Personal Introduction from our Current Volunteer Director, Sasha
Before becoming the volunteer directors here in Cuenca, I had at least 100 questions for the past director. We had no idea what to expect and I like to be prepared and know what I’m getting into. We were new to OSSO. We knew that our experiences teaching, working with special needs, our Spanish skills and our experiences working with youth would be helpful, but we really didn’t know what we were signing up for. You may feel the same way. I tried to soak up all the information I could. I searched online for any information about orphanages in Cuenca and found nothing. I poured through the Instagram, Blog, Facebook page and Pinterest pages of OSSO trying to figure out what to pack, what to wear and what to be prepared for. The information seemed limited.
Now as director, I hear from volunteers things like: “I didn’t even know this was a orphanage for children with disabilities before I came” or “I wish I had known better what to expect”.
If you’re reading this blog post, then you’re already on the right path. If you’ve done everything I listed above like looking through OSSO’s Instagram, Blog, Facebook and Pinterest, then I already know you’re going to be a successful and memorable volunteer.
You may never feel quite prepared or that you know exactly what you’re getting into, but you’re going to be more prepared than you think. Don’t worry. Who ever your directors will be, whether Keenan and I or others that come after us, they will help you feel comfortable, be safe and enjoy your time here. All you really need is a couple sets of clothes and a willing heart and mind.
TOO MUCH ALL AT ONCE
aka what you’re going to be doing as a volunteer here…
Location: Ecuador
Los Pequeñitos de OSSO (home)
After arriving at OSSO, you get some time to rest from the trip, but as soon as you’re rested and oriented, you appear on the schedule that the Volunteer Directors make each week. This schedule lets you know where you are assigned to each morning and afternoon shift. There are five main orphanages we serve at here in Cuenca and one day care. Some of the orphanages we volunteer in every day while others we only visit on Saturday’s.
Confused and still have questions? Don’t worry! It’s going to all make sense and it’s going to be a blast. Read about each site that we work at and what a shift there may consist of in my next blog posts.