August  2006 Volunteer Project

For the month of August of 2006, ten students from UBC and SFU traveled to Ecuador. The original goal of the volunteers was to renovate an orphanage, however, due to some complications with the orphanage organization the project had to be changed. The volunteers decided to re-establish an abandoned medical clinic just outside of Quito in a community of 2500 people which lacked affordable medical access. Their goal was to renovate the building to useable standards, publicize the opening of the clinic, staff the clinic with a doctor and aid in treatment. The volunteers painted the clinic inside and out, hired workers to fix windows and the roof, purchased products to stock the pharmacy and purchased everything required to run the clinic. This project was beneficial to the community that had little affordable health care access prior to this project. The ultimate outcome forged friendships with the community members, especially the children, established an operational medical clinic for the community and gained practical medical experience for the volunteers. This project was developed over a month with a budget just under $5,000. Some of the funds for this project came from various fundraising events, including club nights and a raffle held in Vancouver. The majority of the money came from personal donations.

“At the end of the project, strong bonds were created between the two cultural groups. Till this day, the volunteer group keeps in contact with each other as they are all great friends, and together they hold that memorable experience that was shared in Ecuador.” – Volunteer, August 2006

 May 2007 Volunteer Project

For the month of May of 2007, 12 students from SFU and UBC assisted a non-profit organization in Quito, the Centro de Atención Integral al Discapacitado (CAID). This organization assists people with disabilities through prevention, rehabilitation, training and labour placement. The CAID is where rehabilitation services are concentrated. The main goal of the volunteers was to renovate a storage building at the centre to be used as a store to sell donated merchandise. Th volunteers cleared out the building, cleaned, painted and installed various fixtures. The project cost around $3,000 and took about seven days, with the volunteers working four to five hours each of those days.

The volunteers held a diabetes day at CAID. The goal of the day was to help members of the community better understand and appreciate the seriousness of diabetes, and to help them take steps to reduce the prevalence of a disease that is becoming ever more prominent in today’s society. Members of the Quito community were invited to attend a free information session hosted by different doctors. The participants received an examination by the doctor. The volunteers were given the opportunity to shadow and assist the doctors by taking blood pressure, weight and blood glucose levels. This information was then analyzed by doctors who then saw each patient one-on-one and discussed their risk levels. The students took turns to listen in on the doctors’ meetings with the patients. The budget for this project was $1,000. The money used for the paint, appliances and food issued at both these events was fundraised in Vancouver prior to departing for Ecuador. Although a good portion of the money came from personal donations, the majority came through club nights that the group hosted at various clubs around Vancouver.

“These projects were never considered “work” to anyone in the group.  Knowing that what we were doing was going toward a good cause helped us enjoy the process.  We went away knowing that what we did has and will help people who may not live lives as privileged as that of our own.” – Volunteer, May 2007 

June 2007 Volunteer Project

For the month of June our group of 12 volunteers assisted a non-profit organization, Camp Hope, which provides health services, rehabilitation and schooling for children with Cerebral Palsy, other special needs or children with few economic resources. Their main goal was to improve the centre’s structure to provide an environment that will help the children learn and grow so that they can integrate into society and the workforce. To do so the volunteers rebuilt and painted the dining room tables and benches, hired contractors to build 75 school desks and chairs, and hired a painter to repaint the outside of the building. The volunteers also contributed by interacting with the children, helping to feed them and helping them in the classrooms. This project took the whole month and required a budget of around $4,750. The group also donated the funds for a leg prosthesis for a little girl from Camp Hope. This cost about $750.

In addition to Camp Hope, this group of volunteers helped Reina de Quito, another non-profit organization, which helps children with Down’s syndrome. Their main goal was to provide a safe area for the children to play. The volunteers converted a room into a playroom for the children by painting, buying equipment for the playroom and decorating it appropriately. This project was developed in 3 days and required a budget of around $1,000. The funds for these projects were raised in Vancouver through various events and personal donations from family and friends.

July 2007 Volunteer  Project

For the month of July 2007 a group of fourteen volunteers used the money they raised for two important projects. First, half of the funds, approximately $5,000, were allocated to providing critical surgeries for two young children with life threatening birth defects. The children were selected on the basis of lowest family income and severity of condition.  The volunteers had the opportunity to meet one of the candidate families, and it was wonderful to know that their fundraising efforts would ultimately save a young child’s life.

In addition to the surgeries, volunteers contributed to a non-profit organization El Proyecto Salesiano, an organization that helps kids get off the streets. The volunteers renovated a dilapidated after-school centre for street kids. This particular centre was chosen for its apparent need of renovation, especially since it served as a safe haven for many children. Our goal was to make the centre attractive to other children in the area as well as to the children that were presently visiting the centre. The volunteers contributed by painting the walls inside the centre and a mural on the outside wall, sanding and refinishing old wooden desks and stocking the newly installed shelves with many games, toys and books. The budget for this project was $5,000. The volunteers collected over $10,000 dollars in Vancouver through donations and fundraising events such as bottle drives, chocolate sales, fundraiser parties and 50/50 draws at local pubs. 

“It was wonderful to bond with the children as they joined in the painting and cleaning.  We were amazed by their love and trust. After the renovations were complete we were proud of what we had accomplished, moreover, we were pleased to see the improvements for our new friends.” – Volunteer, July 2007

August 2007 Volunteer Project

For the month of August 2007, 26 volunteers contributed to projects for the non-profit organization, El Proyecto Salesiano, an organization that helps kids get off the streets. The first project was repairing the buildings at a working farm about two hours outside of Quito, in a town called Ambato. This farm serves as a home for children who would otherwise be living on the street. The goal was to make the living conditions as comfortable as possible for the children living there. The team collaborated with hired workers to clean, paint, and extensively repair the housing. Some of the improvements consisted of replacing windows, doors and door frames, roofs, ceiling panels, floors, a hot water tank, closets, shelving, toilets, sinks, light fixtures, beds, and bedding. The funds also provided the children with toiletries such as toothbrushes, soap, and toilet paper. The budget for this project was $10,000 and the volunteers spent five days in Ambato working on it.

The volunteers also worked on a project in Quito where they renovated a daycare centre for street kids. the volunteers repainted the interior, the desks and many chairs. They also painted murals on the walls and bought school supplies and games to stock the shelves. This project required around $1,000 and was completed in the afternoons while in Quito. The volunteers raised approximately $11,000 while in Vancouver through a series of fundraisers, and numerous donations from family and friends. 

“We worked in Ambato for five days, and when we returned to the foundation later on to see the finished product, the children were so excited to see us, and so appreciative of what we had done for them. All of the students in the group were very proud of what we had accomplished.” – Volunteer, August 2007