Hi!
I'm Anna from Norway, and next February i'm going to Quito to volunteer. I'm planning on staying until the beginning of June. I know a girl in Quito after she had an exchange year in my town, and I really want to experience her country and culture, like she experienced mine.
Currently all I have is my flight ticket to Costa Rica, where I'm meeting some friends before heading to Ecuador alone. I struggle to find and choose a good volunteer organization, because there are few real reviews and hard to find second opinions about the organizations. It's important to me to find a good, well-organized organization that sincerely needs my help, and is not just after my money. So - does anyone know a good organization, where I can work with children? Maybe some of you have volunteered yourselves, or maybe certain organizations have a reputation. I understand there will be certain fees, and that's no problem at all, I just want it to go to the right people and the right cause!
Secondly, because I do not yet have an organization, I don't have a place to stay yet either. Some organizations provide volunteer houses, which would be perfect. However, it would also be cool to stay in a shared apartment with Quito students or others in the same situation like me! Does anyone know a good website where students in Quito look for roommates? I want to be able to have a good relationship with the people I share the apartment with.
I'm gonna stop here, so my post doesn't end up like a short novel, but I'm so excited to experience this and I'm glad I found this website and this forum