Individual Programs  <  Ecuador
Work in a Women's Artisan Cooperative

The village of Marianitas, population 230 residents, is located in the tropical cloud forests of the western Andean mountains. Since a couple of years, a few services have appeared in the village such as general stores, a small restaurant, transportation, and the cooperative of women's artisan.

The cooperative is a group of women who produce sustainable arts and crafts from renewable natural materials like bamboo, coconut husks and tagua (vegetable ivory). The crafts include earrings, pendants and seed/bead necklaces, as well as napkin rings, key chains and other articles.

The cooperative also actively promotes conservation and environmental protection through demonstration of the use of renewable and recycled materials, and through their organic garden and native tree nursery and tree planting program. They also promote environmental education, in order to teach the basic principles of conservation and nature appreciation to their children and the community at large. You are welcome to stay in a family and get involved in the different projects of the cooperative. Living like them in this peace and quiet village will make you learn a lot.

Minimum stay : one month
Maximum stay : unlimited
Age limits : 18 to 66 years old
Registration fee: $555 CAD + tax
Participation fee: between $11 USD and $13 USD per day ($12 CAD and $14 CAD)***
Registration deadline
: 3 months before the departure date
What's included:Pre-departure orientation session, lodging in a host family, food, and technical support*
Language Requirements: Beginner's Spanish

Not included
:
   · Plane ticket
   · Insurance
   · Passport
   · Vaccinations
   · Personal expenses / souvenirs
   · Exit tax

*** Exchange rate from May 18th, 2010. For the most recent exchange rates, please consult www.desjardins.com

*Our service includes: detailed and personalized support, plane ticket reservation, visa advice, information about vaccines, a pre-departure orientation day, a participant guide to help with the preparation of your trip, and a confirmation from our partner abroad. The placement is guaranteed or you will be one hundred percent reimbursed.

Other projects in Ecuador
Environmental Work, Organic Farming
Work Placement in Horticulture and Environmental Conservation
Teaching and Social Projects