Education Internships in Ecuador

During my internship, the main project was just living daily life, getting to know the culture and general way of practicing medicine! I also created a study abroad course for traditional medicine, put together an orientation for new volunteers at Amupakin, and created a Go Get Funding page for Amupakin. I appreciated the check-ins — I feel like they always came at the right time when I needed them the most to stay on track. What I learned most was to adapt to the culture and go with the flow! The most impactful part was all of the above. Having to wait around for buses all the time was a challenge, but I chose to use that lag time to practice reading out loud in Spanish from my book — this ended up being one of my most valuable Spanish-learning tools. Having more confidence that I could indeed do more than I thought is something I wish I had leaned into earlier. Looking back, I developed knowledge of traditional medicine, an understanding of global midwifery practices, the ability to maintain a conversation in Spanish, and an understanding of the dynamic of indigenous cultures and Westernization. I feel extremely benefited by my enhanced perspective of medical practices worldwide, along with the interplay of traditional forms of medicine and biomedicine. The experience definitely made me realize how much I love more traditional, organic forms of practicing medicine, and I don't think I fit into more stressful, systematic medical environments. The Amupakin mamas showed me how valuable and honorable it is to be a mother and raise a family — it was encouraging to see that role truly respected. I have learned a lot about balancing an activity-based mindset with a socially based mindset, and also understanding that as long as one maintains the proper focus, whatever work that needs to be completed will be completed. Tranquila. I'm just super grateful to Amazon Learning for helping me to fulfill my longstanding dream of immersion in another culture, learning indigenous medicine! Thank you for connecting me with the Kichwa people and giving me the chance to learn from people full of knowledge to share!

During my internship, I worked with women's health, pre/postnatals, birth attendance, working in the chacra, and community visits. The rhythm, the connection, the care was so loving and welcoming with open arms — I loved it so much. The weekend activities, Amupakin, the culture, the connections — all of it felt so tailored to me and I am so grateful. Megan was awesome — attentive, available, reliable with responses and check-ins. What I'm most proud of is that I gave myself to the people, the land, the experiences. Part of my intention for coming was to give back to those holding and sharing knowledge and be in service — I now see it as the attunement, attention, excitement to learn and fall in love with their visions, gifts and culture, along with creating meaningful connections without words or conversation requiring other ways. Physical discomfort — the heat, the bug bites, not feeling 100% great all the time — was the challenge. I learned to surrender to it and allow it to exist alongside everything instead of becoming a focal point. I learned Spanish before coming — that's what I could have done better! Looking back, I deepened my trust in plant medicine and in my own intuition. Not speaking the language offered a very cool opportunity to learn a different way outside the mind — I found a pathway of observation, intuition, and employing other less-used senses, and allowed answers to find me. These skills may be more important in this type of work. This experience anchored things for me — my love and service to plants and women. It brought to life things I have learned and been taught through theory and has inspired more expression from a place of deeper relationship with birth, plants, the land, and the teachers. It helped me define a clearer sense of my gifts, passions, and what is just creating distractions. Beyond that, I now have an embodied sense and knowing of matriarchal and women-led community — and this experience developed a stronger sense of self-trust and confidence. The relationships that have been developed, nurtured, and cared for — that allow for such an expansive and rich experience — are what I am most grateful for. And sooooo grateful to have been able to go to Momma Adela's home to hug her goodbye. It would have felt incomplete without that. Life changing if one lets it.

Had the most wonderful internship at Projekt Ubuntu Connekt! Worked with an amazing team, consisting of 2 amazing community women leaders, at the community hall. The time I spend with the children was special and I learned so much from them! I felt so at home in the community and was surrounded with great joy everyday!

Overall I had a great experience on this internship! I was able to fully immerse myself in the culture, work entirely in Spanish, and see remote parts of the Amazon. At times the difference in work culture was hard to adapt to, and it was hard to work in a second language, but this only made the experience more valuable in the end. Definitely an experience you can’t get anywhere else.

The experience was extremely valuable to understand the healthcare system in Zambia. However, there was much less public health work than expected--only working with patients in the mornings with not enough focus on most severe cases and no public health education. Recommend if interested in healthcare and community building vs public health.

It was such a humbling but important experience. I learned a whole new approach to life, and am so thankful for all the opportunities to immerse Joshua and his team have created. I enjoyed the parallel nature of work and culture, how integrated the local people are into any project.

During my internship, I worked on legal and economic development for El Terreno, an NGO in rural Ecuador. This experience gave me hands-on skills in stakeholder analysis, legal writing, and economic development. The environment was wonderfully supportive, fun, and multicultural. Within a couple of hours, you can reach a capital city, beaches, islands, jungles, and more!

Having studied in Madrid the previous semester I really wanted to come back and have a different type of work experience during the summer. I enjoyed the laid back environment of my internship with Fundación Tríangulo yet I gained valuable insight about public health and sexual health in Spain, among many other skills which will benefit my future career/studies. I did enjoy the centrality of our apartment but it was quite small, I know this is normal for Madrid, but I we did not exactly have private living spaces. I really love Madrid and the availability of outdoor activities, shopping, diverse food choices, the kind people, nightlife, and much more. It will stay in my heart forever, the memories, friends, education and work experience, and I hope to return soon.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time here at sos animal. This organization is run by people who truly care about each animal on property. I met the most amazing people from all over the world while being in a breathtaking place.

I had an absolutely incredible experience at El Terreno during my 6-week stay. I am so happy that I chose El Terreno as my final destination when I was looking for humanitarian work in Latin America. I loved the community, and the project was really well set up. I felt supported along the way and have learned so much about the community and about myself, both professionally and personally. Not only did I feel challenged, but I can say I’ve definitely developed some very important skills and got to see the impact the team and I made along the way. Joshua’s project is very interesting and inspiring. I would 100% recommend this to anyone who’s looking for meaningful work and some adventure along the way!

My ten months at El Terreno has been another deeply enriching and eye-opening experience in my life: one I can definitely call a whole 'chapter'. What stood out most to me was El Terreno’s commitment to working with the local community, rather than for it. It never felt externally driven or detached from the realities on the ground: "what you see, is what you get, and you have to work with that". I had a chance to engage with the local culture, reflect on different dimensions of development work, and grow both professionally and personally. While there are always areas to improve within organisations - particularly around project continuity and intercultural collaboration - I leave with a strong sense of appreciation and insight. El Terreno not only provided me with a valuable internship for my graduation semester, but it also - thanks to the community, Joshua, Karina, the animals, and all the wonderful people I met - turned my time in Ecuador into something much more: a place that felt like home

My time in Greece was great; I loved my supervisors and colleagues who were all so kind and welcoming. There is so much to do and see in the country, I did some kind of trip pretty much every weekend. The cost of living is pretty inexpensive compared to other European countries, and every one speaks English if Greek is a struggle.

This was my second time doing an Adelante program, and it was once again an incredible experience. My experience with Adelante the second time around was even greater! The Ecuador program is truly an excellent opportunity to immerse oneself in Ecuadorian culture, become fluent in Spanish, and gain valuable work experience. Adelante connects you with talented Spanish teachers who make learning Spanish practical and fun. The housing was in a perfect location, and the host family was welcoming and kind. My internship in Quito was enriching. I learned a lot in my two months, and I was able to work outside in the city and with the community as well. I had a great time, and Adelante helped everything run smoothly and safely.

For over 5 years I’ve been wanting to have a meaningful volunteering experience in a part of the world that I’ve never been to, and my time in El Terreno was everything I’d hoped for and more! It was a mixture of hands on experience with local guidance, interesting cultural learnings about the region, Ecuador and South America, interactions with the local communities in a language I didn’t really understand but somehow managed to communicate in, and it’s an experience I won’t forget! In those short 4 weeks, I met people from all sorts of background, and discovered so much about myself and the world. There is a lot out there to discover and a lot of needs to be met, so I’d encourage everyone to give this experience a go and give back in any way you can. You might learn something new about yourself!

Kenya was never on top of my list for tourism. Initially overlooked, but later missed, my time in Kenya was rewarding and necessary. The beautiful people, welcoming environments, unbelievable nature, and support that came with the internship made this program important. Now I’m just waiting to go back.

Volunteering with El Terreno and the Atandahua community was one of the most meaningful and beautiful experiences I’ve ever had. From the very beginning, I felt completely at home. The warmth, kindness and strength of the people there made it so easy to feel connected, like I belonged. The children at the nursery are full of life, curiosity, and potential—and spending time with them was a true joy. What made this experience so special wasn’t just the work, but the relationships, the cultural connection and the sense of purpose I felt every single day. Reconnecting with my roots in such a personal and heartfelt way is something I’ll always be grateful for. To anyone considering volunteering here: do it. You’ll be embraced by a community that stays with you long after you leave.

During my 4-month internship with El Terreno, I learned a lot about myself, both professionally and personally. I had the privilege of designing a pilot project, which gave me experience in every step of project design. This was incredibly valuable, as it gave me a more practical understanding of my strengths and weaknesses in this area. Now, I can focus on fine-tuning the aspects I enjoyed and where I found my strengths. I also really appreciated the immersion in the culture, and the close connection to local people which El Terreno provides. I was also supported by mentors who guided me throughout the internship and from whom I learned a great deal. The El Terreno internship program is perfect for students who have a clear sense of direction and are interested in hands-on projects.

After my 8 weeks there, I left El Terreno with so much more knowledge, optimism, and confidence than I had arrived with. I was involved in a water and reforestation project, and got to work on all aspects of the project, from being out in the field planting trees to working with local engineers and experts on a research project. I got to learn so much from my mentors, Joshua, the local farmers and other interns, that I do feel like this a very one- of-a-kind experience. Joshua and the staff foster a very welcoming atmosphere, and if there is something you are interested in, they will do their best to help you explore it. I also appreciate how focused El Terreno is on ethical community involvement. You have the opportunity to work directly alongside locals, and you can really see how the work you're doing benefits the community.

When it comes to service projects, I’ve got high standards because I’ve worked professionally as a volunteer manager for the past 15 years. El Terreno exceeded my expectations. El Terreno doesn’t impose their ideals on the community, they build relationships with the local people and truly collaborate. As interns, we were folded into that process. We were given a lot of responsibility and worked hard, but had plenty of support. Being a family of three, with our 12 year old son, we were not the typical interns. Thanks to Joshua’s thoughtful attention and innovation, we were always engaged in meaningful work. I’ve worked on other volunteer projects that didn’t feel very inspiring or impactful. Not this one. It was unforgettable.

My internship at El Terreno lasted 1 month. This month I was part of the Water a d Reforestation project. It was great to help the community and immerse myself in this life completely different from the one I usually do in Italy. Joshua is an example of dedication to work and community and it was an inspiration to see him work for this project. During my internship I met fantastic people from all over the world, I left alone a little fearful but it only took me a few hours to feel at home. I think it's an experience that everyone should have at least once.