Volunteer Abroad in Ecuador: Volunteering Opportunities
Volunteering Abroad in Ecuador: Ecuador,
a small South America country, is bordered to the north by Colombia, to
the east and south by Peru, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. The
country is divided into four distinct regions; the Amazon, the
Highlands, the Coast, and the Galápagos Islands.
Compared with many South American countries, Ecuador
is very small. Nevertheless in this limited area there are at least 50
types of natural terrestrial vegetation, diverse ecosystems and an
immense variation in wildlife. Ecuador is one of 17
mega diverse countries in the world according to Conservation
International. With 1600 bird species (some 15% of the world's known
bird species) in the continental area, and 38 more endemic to the
Galápagos. There are also 25,000 species of plants recorded; it has 106
endemic reptiles, 138 endemic amphibians, and 6,000 species of
butterflies.
Today, Ecuador
remains a multiethnic and multicultural nation, where more than 14
indigenous groups maintain their own traditions and ways of life, to
the delight of visitors.
The country has a plentitude
of national parks, wildlife reserves, natural springs, volcanoes and
ecological reserves and beautiful cities.
Ecuador
gives the tourists a mega bio-diversity and a chance for great
adventures in the mountains, volcanoes, jungle, white beaches and
exotic islands.
Although in recent years Ecuador
has benefited from a rise in tourism offer some economic relief,
millions of people live below the poverty line, mainly children.
Governmental statistics estimate that over one million children work to
survive and maintain their families. Growing poverty, lack of education
and limited governmental resources further worsen the problem of street
children and orphans in Ecuador. A government study*
concluded that 45% of the population between the ages of 10 and 16 are
working, 60% of the children under the age of five are malnourished and
a third of the population has not completed the first part of their
basic education. (*First Congress on Nutrition Development, Quito 2000)
“You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you" - Anonymous.
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