Brief description and main aims

ASA was founded in 1992 when Italian volunteers were looking for a solution for existing problems trying to improve the living conditions of this part of the city.

ASA seeks to respond to current social problems and improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable people in the sector. They work to help families, children and adolescents in difficult situations to move forward by focusing on different areas.

Main Activities

Currently, ASA manages and accompanies its services in the following areas:

• Family Support: Institutional Foster Care, Family Support, Home Assistance
• Education: Children’s Centers, Family and Community Learning and Integration Centers, Libraries, “Acuarela” Educational Unit
• Development and autonomy: Production, workshops, Commercialization and Training

Volunteer tasks

The volunteer’s tasks are to help the educators with activities including:

• Planning classes and taking care of the children
• Practice sports and recreational activities (games, music, art)
• Distributing and examining worksheets and preparing materials
• Playing outdoors and helping to keep the kindergarten’s spaces tidy
• Distributing lunch among the children
• Participating in handicraft and English classes in the afternoon

Volunteer requirements / Skills

Volunteers require skills for working with children and adolescents (from 2-15 years old), such as: patience, initiative, energy and joy. A basic knowledge of Spanish is required.

Location

The project is located in an urban, but outlying and rather poor area in the north of Quito. The majority of adults living there work as domestic servants and construction workers in nearby upper-class communities.

Hosting Situation (Board and Lodging)

The volunteer will live at a volunteer house or with a host family.