Volunteering Abroad Shouldn't Cost the Earth

Ecuador Internships: Architecture, Anthropology, Medicine and More! Ecuador

 

Description

Travel the world, gain valuable work experience and make a difference in low-income indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Andes. We offer a range of hands-on, personalised internships for you to further your career while creating a positive impact.

We will help you to design a unique internship based on your career aspirations and local needs, receiving professional support and authentic cultural immersion.

Details

Organisation:
El Terreno

Location:
Guaranda

Qualifications/Skills:
Ideal for university students or graduates in careers mentioned above.

Dates of program:
Year round

Duration of program:
4 weeks minimum

Age requirement:
Adults of both sexes 18+

Cost:
For US$160 per week, you will receive: support with travel logistics; dormitory accommodation (with WiFi); cooked lunches Monday-Friday; weekly sessions with a professional mentor; in-person ground internship coordination; internship activities budget (up to US$12.50 per week); internship-related site visits; fee-time activity recommendations; cultural immersion in rural community; certificate of completion; and written personal reference.

Other information:
Advance Your Career! Gain more experience with the support of trained mentors to expand your knowledge and build your confidence. Now more than ever, employers are looking for a resume with diverse experiences, certificates and strong references that an internship provides. Make a Difference! Use your passion to directly help low-income rural communities in Ecuador, and help create a more meaningful, prosperous and sustainable world. Travel the World! Why learn in the same settings you will spend your career, when you could be experiencing new countries and cultures? During your placement, explore Ecuador's diverse landscapes and cultures - making memories that will last a lifetime! Living with a local family you will be immersed in another culture, learn new skills, make memories, and make a difference.

Reviews

Amazing International Development Internship!
"After finishing my third year of civil engineering in Canada I wanted to find an internship abroad, I had a focus on international development and I didn't want to go abroad to work with big international companies. This internship was perfect for me as it really highlighted the community aspect, working with local organizations and farmers was a great opportunity for me not only to explore aspects of my field but also to create connections and see the impact my work is making. Our mentor, Sebastian, was extremely helpful to us, we learnt a lot about agroforestry and natural water conservation. Joshua was also very friendly and I enjoyed the close-knit atmosphere El Terreno had. Atandahua was an extremely picturesque town and I enjoyed living with a local family there and speaking to them about their life. As for the specific work we did, we conducted interviews, followed the standard design ideation process, surveyed natural wells, compiled the data and also presented to the community. I also had the opportunity to go on trips all around Ecuador during the weekends! It was overall an incredible experience. I did this internship for 2 months and I can't wait to return to Ecuador to see how our project has evolved!"- David Vellojin
Internship in Sustainable Architecture.
"Over the summer I spent 10 weeks in Ecuador, immersing myself within the vibrant culture and appreciating the magnificently distinct way of life. The time I spent in the modest village of Atandahua was incredible, everything from the landscapes, food, fashion, architecture and traditions were all so wonderfully unfamiliar to me. I came to Ecuador exited to understand the different architectural practices, (and hopefully return with a tan), but the vast amount of knowledge and respect I gained about this fascinating indigenous culture was invaluable. Coming from a "resort family", I was quite unsure about the idea of travelling to South America but, the constant guidance and support from Joshua ensured my stay was one I'll never forget, and I can confidently say, I don’t think I could've had a richer experience. Whether you travel every weekend, or stay in Quilico the entire stay, you cannot escape the remarkable customs and depth of culture within the country. Now, after returning home and reflecting on my time in Ecuador I'm filled with a sense of dissatisfaction, this trip gave me a taste of a warm and caring community and opened my eyes to the beauty of a humble lifestyle. In regard to the internship, I was wonderfully surprised with the variety of learning I was doing. From desk-based research to site visits, experimenting with materials, meeting and talking to professionals and even a week-long trip around Ecuador. This comprehensive learning strategy gave me such a valuable insight to how the vernacular architecture in Ecuador works and how these sustainable practises could be implemented in the UK and wider Europe to achieve a greener future. Adobe construction may not be directly applicable into the urban context but the experience I gathered working to deadlines, conversing with a client, adjusting my design in accordance with specific perimeters and exploring numerous bioclimatic strategies was invaluable. Weekends spent exploring the diverse towns, cities and villages Ecuador has to offer were incredible. The wide range of landscapes made each weekend feel like a different holiday and guaranteed a consistently enjoyable experience. After all, "Ecuador has the most diverse landscape per km² in the world. In just one hour you could be at the peak of the Andes mountains at Chimborazo, or the depths of the subtropics in Chazojuan"- which I'm sure Joshua can attest to. I was pleasantly surprised to learn I wasn’t just getting guidance with my internship, any places that I was interested in exploring whilst staying in Quilico, Joshua promptly took note, researched it, reached out to the appropriate people and drafted an extensive itinerary with times, locations, phone numbers, and even his personal recommendations. He so determined to give us the best experience possible and was always happy to help with any concerns or questions I may have had. The ethos of this organisation is something quite remarkable and sadly lost in western society. El Terreno is a cultural centre run by a selfless pair of humanitarians, centred around its mission of replenishing "vibrant and prosperous communities" under the pressures of increasing urbanisation and migration. The relationship established when joining Joshua and Karina was affectionate and welcoming. They went above and beyond to ensure everyone felt comfortable and valued in their home. This personal connection created encouraged a more collaborative atmosphere making the work feel even more meaningful. Finally, the dynamic of all interns, volunteers and associates coming together to share, learn and work in harmony to achieve a collective goal of bettering a community was really inspiring. I am so incredibly grateful to both Joshua, Karina and everyone involved for giving me the opportunity to experience this beautiful country."- Richard Walker
Sustainable architecture in rural buildings.
"I really liked the mix of languages, cultural knowledge but also the constant help from Joshua, from administration questions to more specific topics as cultures, architecture (in my case), history or local politics. I felt like I could ask whatever question I had and always got the help I needed :)"- Alicia
An extraordinary opportunity
"The kind of opportunity you are infinitely grateful for ! I loved everything about my fantastic journey in the Andes, discovering ancient vernacular building techniques and learning from local professionals. The touching contact with local population has been a great opportunity to practice my Spanish and get to know their incredible culture. Absolutely grateful to Joshua for his support and dedication in the project and for making my internship such a wonderful time."- Régis Villemin
Meaningful opportunity and amazing experience
"Overall, I'm very grateful for my time in El Terrano. The program worked closely with the community, allowing you to really experience Ecuador and the local culture. It's clear that the program is aimed to give back to the community and help to improve the lives of those living there. Joshua was super supportive of the other interns and me. He closely listens to your goals, while also being able to offer you suggestions on what could make your involvement even more exciting. Joshua helped to organize multiple trips into the local community, outside of Atandahua, which enriched my entire trip even more. I got to work closely with various professionals, and after working on so many hypothetical projects in school, this brought a certain level of realistically to the project and made everything even more interesting. The man we worked to design a cabin for during my 6 weeks there, was super sweet and humble, which really made you want to do good work and create a good design. There's a wide variety of activities you can do on the weekends in your spare time, which gave a nice balance of work to pleasure, and the opportunity to explore the rest of Ecuador. I'm super happy with my experience and would honestly recommend it to anyone interested in traveling and doing work like this."- Mei Ling Dekorne
I would do it all again right now
"Time spent in El Terreno has been amazing, it feels like a second home. This experience allowed me to better know a completely different way of living, a slow, easy, and sustainable life, which I have taken back home with me for sure. Discovering a unique culture and so many beautiful people, genuine and generous. All of this is possible because Joshua and Karina have created this lovely home where people from all over the world can get in touch with the heart of Ecuador, learn a lot from it, be part of it and create something new. Thank you so much!"- Greta Papetti
The most immersive learning experience
"Doing my internship at El Terreno in the rural Andes was an extremely valuable learning experience. Thanks to the human-centered character of my internship, I got to work with many locals and discovered new methods of participatory research. I appreciate the most, the variety of skills that my internship has taught me. Besides conducting my qualitative research, I made myself to learn Spanish faster, networked with various stakeholders, hold a workshop with teenage girls and improved my graphic design skills. Working with the community and learning about the challenges they encounter was a strong motivation during my internship. I loved engaging with the local stakeholders and realizing possible solutions with my teammates. Although, the topic of my research was at times challenging, I enjoyed every day that I worked on my project thanks to the friendly atmosphere at El Terreno. And waking up every day with the view of Chimborazo is pretty awesome too!"- Anna Balajka
Great experience to learn from and enjoy
"After doing an internship of 6 weeks at El Terreno I can say without hesitation that I loved the experience. Joshua is open for the different goals and experiences people strive for, making it easy to create a well suited programme. It allowed me to develop myself in a new environment wherein I could learn new things as well as giving something back. Next to this more practical side, living with Joshua and the other interns was a really pleasant experience. The group activities we organised made the work / travelling experience nicely balanced, while on the other hand it was also possible to decide when to join these activities or not. Lastly the location, Atandahua itself is a rural quiet place which gives it a relaxing atmosphere. In the direct surroundings there is enough to do during the week and the central location allows for easy trips throughout Ecuador during the weekends."- Jasha Kuster
Absolutely Loved My Stay in Atandahua
"You can feel that this Project comes from the heart and that the main motivation is improving the quality of live for the local community. The love and energy that Joshua and Karina put into the work is omnipresent and create a wonderful atmosphere. I was nervous to spend such a long time away from home, in a country where I couldn't really communicate with anyone... But from week number two I was hooked, and the time went by way to fast. I loved the life in the casa communal with the other volunteers, the interaction with the local community, visiting the market on Sundays, the Spanish lessons, the excursions linked to the internship organized by Joshua, the planning and construction work on Ginas House and the Weekend trips with the other volunteers. I felt very comfortable in my homestay and by the end it was really hard to say goodbye. After my Bachelor in Architecture, I worked 4 months on an adobe construction site. It was an abandoned building, which we transformed into a tourist accommodation, to serve as an extra income for a local Family (who was super cute and lovely btw). I enjoyed working closely together with the local community - there were 2 Builders that teached and supported me on the construction site (again very lovely people) and an Architekt that helped me with my design and planning work. Joshua was always there to guide my internship and I had a lot of freedom. I wanted to use this opportunity to both do the planning work and implement my designs on the building site, which worked out amazingly. I learned a lot about my profession, but also about myself and my place in the world. I would fully recommend an internship with El Terreno - no matter what profession or interests you have."- Alina Behrend
Meaningful, inspiring and motivated
"I'm so thankful for my time at El Terreno! I spent my time there as an architecture intern and got to do a very large variety of things, like different scales of designing, planning as well as working hands on with construction. El Terreno is a place where there's always new things to do and new ideas coming around. The work atmosphere is very open, explorative, and motivated, and your wishes, needs or thoughts and ideas will surely be taken into account, even encouraged! El Terreno is a project that in every aspect has people in focus, it's very clear how important it is and I'm in no doubt that its impact in Atandahua will have a very meaningful and long-lasting effect! Speaking of the people both in the project as well as the village are so incredibly nice, and it feels like a very safe place. I'm really grateful and inspired by the work of Joshua and Karina, not to mention the amazing volunteers and interns that I met, and all our good times together! I loved doing trips together during the weekends, and as the project is situated in the middle of Ecuador, you can go pretty much anywhere. (I would recommend leaving at least a week of travel after the project to have more time to explore though!) All in all, it's an experience I'll never forget, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is ready and up for immersing themselves in Ecuadorian culture, learning a ton(!!), working hard, meeting amazing people and create unforgettable memories! If you're thinking about it, do it! All the best!"- Elise Orre
Great Experience!!
"I had the privilege of interning at El Terreno for 6 weeks, where I worked on a water project and was able to learn so much and make a difference in the community. I worked with a great team, did a lot of hiking to water sources, talked to community members, learned a lot from our mentors Sebastian and Cristian, researched solutions to improve water quality, and was even able to collect water samples and conduct experiments at the local university. Joshua was very helpful in providing support and giving me the freedom to decide the direction of my internship. Working on the water project gave me the experience I needed to secure an internship for a global engineering company, and I am forever grateful to Joshua and El Terreno for helping me achieve my goals."- Kimi Chen
Amazing!!
"I have nothing negative to say about my experience at El Terreno. The medicine and public health internship allowed me to get a close up look at how a healthcare system runs in rural Ecuador and I was able to make meaningful connections with the community members we served."- Julia Spiegel
Culture and anthropology internship
"I had an amazing experience with El Terreno. I participated in their Culture and Anthropology internship and learned more than I could ever have expected. The support from Joshua and Karina throughout the process was outstanding and my experience in a homestay and with the other volunteers and interns was absolutely amazing. I am so blessed to have had this experience and would strongly recommend to anyone else who is considering."- Naomi Ohman
A wonderful cultural exchange experience from beginning to end!
"One of the best parts of this experience was having the best of both worlds culturally: on one hand, you’re able to live in a less-touristy part of Ecuador and immerse yourself in Ecuadorian culture, but on the other hand, you don’t feel completely like a fish out of water. I enjoyed my time in the homestay practicing my Spanish and learning about Ecuadorian culture. I came as a sustainable agriculture intern and was able to implement a school garden. This was a fantastic introduction to locally-led sustainable development work. My internship involved interacting and collaborating with various stakeholders, from the teachers to the parents. I even got to teach one of the example lesson plans I created. By the end of internship, I felt that I had made a meaningful contribution. That said, six weeks was too short for me—I recommend coming here for a summer internship if you can. Joshua is very thoughtful of the volunteer's needs and able to personalize your experience to what you're looking to get out of this experience. The community of volunteers and interns has also found a special place in my heart. The people who end up coming to El Terreno have a mutual interest in reconnecting with nature or promoting cultural exchange and social transformation. Being here is a really good way to meet people from all ages who are on a somewhat similar wavelength. Additionally, the whole experience is enriched with visits to the local farms and entrepreneurial cooperatives that are off-the-beaten path. Whatever your reason for looking into El Terreno - everyone comes for different reasons - it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. I'm very grateful the universe had led me there."- Isabela Valencia
I Learnt So Much
"From the airport pickup to the program, I was taken directly to the location and the coordinator helped me settle into my accommodation in the middle of the night. The coordinator planned out my activities a few weeks in advance. With the assigned mentor I learnt the fundamentals of organic agriculture. This included the creation of an organic garden/farm from scratch, analysis of the soil, creation of organic fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides. In addition to this many other addition trips and site visits were organized to truly get a grasp of the agricultural traditions of the Andes. The homestay accommodations were comfortable and had a great view of Chimborazo. Overall, this internship was an amazing experience and would recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic Andean experience to explore their passion for agriculture."- Sameer Devalla
Perfect internship opportunity
"My time and internship at El Terreno provided me with the perfect opportunity to combine my vision and ambitions with my profession. I learned tons by doing an internship in sustainable architecture. Joshua and Karina are very kind and put in a lot of effort to ensure I, and the other people staying there, had a good time and they helped us organizing activities on the weekends. Ecuador is a beautiful country and with the right people you're sure of an excellent time. I found those people here and would recommend more people to join their program!"- Bart Koppejan

Apply now

Members only content - Register or Login

Web links / Other ways to help

If you visit and apply via the website please mention that you saw this project on volunteerlatinamerica.com.