This summary was written by Magdalena, a student volunteer from Germany
On my first day at To Give Hope, I knew that I would enjoy working at the project. All the teachers that work at the project received me very kindly. Of course I had a lot of questions, but with the support and help of the staff I felt very comfortable.
At the moment the kids are separated in 4 groups by age. In my first week I had the possibility to visit every group and decide which I wanted to work with. Most of the time I helped with the group of the youngest children, because it was the largest group of kids and because of this my help was needed. In this group there are 30 children that are 2-5 years old. The kids of all groups visit the project in the afternoon and everyday they get a meal, brush their teeth, take showers, get lotion to help calm their sun and wind parched skin, and have educational activities.
I helped the teachers who work in the project and arranged activities for free time everyday. For example we did handicraft work, like a bracelet or cards, sang songs, and played outside.
I really enjoyed the whole time during my visit at the project. I did not want to miss a day of it. Because of my work there I realized how many resources are available in Germany, and that the inequality is apparent in Ecuador. This was one reason why I started a group in Germany that wants to get involved to give children a brighter and better future. We are organizing bake sales and other fundraisers to help the children at To Give Hope.
In spite of their situation in life, the children seem to be content, but they need so much in terms of nutrition, education, and opportunities to be successful in life. The project gives them opportunities for growth and learning that they would not otherwise have. Also they were really interested in my way of life and my behavior. Because of this positive impression, I suggest such experience in a foreign country to everybody. Another benefit you'll get from it is being able to reflect on your own life in a further context and then be able to solve problems more easily. I hope to see the children again as soon as possible.
