Hold a hand, change a life.

Are you looking for a safe and affordable volunteer abroad program? Do you want to make a real impact while you serve? Come volunteer with Orphanage Support Services Organization in Ecuador!

With OSSO, you'll volunteer to love children, experience life, and seek adventure. You will take care of, play with, befriend, and feed orphans in need.

When you volunteer abroad, your life will be changed for the better. You’ll gain a greater understanding of other cultures, develop leadership skills, and build your confidence while living in another country. Most importantly - your heart will grow and expand like never before as you care for the children!

Join our free Volunteer Director Virtual Q&A Session!

Want to speak to an OSSO representative before you apply to be our Volunteer Directors? We host a free virtual event every month! Join us for a short presentation all about what it’s like to volunteer in Ecuador, followed by a Q&A session.

Thursday, January 23rd

6:00 pm MDT

This is the perfect opportunity to get all of your questions answered directly by our staff!

Who can volunteer?

What do you do as an OSSO volunteer?

Where can you volunteer?

OSSO has been sending volunteers to the beautiful country of Ecuador since 1999.

Ecuador has a rich and vibrant culture, incredible scenery, and amazing food. Most of all, you’ll love the kind locals and amazing children! They'll make a lasting impression on your heart and you’ll never want to leave.

Our volunteer program currently operates in two different cities - Cuenca and Quito!

 How safe is it to volunteer in Ecuador?

Our volunteer program has been operating in Ecuador since 1999! Our team at OSSO is extremely familiar with the country and constantly monitors the safety levels for our volunteers.

While the areas of Ecuador our volunteers live in are generally tourist-friendly, the safety of our volunteers is our number one priority!

We recognize that there are always risks that come with any sort of international travel, however, we have implemented numerous safety measures to ensure that our volunteers have the best and safest experience possible. Some of these measures include: 

• Secure housing. You will be living on an enclosed property with a locked gate and high walls. Only OSSO volunteers, staff members, and approved personnel have access to the property.

• Hired drivers. We have hired drivers that we trust for in-country transportation for our volunteers. We also encourage our volunteers to use the Azutaxi app for finding safe taxi drivers when traveling into the city during their free time. 

• Group travel. Once in-country, you will never travel by yourself. You will be greeted at the airport by our volunteer directors and for the rest of your volunteer experience, you will always travel in groups of at least 2-3 people. 

• Code of Conduct. All volunteers have agreed to abide by OSSO’s Code of Conduct, which includes many safety measures, including a nightly curfew, no drugs or alcohol, no visits to bars or parties, etc. 

• Safe activities: When traveling for OSSO-sponsored weekly activities, we never take volunteers to locations that are listed as a Level 3 or above (as outlined on the Ecuador Travel Advisory). 

• Phone access: OSSO has phones available for volunteers to use as needed when outside of the volunteer housing, allowing for easy communication if volunteers do not wish to bring their personal cell phone with them. 

• Volunteer Directors: Volunteers will be supervised by in-country Volunteer Directors who also live in the same housing. Volunteer Directors provide 24/7 support to volunteers and help maintain all safety regulations.

• Regular safety updates: OSSO receives all safety notices from the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Ecuador.  Additionally, our staff frequently assesses any safety concerns with our local partners and community members on the ground. 

Ready to apply?

What have past volunteers said about their experience?