Volunteer evaluation of Jovenes Para El Futuro - Ambato

Name:
Email address:
***(please provide email only if it is ok for other volunteers to email you about project)
Partner organisation: Jovenes para el fututo
Start date: 26 October 2009
End date: 22 December 2009

1. What were the main tasks you undertook at the project? Did you have any prior experience or knowledge that helped you with these?

At the school I helped the professors keeping discipline during the classes and I also was giving the art classes. At the afternoon I was supposed to look after the girls we were living with and help them with the homework. Depending on time, I accompanied the social workers during their visits at children’s’ homes.  Regarding my previous experience, I participated in a similar but far less developed project in Vietnam and I think I learned there a bit how to work with children with problems. Anyway, this experience wasn’t necessary to carry out  well the tasks at Jovens.

1. Was the explanation and support you received from the organisation adequate to ensure you could carry out your work successfully? If not please explain why.

I received explanation of the functioning of the organisation and information about the girls living with us but at the beginning I had an impression I lacked the clear explanation what I was supposed to do. Finally I found out how my tasks should look like and also proposed to give informatics and later art classes.

1. Would you recommend working with this organisation to other volunteers? What are the main areas of skills and interests that volunteers need for this work? Please give reasons.

Yes, I will recommend joining the Jovenes. What is important there is flexibility and initiative because, as I explained in the former point, the volunteer will hardly receive any clear indication of the range of the tasks, they are expected to perform. This is not necessary negative because the volunteers are to some extend free to choose. Concerning the skills needed: all what you can teach to the children: sport, art, informatics, English. Also the persons with psychologist, education and re- socialisation background would be needed.

1. Was the communication and support you received from Yanapuma, before and during your time volunteering adequate? Please comment on the initial orientation session, showing you to your site and communication throughout.  If not, please specify why and how it could be improved.

Most of the information and support I received from other volunteers. There wasn’t really any initial orientation session but other volunteers helped me much at the beginning. I received support and information each time I needed it but generally, the volunteers have to ask and show how they want to contribute to the project and what they need from the staff. It could be annoying for those who prefer strong and clear rules but on the other hand there is much room for the flexibility and creativity.

1. How would rate your overall experience at this project?

I find my experience at the Jovenes valuable. As I explained earlier, there are different range of tasks and the staff is flexible and open so you can propose also the ways you can contribute to the project.

1. Any other comments?

1. If you would like, please write a short paragraph summing up your project and experience volunteering, as well as if and why you might recommend this volunteer site to others in the future. We will put this information on our Volunteer Ecuador website, as a direct quote from you to help others learn about your experience.  

Volunteer Ecuador Evaluation
Name:
Email address:
***(please provide email only if it is ok for other volunteers to email you about project)
Partner organisation: Jovenes Para el Futuro
Start date: early April sometime
End date: 18 May 2010
1. What were the main tasks you undertook at the project? Did you have any prior
experience or knowledge that helped you with these?
Administrative stuff (filing, using accounting programing), doing home visits, taking care of kids,
teaching classes when teachers didnt show, going to the comunidades for nutrition and
community garden projects. I used my experiences teaching, nannying, and my knowledge of
nutrition.
2. Was the explanation and support you received from the organisation adequate to
ensure you could carry out your work successfully? If not please explain why.
Yes. Itś kind of random, I just asked around each day who needed help and didnt really get
what was going on at first, but now they have a manual and its not really that hard to figure out.
3. Would you recommend working with this organisation to other volunteers? What are
the main areas of skills and interests that volunteers need for this work? Please give
reasons.
I would recommend working with the organization. I would recommend patience with children,
because I was often the sole caretaker of 3 girls and they obviously have been through a lot in
their lives, and it definitely affects their behavior. Also, good Spanish is a definite plus, but its
also a very good place to improve your ability in the language.
4. Was the communication and support you received from Yanapuma, before and
during your time volunteering adequate? Please comment on the initial orientation
session, showing you to your site and communication throughout. If not, please
specify why and how it could be improved.
I thought it was great.
5. How would rate your overall experience at this project?
Very fulfilling, mostly because of the other people who work there, and of course the kids. The
people are fantastic. The rules can be kind of strange though...I kept getting social workers in
trouble because Id go to their house or hang out with their families and I didnt ask permission
because I was unaware we had to...in the end I just started keeping it secret. They are scared to
let workers and volunteers get too close because of an experience they had previously that
involved a lawsuit.
Another nice thing is that its one of the best places to volunteer because you get a good inside
look at life in the communidades, there are nice views from around the area (though the area
around the school itself is not the most beautiful), and you dont have to pay for food or living. If
you live in the Casa Familiar, you even have music, television, and hot water. They are
considering charging $100 as like a one-time volunteer fee, but its still a good deal compared to
other places. And Ambato is a good place to travel from, as it is very close to Banos, Quito, and
Puyo, with many buses to Tena and Guayaquil.
6. Any other comments?
Bring bug spray or something to get rid of bed bugs or fleas or whatever it is that has eaten my
body alive. Be careful with all the street dogs. Be careful but dont let them freak you out about
how dangerous the area is. And I drank the juice, but I am not convinced it was the best idea.
7. If you would like, please write a short paragraph summing up your project and
experience volunteering, as well as if and why you might recommend this volunteer
site to others in the future. We will put this information on our Volunteer Ecuador
website, as a direct quote from you to help others learn about your experience.
Muchas gracias!!!