Volunteer with Street Children in Quito, Ecuador

My favourite part of the volunteer program was being able to explore not only the city but the country while making a positive difference. I feel a lot more confident in myself. It’s completely understandable to be hesitant about volunteering abroad as you're going to a new country with people you don’t know, but everyone is incredibly friendly and approachable and you end up making friends and experiences for life!

My family, including 3 children 13, 12, and 10 volunteered through IVHQ in the Street Children program in Ecuador. IVHQ made this trip possible with excellent customer service and an easy step by step method. I spoke to IVHQ, for the first time, 4 weeks before we landed in Ecuador. Though this is not an ideal lead time to plan a trip like this, because they are so organized, helpful and overall fantastic I was able to plan a fabulous trip with their help. I felt comfortable and safe for myself in my family because of the support, information and training. I will use IVHQ again. They were our travel agent, concierge, and booking agent all in one. Most importantly, we were able to experience a different culture from the space of staying with a host family and immersing ourselves in the culture each day. I cannot think of another experience that we could have done that would have shown my children this culture and its people. IVHQ made it all possible from day one through our return home.

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I volunteered for 3 weeks on the Ecuador Street Children Program through IVHQ. To say I miss it is an understatement. It was an amazing experience. All of the children express so much love and happiness towards you, it really is heart warming. I lived in the volunteer house with Monica and Byron and about 15 other volunteers. We all got along amazing and there was always something to do! Monica, Byron, and Enrique, our host grandpa were so welcoming and amazing. I would highly recommend IVHQ to a fellow volunteer and I cannot wait to volunteer again!