Volunteer work
 Numerous organizations look for volunteers. Most
want a minimum commitment of several weeks or months, and many
charge a small amount to cover board and lodging. Volunteers are
responding to the needs of Ecuadorians in various settings, from
care work and journalism internships in Quito, to health projects in
rural areas, to teaching and the conservation in the jungles of the
Amazon.
If you are in Quito, go along to the South
American Explorers Club, which can give you up-to-date information
on organizations that offer volunteer work.
There are also numerous possibilities for working in Ecuador,
although this is more difficult to arrange from home. Your best bet
is to turn up and see what you can find.
You need a visa issued from the Ecuadorian
consulate in your home country in order to work legally in Ecuador.
However, many people obtain visas once in Ecuador with the help of
their employers and most working travelers find work paid
cash-in-hand, which circumvents the need for legal documents.
The people of this beautiful country are some of the friendliest in
the world, though you will surely wonder how they remain so kind in
the face of all the hardships they face. Volunteer opportunities
abound throughout Ecuador. Teaching
 Tourists
can obtain jobs teaching English in language schools, usually in
Quito. Schools advertise for teachers on the bulletin boards of
hotels and restaurants. You are expected to be a native English
speaker or the equivalent. Pay is just enough to live on.
If you have a bona-fide teaching credential, so much the better.
Schools such as the American School in Quito will often hire
teachers of mathematics, biology and other subjects, and may help
you get a work visa if you want to stay on. They also pay much
better than the language schools. Check ads in local hotels and
newspapers. continues...
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