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!

Who can volunteer?

What do you do as an OSSO volunteer?

How long can you volunteer?

Enjoy OSSO’s flexible volunteer schedule and choose your own program length! Our volunteer program is open year-round and you can serve for any length of time between one week to five months.

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!

What is the volunteer schedule like?

At a glance:

• Choose between full-time or part-time service.

• You’ll have a 2-hour lunch break every day.

• Spend every Wednesday participating in a weekly adventure!

• You’ll always have Sunday mornings off, which can be used as free time or to attend religious services.

• Volunteer Families - We recognize you and your children’s ability to serve will differ based on the age and abilities of your children. Because of this, we invite you to adjust your service schedule based on the needs of your family!

How much does it cost to volunteer abroad?

Your program fees are used to cover your housing, food, weekly activities, and other basic living expenses.

Children thrive with as much stability and consistency as possible, so our prices and discounts are set to encourage long-term volunteers (four or more weeks).

The needs and living expenses of part-time and full-time volunteers are the same, which means the program costs for both are also the same. Check out our pricing below.

Volunteer Program Costs

Immediate family members or couples applying at the same time and traveling on the same date only need to pay one application fee. 

Important details:

• Volunteers are responsible for coordinating and paying for all airfare expenses. Upon acceptance to the program, we will share flight instructions. Do not purchase airfare until you have been officially accepted as a volunteer and are instructed to purchase airfare.

• Application fees include a background check, application process, OSSO t-shirt, OSSO sweatshirt, and administrative fees.

• If you’re not available to serve for an entire week, you will still need to pay for a full week’s worth of service.

• If you would like to serve longer than twenty weeks (five months), contact us at info@orphanagesupport.org for pricing details.

• Discounts for families of three or more people may be available during certain times of the year. Contact Liz at liz@orphanagesupport.org to inquire about possible discounts.

• Want help with expenses? Learn how to easily fundraise and get sponsored for your service.

• Please review our refund policy before applying.

Ready to pay your program fees? If you've been accepted to our volunteer program, you can pay with the button below.

Travel Dates

Volunteers can arrive in Ecuador any day of the week except for Wednesdays.

Please do not purchase airfare until you are officially accepted as a volunteer and instructed to book your flights.

Volunteers will be picked up from the airport by our Volunteer Directors or other local staff members.

Feel free to contact us at info@orphanagesupport.org with any questions regarding travel!

 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?