Offer NGO Support While Visiting Quito

Ecuador's capital, Quito, is a vibrant and culturally rich city nestled in the Andean mountains. The city is known for its diverse climate, ranging from temperate conditions in the city to tropical lowlands and the lush Amazon jungle nearby. The city's rich history and dynamic atmosphere make it a fascinating place to explore. As a volunteer in Quito, you'll engage in meaningful work supporting local NGOs, assisting with tasks such as administrative duties, fundraising, marketing, and helping children from underprivileged backgrounds. Your mornings start with a hearty breakfast, followed by travel to your placement. Afternoons offer opportunities for Spanish lessons, city exploration, or preparation for the next day, while evenings can be spent enjoying local cuisine or participating in social activities like salsa lessons or movie nights. Weekends provide ample time to explore Quito and its surroundings. Volunteers can delve into the city's rich history at the historical center, enjoy panoramic views from the El Teleferico cable car, or hike and horseback ride to the Guagua Pichincha volcano summit. Coastal excursions for snorkeling or visits to the pristine beaches of Los Frailes will also be an option for volunteers who are looking to add something more to their trip. For the more adventurous, jungle excursions reveal Ecuador's unique wildlife, including toucans and monkeys, and longer weekends can be spent exploring national parks or the renowned Galapagos Islands.

As the world's #1 rated volunteer travel organization, IVHQ aims to provide travelers with affordable volunteer travel, ethical and responsible practices within the organization, cultural diversity, and the chance to make an impact in the world. While also offering internships abroad and other travel adventures, IVHQ is determined to make travel and making a difference accessible to everyone. Starting at $360 per person, and has a minimum of 1 week and a maximum of 12 weeks running time. IVHQ programs include breakfast, airport pick-up, accommodation, 24/7 in-country support, discounts on language lessons and travel and tour add-ons, a certificate of International Volunteer Service, and more.

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Volunteer to help in the Peruvian Amazon

Peru is one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world and has a stunning variety of landscapes, from mountains to beaches and rainforests. The country is home to the source of the Amazon River and the historical Incan settlement of Machu Picchu. In fact, the Peruvian Amazon is the second-largest stretch of the Amazon and includes thousands of different animal species. The forest’s tropical climate also has lots of the country’s natural resources. However, construction and commercial mining have led to the deforestation of the Peruvian Amazon, which threatens the unique and endangered species that live there. Volunteers will work to plant trees, monitor animals and remove non-native species to combat deforestation. Additionally, volunteers will get to learn about the tree species of the Peruvian Amazon and its inhabitants. 

This Maximo Nivel volunteer program has the goal of helping communities while giving volunteers a one-in-a-lifetime experience. All Maximo Nivel volunteer programs are supported by professional program managers, multilingual teams, and 24/7 in-country support. This project ranges from one-to-four weeks and  costs $685 for one week and $1295 for four weeks. Airport transfers, breakfast and dinners, four-to-six hours per day (Sunday to Thursday), letter of recommendation, emergency contact number and accommodation are included.

Volunteer to Help Conserve Peru’s Rainforests

Peru is a land of contrasts. The country is home to mountain systems, arid deserts and coastal plains, and its three prominent topographical bands are Costa, Sierra and Amazonia. The Amazon Rainforest covers almost two-thirds of Peru, about 60% of the nation's territory! The Peruvian Amazon is home to over 1,800 species of birds, 700 kinds of fish, 500 types of mammals, and over 300 reptile species. Ecotourism has become an essential industry in Peru; the nation has a higher percentage of protected land than any other country in South America. Specifically, there are fifty-three protected areas throughout the country. This includes national parks, reserves, sanctuaries and reserved zones. Volunteers can help with a wide range of conservation activities that add to preserving Peru’s climate and animals. Participants will be based in the heart of the jungle, where they will receive a different kind of insight into Peru’s rich biodiversity. Tasks include (but are not limited to) reforestation, home-based maintenance, research projects, trail conservation and animal inventories. Volunteers will immerse themselves in Peruvian culture and gain conservation and research experience, all while making a difference in the nation's ecosystem.

This is a minimum two-week and maximum 24-week trip offered by International Volunteer HQ. All IVHQ volunteer programs include airport pickup and accommodation, program orientation and 24-hour IVHQ staff support. This project costs $105 for two weeks and $1,510 for 4 weeks.

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Volunteer to Help Conserve Croatia’s Bears

Croatia, the land of a thousand islands, has within its borders eleven nature parks, eight national parks and two nature reserves. The country is home to ten UNESCO World Heritage sites, remarkable considering its relatively small size. Approximately 900 brown bears, the largest European carnivores, live in Croatia, although the exact number is unknown. The bear population in the country has been growing since the 1950s and has a favorable conservation status. Volunteers have a chance to help protect bear populations and conserve nature. They can join a bear sanctuary and help preserve the environment and assist in a place for bears who have suffered maltreatment and abandonment. Volunteers will live in a traditional Croatian village amid nature, where they will become part of the local community. Tasks include (but are not limited to) maintaining the forest and surrounding environment, ensuring the well-being of all animals at the center, and supporting the visitor center’s needs. Volunteers can learn the Croatian language and immerse themselves in the culture while making a difference in the community.

This is a minimum four week and maximum 12 week trip offered by International Volunteer HQ. All IVHQ volunteer programs include airport pickup and accommodation, program orientation and 24-hour IVHQ staff support. This project costs $1,955 for four weeks and $5,075 for 12 weeks.

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Fight Poverty in India’s ‘Pink City’

India’s “Pink City” of Jaipur is named for its bright building facades dating back to the early 1700s. The city has since become Rajasthan state’s cultural and economic hub. Unfortunately, Jaipur also hosts a large number of impoverished residents whose basic needs remain largely unmet. On this trip, volunteers will help rescued child laborers and disadvantaged children by providing support at schools and day care centers. Participants will also work to improve educational facilities by refurbishing the existing structures. All projects are focused on increasing the quality of life for Jaipur’s disadvantaged communities. During spare time, volunteers can explore Jaipur’s bazaar, take an elephant ride at the nearby Amer Fort, visit a traditional carpet factory or eat with a local family. Volunteers can look forward to enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of India while bettering the quality of life for those in need. This one-week trip costs $1,557.

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Globe Aware

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Improve Community Needs in the Heart of Ghana

Head to Ghana and lend a hand in Ho, a region still heavily dependent on international aid. Volunteers will spend a week getting to know locals along with providing community support and helping with educational needs. Community support projects range from building wells to helping ease the severity of the area’s dry seasons. Education projects include building and improving schools, spreading awareness of health education and teaching English. When not at work, enrollees can experience facets of the Ghanaian lifestyle through African dancing and drumming lessons, visits to local markets, soccer games and sessions on kente weaving. There is a planned excursion to West Africa’s largest waterfall as well as to nearby monkey sanctuaries. This is a one-week trip that costs $1,467.

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Globe Aware

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Be A Clean Water Courier

Waves for Water (W4W) provides clean water solutions worldwide through projects funded by the “Clean Water Courier” program. Operating across dozens of countries, W4W’s mission is to provide access to clean water to every single person who needs it.  The nonprofit’s philosophy is to empower people to take initiative, step outside their comfort zones and create unique personal experiences. W4W was born out of a love for discovery, travel and adventure and the group wants its volunteer model to similarly encourage and empower individuals during their trips.

For prospective travelers, Waves for Water has teamed up with surf company Hurley to develop an independent volunteer program called Clean Water Couriers. It is not a traditional volunteer model, but more of a do-it-yourself method meant to be utilized by travelers who want to make a positive contribution to local communities. Each person creates their own travel experience and then crowdfunds on the site to buy water filters to distribute while on their trip. W4W provides the online platform and serves as a resource for information about the filtration systems and how participants may donate them on the ground. Travelers can make a huge difference in the lives of people and communities in distress by packing a few water filters for their trips. The filters are compact and easy to use and can provide up to 100 people with clean water for up to five years. They cost $25 to $50 each.

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Waves for Water

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