Teach English and work as a teacher’s aid or assist with community development projects in an Indigenous Andean community

Community of Chilcapamba, 30 minutes from Otavalo, in the northern Andes.

Chilcapamba is an indigenous community of over 100 families that is currently undertaking a range of projects in the areas of education, development, sustainable agriculture and preservation of indigenous culture.

Projects that volunteers can assist the community with include:

1. Aiding teachers and teaching English, computer studies, math, or any other subject where they have particular experience, at the community’s elementary school of around 70 students. Teaching experience valuable but not necessary.
2. Help out with the care for pre-school children at the community’s day care centre.
3. Professionals or students (with sufficient experience) in the fields of finance and accounting are needed to develop systems manage the communities recently created community credit fund, and to provide training tot eh fund managers. They can also assist with tuition, adult education and training programs in the areas of numeracy, English, finance and accounting.
4. Professionals or students in the areas of agriculture and water management can assist and learn from the communities sustainable organic faming projects.

Together with the community volunteers can create a program that best suits their interest and skills, and the community’s needs.

Flexible, based on school day

Otavalo is situated in the Andes, two hours north of Quito. The region is a centre of indigenous culture in Ecuador and continues today the production of world renowned handicrafts. That said, many indigenous communities in the area still face economic hardship and erosion of their culture.  The community of Chilcapamba is working hard to preserve their language and identity, whilst still participating in modern Ecuador by perusing education and the development of sustainable industries. They value highly the contribution of volunteers to achieve these goals