I feel I gained much from my project and continually enjoy doing something different

I worked for one month with medical staff in the emergency, surgery, and internal medicine departments at Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo in Quito, Ecuador. I waived the option of spanish classes to allow myself more clinical experience time where I was not only able to refine my medical skills, but my conversational and medical Spanish as well. Overall, the experience was satisfactory. Strong points were the host family (Olga is an old pro and made my stay exceptionally enjoyable), and depth of experience gained from my in-hospital time. Areas for improvement are host country staff (Jose was constantly unorganized) and coordination with hospital staff, who seemed surprised at, and unexpecting of, my arrival, and threw in a couple of curveballs (I had to buy a textbook for the hospital library before I could complete my volunteer hours) during my stay.

Would you recommend Global Crossroad’s programs to others? Yes 
Would you mind serving as a reference for future volunteers? Yes 
(If yes, please write your email address): twplante@gmail.com

Timothy Plante
Volunteer Ecuador

My ultimate aim was purely to learn more of Ecuadorian culture, which I feel I did a little in my short month there. I expected there to be SOME English which there wasn’t on my project. This in itself limited me a little (unable to ask many questions) but there were other ways in which I communicated. There were many small practices that they did differently to myself at the project but I wasn’t there to teach them my culture, I was there to learn about theirs. This I feel I did and have brought back many more thoughts of appreciation since my return. However, I now feel I am a little more intolerant of my own people as we have so much to be thankful for in Australia and yet so many people constant complain!! Humbleness I repeatably feel in doing volunteer work, even in my own country. There is nothing like working with people who are far worse off than yourself to bring you back to base camp so to speak! Overall I feel I gained much from my project, I am 52 and wasn’t profoundly surprised by what I found but continually enjoy doing something different and meeting people that have so many different life experiences to my self. Another added bonus is the other volunteers you meet along the way. Also my host families complete a huge portion of my cultural learning, I think this is my favourite part of my time at volunteer work. This was my second volunteer project my first being in Africa 2006 which I also loved.

Would you recommend Global Crossroads programs to others? Yes 
Would you mind serving as a reference for future volunteers? Yes 
(If yes, please write your email address): boatharbour1957@hotmail.com

Kathy P
Volunteer Ecuador