Placements
VILA is affiliated with three shelters in Quito, Ecuador: Casa de la Niñez, Fundación Saleciano, and Centro de La Niña Trabajadora (CENIT).
Casa de la Niñez
Casa de la Niñez is operated by the Fundación Patronato Municipal San José. It is a shelter for working children, with extensive resources and support for their families. 4-6 volunteers will be placed in Casa de la Niñez
Address:
Chimborazo y Rocafuerte
Quito, Ecuador
Fundación Salesiano
Volunteers who worked with Fundación Salesiano worked in Quito's main bus terminal, only a short walk from Casa de la Ninez. In the midst of the family-run restaurants, the fruit and candy stands, and the bustling ticket windows, there is a room where children who live nearby (or whose parents work in the bus terminal) can come during the day. Fundación Salesiano attracts young children, older youth taking a break from their shoeshining jobs, and sometimes even a pet dog! During the school year, children can come for help on their homework. The room, stocked with well-loved blocks, legos, games, puzzles, and crayons, is simply a safe place for them to enjoy themselves and be children - they love to build forts with the tables and blankets. The room is truly their space: they paste their pictures on the walls and help clean the room at the end of the day (cleaning the bathroom is a special privilege!). Fundación Salesiano's supervisors gave VILA volunteers a lot of freedom (they were the ones who unlocked the room each day, and could open and close the room themselves when the supervisor went on vacation), leading to a great experience for volunteers who wanted to work informally and have the freedom to implement activities of their choice.
CENIT: Centro de La Niña Trabajadora
Located in one of the southernmost neighborhoods in Quito proper, CENIT is a non-profit NGO that focuses on serving the poorest families in the city. The majority of the families are first-generation migrants forced out of rural areas due to lack of economic opportunity. When they first arrive, many families do not speak Spanish, but rather their native indigenous languages. They are forced to find work in the markets selling fruits and vegetables (where they are often exploited by middle-men who transport goods from the farms to the markets) or worse, selling goods on the streets or begging. CENIT provides educational opportunities and subsidies to children of these families, who would otherwise be required to help support their families by working on the streets. CENIT is focused primarily on improving the well-being of the working girl because female children are neglected and abused more frequently than male children. They also must assume many domestic responsibilities in addition to working on the streets to generate income for their families. CENITs programs include outreach into the markets that employ many families of street children, a primary and secondary school, subsidies to get children into public and private schools in the region, provision of health and dental care, a mobile street outreach clinic, vocational skills training including sewing and bread-baking, and family and group counseling. CENIT employs local educators and social workers and depends on the support of international volunteers to maintain its many programs.