Independent volunteer foundation in Salasaca, Ecuador, since 1997
A DAY IN THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
A normal day in Salasaca starts at 7.30 - 8 am. First, the volunteers prepare their own breakfast. In the morning, there are five different tasks to do: gardening, cleaning, going to the market, preparing the English classes or helping in construction site. Volunteers work in the garden three days per week. It is important to wake up early because at 9 - 10 am, the sun is burning. Cleaning the house is one day of the week. Volunteers usually clean in deepth on Thursday or on Friday (that day you could wake up later). On Monday or on Sunday, volunteers go to the “Mayorista” market in Ambato. Volunteers buy fruits and vegetables for the week.
While some volunteers are in charge of cooking the lunch, others prepare the English classes. At 1.30 pm volunteers have lunch.
The English classes are in the city center. Some volunteers prefer to go walking and they leave Pachamama at 2.15 pm, while others prefer to go by camioneta and they leave the house at 2.30 pm. The ride in camioneta costs $0.25 per person.
The English classes are from Monday to Thrusday and they last for 4 hours. Kids and adults are divided by age and by English level. It is quite fulfilling the interest and kindness of all the students. The classes for the kids are dynamic and volunteers play plenty of games with the kids. In the classes for the adults, volunteers prepare debates of hot topics and students talk about their interests and their curiosities.
At 7 pm, English classes finish. On Thursday adults sweep the class in order to clean it. Then, volunteers go the the supermarket, if they need anything for the house. And, they come back to Pachamama by camioneta.
When there are four or more volunteers, two volunteers go to Pachamama at 6 pm to start cooking dinner. Dinner is ready when the rest of volunteers come back from the English classes. If there is not the case, when the classes finish, volunteers cook dinner as soon as they arrive from the classes. On Friday afternoon, volunteers are free to do whatever they want because there are not English classes.
In the evening, volunteers enjoy time together. They like to star a fire, to rest in the hammock, to play card games or to watch a movie.
Volunteers often like to cook together, bake desserts and make bread. In their free time, they organize weekend trips together.
