Improve Peoples' Lives by Building Homes and Futures in Ecuador

  Ecuador

• All Other Regions of Ecuador: 
Guayaquil

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks and 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: Open all year round

Description:
Families on the coast need your help! Come build homes for low income families on the coast of Ecuador. With your help a family who might not have had a home will sleep under a roof, have running water and electricity. This experience will make an impression in your heart for years to come. This is your opportunity to give back!

Building homes and futures is a program that allows you to be part of an experience never lived before. Participants work in the poorest areas of Ecuador's Coast building homes with the families that are going to live in the new houses and spending time with the local community. The process of construction involves the volunteer 100%. The volunteer will visit the factory where pieces to build the homes are put together and are transported to the project's location. At the project you will work hands-on building the house along with other volunteers, the beneficiary family, the community and the coordinator of the project. Each house of 42 square meters takes 2 days to be completely build. You will be present to see the outcome of your effort, from beginning to end and see the positive change that you have brought to the community.

Highlights:
DAY 1: Your plane arrives in Quito Ecuador's capital city. After a warm welcome at the Quito airport, we will transfer to the hostel.

DAY 2: Breakfast at the hostel. Morning orientation at Lead Adventures Office. Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon orientation at the Foundation, you will visit the offices and will learn about the other services that the Foundation offers such as health, nutrition and education. You will also learn in detail your responsibilities and duties to be handled during your volunteer work. Dinner will be held at a local restaurant.

DAY 3: Breakfast at the hostel. Morning visit to the Foundation's factory in Quito. Here you will see how the parts for the houses are put together, built and transported to the project's site. Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon tour of Quito. Dinner at a local restaurant. Night flight Quito-Guayaquil. Check in at the hostel. Rest.

DAY 4: Breakfast at the hostel. Free morning to rest. Lunch at the hostel. Afternoon tour of Guayaquil. Dinner at a local restaurant. Night meeting with the project coordinator for an introduction to your first day at the project.

DAY 5: Breakfast at the hostel. Depart in a private bus to the project's site. First day of volunteer work. The family and community along with one project coordinator work to assemble the houses. Volunteers will be working with the community in the building of the new homes.

Duties include:
- Helping with to receive the materials and make sure the delivery is complete
- Carry and transport materials into the project site
- Work on putting together the foundations for the house
- Assemble the house's walls guided by the project's coordinator
At noon you will be provided with a boxed lunch. Continue with the work in the afternoon. Return to Guayaquil by private transportation. Dinner at the hostel. Night tour of Guayaquil.

DAY 6: Breakfast at the hostel. Depart in private bus to the project's site. Second day of volunteer work, duties include:
- Installation of wood ceiling beams
- Fit ceiling sheets on the wood beams
- Help with the installation of electricity lines
- Assist with the installation of doors and windows
- Help with the setting of water pipes, sink and toilet
At noon you will be provided with a boxed lunch. Continue with the work in the afternoon. Return to Guayaquil by private transportation. Dinner at the hostel.

DAY 7: Breakfast at the hostel. Day trip to the beach. Lunch at a local restaurant. Spend all day at the beach. Have fun and enjoy the day practicing water sports such as jet skiing, and others. Return to Guayaquil and dine at the hostel.

DAY 8: Breakfast at the hostel. Depart in private bus to the project's site. Continue working at the project. At noon you will be provided with a boxed lunch. Continue with the work in the afternoon. Return to Guayaquil by private transportation. Dinner at the hostel.

DAY 9: Breakfast at the hostel. Depart in private bus to the project's site. Continue working at the project. At noon you will be provided with a boxed lunch. Continue with the work in the afternoon. Return to Guayaquil by private transportation. Dinner at the hostel. Pack for your early flight to Quito the next day.

DAY 10: Breakfast at the hostel. Early flight Guayaquil-Quito. Transfer from the airport to the hostel. Lunch at the hostel. . After lunch we will depart to the Middle of the world. This is a monument in the Middle of the planet, a sign that announces the latitude 0. A yellow line that separates two hemispheres: the north and the south; then you just need to take a step to enter in one leaving the other one, in an unique experience that can only happen in the middle of the World, picturesque "city" of colonial reminiscences, located in the outskirts of Quito, capital of Ecuador. We will observe this monument very close and visit the Inti Nan Museum, called "The Real Middle of the World" as in this place, you can observe various experiments that show you're in the Middle of the World! At around 6:00 pm you will return to your hotel and have dinner.

DAY 11: Breakfast at the hostel. After breakfast we will depart to the Cable Car Teleferico. This is a brand new tourist attraction in Quito. The Teleferico is built over an area of 160 hectares in the skirts of the Pichincha and the summit of Cruz Loma. It has different services that include an amusement park, shopping center, food court, exclusive restaurants, handicraft stores, go car track, coffee shops, horseback riding and a nightclub. In a second phase of the construction there will be a hotel, a spa, a movie theatre complex, a botanic garden and a bird watching area. It's biggest attraction it is the Teleferico itself, which gives to every visitor a spectacular view of the city and its surroundings including more than 14 peaks of the Andes that is called the Volcano Avenue. The Teleferico reaches 4,050 meters on the summit of Cruz Loma. At around 1pm you will have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch we will depart to Quito's Colonial Town, the Old City. Quito's greatest treasures are its temples and convents, real samples of the mixture of Spanish and Indian culture. Some examples of the things you will see are:

Basilica:It is considered one of the most important pieces of the New-gothic architecture in Ecuador. It is located in the downtown, in the streets Carchi and Venezuela, next to the Convent of the Oblate's order. It was built to recall the consecration of the Ecuadorian state to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, during the presidency of Gabriel Garcia Moreno in 1873. It has 115 meters of height and it is conformed by 24 internal chapels that represent the provinces of the country. This sanctuary was inaugurated and blessed by the Pope Juan Pablo II in his visit to Ecuador the 18 of January of 1985.

La Compania Church: It is located between the streets Garcia Moreno and Antonio Jose de Sucre. The construction of this church began in 1605, and it took 160 years. The work was made by natives who carefully shaped the baroque style in one of the most complete examples of the art in America. The church was closed for 40 years in 1767 because of the expulsion of the Jesuits of the country. Its design was inspired in the Gesu's Church, of Rome, and their columns are a copy of the ones created by Bernini in the Vatican. In its interior, we found beautiful altarpieces, and pulpits covered with gold. Its facade is a real jewel, with symbols and figures in its entire frontal wall. You will be enchanted to discover "La Compania's mystery.

San Francisco Church & Conven:t(San Francisco is the greatest architectonic jewel of all the cities of Latin America. It is located in the intersection of the Benalcazar, Bolivar, Sucre and Cuenca streets right in Quito's downtown. The construction of this church is marked with a frightening legend, if it you want to discover it, visit the following link: The Vestibule of San Francisco. Its construction began in 1536, in lands bordering the place where the native Indians used to barter their products. The work was in charge of the Franciscan Priest Jodoco Rique. The church's construction was finished in 1580; it is the harmonious result of several artistic influences as the baroque. The Franciscan Order was the first to settle in Quito. Some of the major attractions of San Francisco are: its main altar, the lateral chapels and the pulpit, they are outstanding beauties. In the main altar there is the image of the Virgin of Quito, carved by Bernardo de Legarda, main emblem of the Quito's art in la Escuela Quitena. At around 6pm you will return to your home stay and have dinner at home.

DAY 12: Departure: Transfer to airport.

Cost in US$: From USD1,290/Person and Up

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Ecuador in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of Individual Groups

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Alumni Network
• Job and Internship Network

LEAD Adventures Ecuador's Mission Statement: Since its creation in 2004 LEAD Adventures has been extremely successful launching programs in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands and establishing mutually beneficial partnerships abroad. Up to date we have efficiently managed over 2,000 inbound participants individually and in-group programs. Our programs are targeted to young minded people from all over the world that want to experience the great destinations Ecuador and South America have to offer.

Year Founded: 2004