Intern in Ecuador with World Endeavors

Professionally, I was hoping to receive more opportunity for career development in the area of public health investigations or to really be able to delve deep and learn more about a health topic. While I developed great personal relationships and was able to help out, the placement in the hospital wasn’t really the right place for learning what I had originally wanted to.

My experience with World Endeavors was mostly positive. As far as the communication between me and my advisors, and the willingness to help, it was very positive. However I think Covid and the circumstances it created caused me to be a little dissatisfied with some aspects of my trip. In the end I did enjoy moments at Rio Muchacho and the people I got to meet, however I did not enjoy the "volunteering" aspect and work we were expected to do on the farm, not because it was farming but mostly with how it was run. It felt disorganized at times, and the morale between me and the other volunteers was very low or dismal sometimes. I did not like how the person in charge would impose his stresses regarding the farm or other visitors coming on the volunteers. Also I think World Endeavors could do better by updating the information they have on Rio Muchacho, and being more explicit about what the place does and does not offer, especially due to the earthquake and covid which has significantly impacted the experience at Rio Muchacho. I do not feel like I got full value of what I paid for the trip. The amenities and lodging Rio Muchacho provides for the volunteers was not the best to me, especially compared to the host family I stayed with in Quito. In all though I am very grateful to World Endeavors and the advisors/ coordinators and their ability and willingness to help me navigate my time and experience in Ecuador, and not feel as alone.

Besides a few bumps in the road due to unavoidable circumstances in Ecuador (nationwide protests), I was able to complete my internship requirements, and majorly improve my Spanish which were two goals of mine. I believe this internship set me up for future success, and it was a major personal growth opportunity for me. One suggestion I have is for the program placement coordinators to be more aware of what is and isn’t safe for foreign volunteers. For example, the doctor at the clinic often told me a time to start and often times when I would arrive even a few minutes late, no one was at the clinic to let me in. I understand cultural differences on time. My biggest problem was that when I arrived I was not able to enter the clinic if no one was there. The clinic was in a more dangerous part of Quito, and then I was left to stand in the street to decide what to do. One time I waited almost an hour for the secretary to arrive. I just suggest that maybe local directors are reminded that things that may not be an issue for them can often put volunteers in a vulnerable position. Other than that, everything was great. An amazing opportunity of growth, learning, adventure, and so much more!

I loved my internship!!! The family was nothing short of amazing, loving, caring and culturally understanding. I truly enjoyed my experience and feel that they are my family in Ecuador. Working at my placement was a great experience -- the office, people and situation

My program abroad is going well-it's a hard project, but I enjoy it. I do physical therapy with children with special needs: passive range of motion exercises, therapy in the pool, and therapy with horses. I also help with feeding the kids as well as cleaning them and showering them. All of these are duties I can put on my resume. The quality of care for the children in my project is vastly different than the quality of care in the United States which is hard to deal with because all of the care and children would have a different experience and care had they been elsewhere in the world. I do really enjoy my project, but I also really enjoy all of the other volunteers, coordinators, and professors at the school and am able to do many activities with all of them during the week and on the weekends. I do hope to improve my spanish conversational skills more and am trying by always speaking spanish to the locals as well as other volunteers when able to do so.

I loved my host family, the food was great the family was nice and the people i meet were awesome. My teacher was very helpful and knew a lot about both English and Spanish.

The application process was easy to follow and anytime I had a question, the staff were very helpful and prompt in addressing my concerns.

I got my internship credit. World Endeavors was super helpful, friendly, and sent me lots of reminders. My internship experience was honestly just absolutely amazing. The people, the culture, the food, all of it.

Very well organized, I felt safe same reason: excellent organization and available people. It was really amazing, nothing that I could imagine before my leaving. I’ve met beautiful people and I’ve lived an incredible adventure.

I had an amazing time and if I was made of money, I'd still be living there. I'd never come home. It's cheaper than any other program around, for studying or interning abroad, you can go almost anywhere you want and do almost anything you want. And I feel I gained more than I would've anywhere else with any other company. World Endeavors was very sweet and took the time to help explain things to my rather concerned parents. I really appreciated that because it did seem to help a little bit, just to settle their nerves. Not to say we were able to eliminate their worries, but I definitely felt better. It's really more about the people there. My host family was sweet and very caring and my placement coordinators and mentors within the job were generous with their time and understanding the whole time. It's the people that make the place and I couldn't have asked for a more welcoming environment. I came in with an open mind and came home with a change in mindset. A change for the better. I loved every minute of it.

World Endeavors is a professional organization that works alongside you every step of the way, providing you with what you need to thrive and get the best out of your experience abroad. World Endeavors took care of the essentials from the very beginning. When I first reached out with a question, I was contacted within the hour and my question (along with many more) were answered thoroughly and descriptively. I had certain requirements that I needed in order for my internship to count towards my credit, and WE made sure to keep that as a priority as they searched for potential options. The original destination that I had chosen (South Africa) ended up falling through a couple months before I was supposed to depart, and I felt pretty discouraged. But my advisor encouraged me to look into other options, and Ecuador ended up being even more perfect and fitting for me than I could have imagined. Leading up to my departure, my WE advisor was right alongside me, giving me information and always being available to answer any questions. As soon as I arrived in Ecuador, my in-country coordinator was amazing and helpful if I ever needed anything. I was set up with an incredible host family who treated me like one of their own and were gracious with me as I improved my Spanish. With these supports during my months abroad, I felt extremely safe, comfortable, and cared for. During my time abroad, I had so many amazing experiences. Not only was I able to study, observe, and gain knowledge about my specific field of work (social work) which I needed to complete for my university, but I was also greatly emerged into the Latin culture. Everything that was set up for me before I arrived helped me thrive and get the best out of the time that I had there - including Spanish lessons, my host family, meals provided, my in-country coordinator, etc. I also met incredible people throughout the span of three months, and I truly believe I have gained life-long friends.

World Endeavor's staff was really helpful giving me one of the best internships I could get in Ecuador.

My semester in Ecuador was great. Going to Blue Hill gave me the opportunity to travel every weekend. The professors were very friendly and allowed for time out of class for any questions. Ecuador is easy to get around and very beautiful, and tourist friendly. CULTURAL IMMERSION Travel is so easy in Ecuador. It is a small and beautiful country. LIVING SITUATION I first lived in a home with other international students, then moved out later because I wanted to live with my friend. ACADEMICS The professors at Blue Hill College were very helpful and welcoming. The classes were not as challenging as they are in the US, but i still learned a lot. CITY LIFE Great places to go......BanosLas Cajas National Parque (if you camp make sure to bring warm clothing)QuitoMontanita (party surf atmosphere) Tena and Misahaulli Food Comment The food in Ecuador is really good, because there is a lot of frying going on and the fruit is amazing!!! Although I only got sick once with the food from ecuador, my travel partner got sick multiple times, most of the time it depends on your stomach. As far as street food goes, try to find what looks freshest. Safety Comment Traveling in Ecuador is fairly safe. If you are a woman, it is always better to travel with another person, preferably a male. I am a woman, I made one weekend trip by myself and nothing happened. Just be smart about it and you should be ok.