Brauck in Quito, Ecuador

Brauck is my college roommate’s boyfriend and we met while I was in my senior year of undergrad and he was completing his Masters in Urban Planning at Virginia Tech. Ever since I’ve known Brauck, he’s always talked highly about his amazing experiences in South America and how his time there changed his life positively for the better. He spoke of the wonderful people, breathtaking sights, and mouth-watering food. He has since built upon his experience to catalyze a career in international development in the DC area. He is just as passionate as I am about travel and global involvement and was kind enough to take the time to let me interview him about his experiences. Read further to learn more about Brauck’s experience working in an orphanage in Quito, Ecuador and traveling in South America!

What country did you go to and with what program?

 I volunteered in Ecuador through a program called Ecuador Volunteer based in Quito.

 

 

How long were you there for?
I traveled for almost exactly 4 months from August 13th to Dec 14th in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Guatemala. I spent about 2 weeks in Peru, little over 2 months in Ecuador, about 2 weeks in Colombia, and 9 or 10 days in Guatemala.

What was your experience like and what did you do?
The overall experience was amazing, I really enjoyed my time in South America and it was an absolute blast. I flew into Lima, Peru cause I figured if I was gonna be in South America, I had better get to Machu Picchu while I was there. Did that and worked my way up the Peruvian coast after til I got into Ecuador. Got up to Quito and did my initial training, which was short for me as I had Spanish language skills before, and then went to San Miguel de Salcedo, which is about 2 hours south of Quito on the Pan America Highway. There I was stationed in a private school with another volunteer from Maine, and we lived and worked at the school teaching English. The school had three levels, classrooms and admin areas on the bottom two floors and then the top level was the family’s apartment and our separate apartment that the volunteers shared. It was nice cause we had easy access to work and lived where we worked. We rotated between age levels and taught English to the kids and had a really good time doing so. In the afternoons we also went and worked in a local orphanage with disabled kids and taught the ladies that ran the place English.

 

 

How did you find out about this opportunity? What did the application process entail? Were there fees?

 I found out about my program through basic internet searching. It is a pretty solid organization with a pretty clear application process. There was a few back and forths on emails and filling out the paper work, but all and all it was relatively easy. The staff in Quito speaks very good English, so it is helpful for those that don’t speak much Spanish. The program was I think around $350 dollars for at least a 2 month commitment, but I got room and board included, so the deal was really solid. I obviously paid for myself to get there, but then once I was there I paid the fee to the organization and got set up on my bus trip down to Salcedo. Once I was there, I was good to go with my new family and could stay as long as I was welcome.

 

How did you afford to go? Did you save money, receive a stipend, do fundraising, or get paid?
I saved up a bunch of money for the trip before I went. Just finished up my lease and bought my plane tickets to get down there and had enough money to live, definitely took a credit card as back up.

 

Did you have to get a visa, if so was  it difficult to get one?
I originally had planned my trip as going to Peru for MP, getting to Ecuador by a specific date, and then flying out of Ecuador to Guatemala for 10 days to see some friends before returning home. Everything in between was going to be up in the air. Well my time in Ecuador would have been about 92 days, and when you enter the country, as an American, they stamp your passport for 90 days. To get that extension for another 2 days would have been the minimum fee of around $200 I think. So instead of doing that for two days, I left about a week or so early and flew to Colombia. It worked out to be the same time the other volunteer was leaving, so it was just easier that way for both of us. So I never had to deal with visas, and really in places like South America, it is probably easier to just jump the border for a week vacation wherever you are before you hit 90 days and then just return if you are really into what you are doing, or take off from there. 90 days is a long time in one place with so much to explore.

What was the best part of your experience there?

 My favorite part would be the people I met and the cool weekend trips we went on. I will always have a special place in my heart for my adoptive family while there and the other volunteer. We went on cool trips every weekend when we didn’t have school to little towns in Ecuador and really got to explore the country.

 What was the worst part?

The disorganization that we experienced in the school. Even in mid October the students didn’t have all of their work books and things required to be in class, school started in mid August as it does here in the US. There just seemed to be a lot of disorganization and not much continuity. To succeed in school there and really learn, the students really have to be driven and it was hard to be there and watch a lot of time and energy wasted by the local teachers.

Would you suggest this program?

 Yes and no, I loved my time there and it is what you make of it. The local staff is very helpful, but once I left the “training” in Quito, I was very much on my own. I am not sure how much help I would have received if I really needed it, but luckily I didn’t.

 

What would you have done differently if you could?  Do you have advice for anyone to pursue this program?

I tell this to everyone, but when you travel, pick a place you want to be and go. Don’t go to a place for a program. Once you get there, you will find a lot of organizations, orphanages, and other causes that will need your help and would love to put you up and feed you in exchange for help. Many of these places don’t have websites so you’ll never find them on a web search, but they are out there and really do need your help. I didn’t find out til after I got there, but my family I stayed with didn’t get any money from the organization to put me or any other volunteers up. They fed us and housed us all on their own expense and most likely probably paid to be apart of the service that Ecuador Volunteer provided. The fees I paid most likely went to my first night there and the Spanish language classes, as well as admin staff. It is tough because I liked the cheap cost of my program, but if anything would have rather paid any of that money or more to my family for housing and food. The program was a good thing, but really really research what you are getting yourself into. There are not the standards abroad that we take for granted here in the US and you want to make sure you aren’t taking advantage of someone or a group of people unknowingly.

Any final thoughts on volunteering abroad or your experience?
A few things, first do it. Go abroad, study, learn, meet people, explore. Your life will forever be changed. Second, research, research, research. Either really scope out a place you are going, or find everything you can about the organization before you sign up. I really do think the best way to do it is to just show up in a country you want to be (after you’ve researched it) and then ask around. Other travelers, hostels, and locals will point you in the direction of places that need your help and will welcome you with open arms. Third, don’t have a time constraint. This can be the toughest part. When you travel and want to volunteer, your plans are going to change. You don’t want to be in an amazing place working with amazing people and doing something you love and be forced to leave because of a flight you made 6 months before. Give yourself loose guidelines, but don’t put anything in stone. Fourth and what I think is the ABSOLUTE most important thing I have learned and always pass on to other travelers is in regards to your flights to and from your destination. To leave the country and enter some countries, you have to have proof you have a round trip ticket. The problem with this is that you don’t know in 6 months if you will be in the same location, or if you even want to leave. You don’t want to force yourself to fly out of Quito when you’ve ended up in Bogota. To fix this you need buy a cheap one way ticket to wherever you want to start your adventure. Find the cheapest flight and get down there. I got from Dallas, Tx to Lima, Peru for $400, it was great. Now for the way home you buy the really super expensive, fully refundable or the regular ticket with the $50 fully refundable insurance on it from the same place or wherever back to the US. Once you get to your destination and get through customs, go cash that ticket in and get your refund. That way you aren’t locked in to any specific place to leave. This allows you the absolute freedom to travel and go where the wind takes you! Just make sure to leave enough money in your account to buy a ticket home, or don’t :)Thanks again to Brauck for sharing his personal experiences in South America! Intrigued by what you read? Please share your thoughts and experiences below!