The volunteer should first conduct a survey of the existing state of education in the region, taking into account existing resources, ratio of children to teachers, age range of children, subjects taught, amount of time in school. Previous reports exist, but are in need of updating. The volunteer can then work with the teachers to identify areas of improvement and areas of collaboration. foundation human nature has already identified several areas of need and interest to the community including general health, conservation and English.

Community Library Activities: We also hope that our education volunteers work in close collaboration with the community library, which was built by fhn and community members in 2003 in the central community of La Y. Children in the community love to access the library in the afternoons (if you open the library once, we assure you that children will then ask you daily, "vas a abrir la biblioteca hoy día?"). At this time, the library has a number of books (for youth and adults), educational materials, a ping-pong table, drawing and painting materials, and a variety of toys for the children. In particular, volunteers may assist by soliciting and gather more materials for the library, opening the library for children for 2-3 hours in the afternoon, while participating in other educational or even environmental activities for the rest of the day.

Many volunteers have successfully integrated both educational and environmental activities in their volunteer plans with us. We also hope that volunteer can develop ideas and implement ideas to increase inclusion of adults in library activities. Community children and adults are always interested in receiving English classes from fhn volunteers. Therefore, provision of English classes can be a great way to include various age groups in library-centered activities. English classes can also be given to colegio students (in collaboration with high school teachers), adult community members, primary schoolchildren, and other groups who express interest. In all, there are various kinds of educational activities that a volunteer may choose to focus on. Ultimately, we hope that volunteers exercise sensitivity to local needs first and foremost, work together with fhn to assure that planning is in accordance with fhn needs and philosophies, and finally, that volunteers exercise their own creativity in developing and implementing a plan for their volunteer period.

Office/IT Support:

Foundation Human Nature's staff in the central office in Quito are constantly working on program development, management projects, accounting, as well as some fundraising and development of promotional material. Due to our limited staff size, we can use assistance in carrying out various daily management activities, such as data entry, drafting of reports, scanning receipts and photos, and running various errands, for example. Though it may not sound that exciting, this type of assistance is crucial as it allows our staff to exercise their expertise in project management.

We also seek more specialized volunteers that may assist with: accounting (strong Spanish and accounting skills necessary); information technology support (previous IT experience also necessary); and database management (knowledge of Microsoft Access). For example, we are looking for help developing a database to systematize information in the health center more effectively. Ideally, we seek flexible volunteers who are willing to help out in a variety of capacities.

Highlights: fhn Ecuador directs a sustainable development program, focused on the promotion of health, in the region of El Páramo in coastal Northwest Ecuador. fhn Ecuador (locally known as Fundación MeHiPro) is registered through the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health. Our dedicated personnel in Ecuador divide their time between working in our office and in the field.

The Health Center: El Subcentro de Salud officially opened its doors in the community of La Y de La Laguna on December 15th, 2001. In order to hold local agencies responsible, however, fhn Ecuador has since signed a 4-way contract between themselves, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health, the Hospital of Quinindé and the Local Health Committee. With this contract, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health provides a rural doctor and dentist to work for one year in the health center in La Y. In addition, we have opportunities for international medical volunteers to assist both in the health center and in outreach programs.

Local Health Committee: In administering the health center, fhn works closely with a local health committee (El Comité de Salud) comprised of members from various local communities who represent local interest. The Comité de Salud was also instrumental in coordinating the construction of the health center. These committed individuals are undergoing monthly training workshops and capacity-building in order to independently administer the health center in the future.

In efforts to transfer management of the Health Center to the community, fhn has supported training of three local community members who now work as the health center administrator, laboratory technician, and nurse.

Health Promoters: In August 2002, each of El Páramo's 26 communities elected one male and one female health promoter to undergo training as Community Health Workers. This group attends one workshop per month (lasting 1-3 days) on health-related topics, such as first aid, malaria testing, sexual and reproductive health, basic ophthalmology, medicinal plants, and more. fhn's health promoters are also representatives of the health center in their communities, spreading health education messages throughout the region.

Please join us in this exciting international health opportunity in the beautiful tropics of South America!

Qualifications: Doctors, Nurses, Medical Students, Dentists, and Public Health Students
Specific Qualifications:

* Full registration in home country for professionals
* Students in their final year of Medical School (only)
* Advanced Level of Spanish - or willingness to attend Spanish school in Quito
* 2 month minimum commitment for doctors. 3 months for nurses and medical students. At least 6 months preferred.

Conservation Volunteers

Specific Qualifications:
* Relevant degree in ecology, biology,
environmental studies, etc.
* Intermediate-Advanced Spanish (or willingness to attend Spanish school in Quito)
* 6 month minimum commitment preferred

Education Volunteers

Specific Qualifications:
* Previous teaching experience helpful
* Intermediate to Advanced Spanish (or willingness to attend Spanish school in Quito)
* 6 month minimum commitment preferred

Office Volunteers

Specific Qualifications:
* Organizational and computer skills
* Relevant degree or significance experience in: Development Studies, Business Administration, Information Technology, Public Relations, Accounting or other related careers.
* Intermediate-Advanced Level of Spanish (or willingness to attend Spanish school in Quito)

Minimum Education: Bachelors

Cost in US$: 50

We only charge volunteer fees that cover costs directly related to hosting and coordinating volunteers. We adhere strongly to a policy which recognizes volunteer time and energy invested in our projects as the most valuable contributions to our program. Please inquire for more details on this policy and for current rates! Rates subject to change.

Experience Required: yes

Please see specific volunteer positions for more details.

Typical Volunteer: Foundation human nature is interested in developing long-term sustainable projects, therefore we are looking for exceptional volunteers. Generally, we are interested in self-motivated, confident, adaptable and creative volunteers who are committed to learning from and working with developing communities. Volunteers can develop a personal project under the supervision of the permanent staff in Quito and La Y. While some volunteers will live in the communities, others will live and work in Quito and spend time in the communities periodically. Because we are a small NGO, we have very limited staff. For this reason, guidance and supervision for volunteer projects can be sporadic and limited at times. Therefore, please be aware that volunteers do not receive consistent guidance and they are therefore expected to exercise their own creativity, judgments and independence to a certain degree.

Age Range: 20-70

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

Participants Travel to Ecuador Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Other
• Phone Interview
• Resume

Foundation Human Nature - Ecuador (Fundación MeHiPro)'s Mission Statement: Foundation Human Nature (FHN) is an international non-governmental organization which promotes sustainable development of communities, in accordance with local needs and knowledge, to improve their quality of life. Our goal is to improve the living conditions of people inhabiting the poorest regions of the planet. Partnering local, national and international communities, we are establishing sustainable programs in the fields of health, education, gender issues, and economic and ecological activities. We aim to improve the opportunities and autonomy of local families guided by our ethos of sustainable human development. Through mutual learning and volunteer participation, we are increasing the global awareness of the developing world.

Year Founded: 2001