Volunteer in Cuenca

Welcome to Cuenca - a small, historic city nestled high in the Andes Mountains in the southern end of Ecuador. You’ll love living amongst the green picturesque mountains, colonial architecture, and cobblestone streets. As a volunteer, you’ll have the opportunity to serve in several different orphanages and work with children of all ages! During your free time, you can explore Cuenca and eat at delicious cafes, visit the local cathedrals, and go souvenir shopping at the artisan markets - and don’t forget the weekly group activities!

OSSO has partnered with orphanages in Cuenca and provided volunteer abroad opportunities here since 1999!

If you’re looking for a meaningful volunteer abroad experience with a well-established nonprofit - Cuenca is for you!

Volunteer abroad in South America. OSSO volunteers at an Incan Ruins in Ecuador.

What is it like to volunteer abroad in Cuenca?

At a Glance:

  • Number of Orphanages: 6 orphanages + 1 daycare for low-income families

  • Age Range of Children: 0-17

  • Unique to Cuenca: One of the main orphanages you’ll serve at is specifically for children and adults with disabilities.

The basics:

As an OSSO volunteer, your main service is to help meet the emotional needs of children and youth living in orphanages. These children have their basic needs met by the orphanage (food, shelter, clothing, etc.), however, what they most often lack in is love. This is where YOU come in!

OSSO volunteers help fill in the role that orphaned children are often missing - parents, older siblings, mentors, and friends. As a volunteer, your job is to help each child receive the individual love and attention they need to truly thrive. While this might seem like a big task, the volunteer service itself is typically very simple! The smallest actions often have the greatest impact on a child’s life - such as a smile, a hug, or even just remembering their name.

Unique to Cuenca:

Cuenca is home to Hogar de Ángeles (“Home of the Angels” in Spanish) - OSSO’s orphanage for youth with disabilities.

While most of the orphanages we partner with in Cuenca are run by local organizations or Catholic nuns, Hogar de Ángeles is the only orphanage fully run by OSSO! This is one of the main orphanages you’ll volunteer at during your time in Cuenca.

Most of the residents at Hogar de Ángeles first came to us as young children and are now adults. The vast majority of the residents are wheelchair users and many of them are nonverbal. While the service you’ll give here is very different from the other orphanages, the impact you have on the children and youth here is huge!

You won’t need to have any prior experience working with individuals with disabilities in order to volunteer in Cuenca but you will receive training and orientation once you arrive.

Hogar de Ángeles is often a volunteer favorite - come volunteer in Cuenca to see why!

a typical day

Your average day volunteering in Cuenca might include:

  • Taking care of babies and young toddlers while they explore the playroom

  • Playing soccer with the older kids outside in the courtyard

  • Taking an adult with cerebral palsy on a walk by pushing their wheelchair

  • Helping feed a young girl with disabilities who can’t feed herself

  • Bringing a fun craft for the teenage girls to do after school

  • Comforting a child who is crying

  • Helping a child with his homework

  • and more!

 What is there to do in Cuenca?

Every Wednesday, you’ll have the entire day off for an OSSO-organized group activity. We take care of planning all weekly activities - meaning you can just sit back, relax, and soak up every experience!

Cuenca and the neighboring region is rich with incredible destinations - you won’t need to go far for amazing sightseeing! You’re bound to fall in love with the people, places, and culture of Ecuador during your weekly travels.  

Some of the weekly adventures you go on may include: 

  • Play in enormous waterfalls in Girón  

  • Soar above the forest on ziplines and ropes courses

  • Explore Incan Ruins at Ingapirca

  • Spend the day relaxing in natural hot springs

  • Hike through the Andes Mountains

  • Go horseback riding through the highlands

  • Swing over the city at Turi Adventure Park

  • Befriend llamas at Cuenca’s high-altitude zoo

  • And SO much more! 

Weekly activities are included in your program costs!

Volunteer abroad in South America. OSSO volunteer standing in front of a waterfall.
Volunteer abroad in South America. OSSO volunteer with a llama in the mountains of Ecuador.
Volunteer abroad in South America. Two OSSO volunteers walking across a ropes course high above the jungle floor in Ecuador.

 Where do volunteers live?

Volunteers live together in safe and secure housing in a quiet neighborhood just outside of Cuenca. We currently have three different volunteers houses on the property with separate areas for single women, single men, and families. The volunteer housing is on the same property as one of the orphanages that OSSO supports in Cuenca.

Each house is modest but equipped with Wi-Fi, clean drinking water, washing machines, a fully-stocked kitchen, and more. Lunch is provided to volunteers every day, but you will be responsible for making your own breakfast and dinner (or making a meal together with your fellow volunteers).

The temperature in Cuenca is fairly temperate throughout the year and generally stays between 50-75°F. Because of this, the volunteer housing does not have heating or air-conditioning. You generally won’t miss either of those, except when it gets cooler during the nights or during Cuenca’s winter (June - September; Cuenca is in the Southern Hemisphere!). As long as you pack some warmer clothes and a rain jacket, you’ll be fine!

Check out the video for a full tour of one of our Cuenca volunteer houses.

 Meet your Volunteer Directors!

You will receive 24/7 in-country support by your Volunteer Directors!

Volunteer Directors are responsible for training and caring for all volunteers in Cuenca and organizing your service in the orphanages. They living in housing adjacent to the volunteer housing and are always easily accessible to volunteers in need of anything.

Most Volunteer Directors are past OSSO volunteers, speak intermediate or fluent Spanish, and serve between 6-12 months.

Fall 2024

“Hi, we’re Chris and Sidney Bingham, and we’re so excited to serve with you this year!

Chris is from Virginia and served an LDS mission in New Mexico. Sydney is from Washington state and has lived abroad a number of times, including serving an LDS mission in Argentina and volunteer service in Nicaragua. We both speak Spanish.

We’re so excited about getting to work with wonderful volunteers in serving the equally wonderful people in the orphanages!”

The Binghams will be serving as our Volunteer Directors in Cuenca from September - December.

Interested in becoming a volunteer director? Learn more about the position and apply here!

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT BEING A VOLUNTEER DIRECTOR ENTAILS?

Interested in learning more about being Volunteer Directors? Join our free Virtual Q&A Session! We host a free virtual event every month! Join us for a short presentation all about what it’s like to be Volunteer Directors in Ecuador, followed by a Q&A session.

Thursday, September 26th

6:00 pm MDT

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

How do I apply?

Ready to pack your bags and fly to Cuenca? Amazing, we’re so excited to have you volunteer with us!

Before you can start looking at flights, you’ll need to fill out your volunteer application and complete all related instructions listed on the application! Once we’ve received your application, we’ll start processing it within 2-3 business days and let you know once you’ve been officially accepted.

The application process can take anywhere between 2-6 weeks, so we recommend applying as soon as possible!

Want even more details about OSSO’s volunteer program and pricing? Make sure you check out how it works!

If you have any further questions about the application process, you can send us an email at info@orphanagesupport.org.

Want to check out our other volunteer abroad locations? Explore our Quito program here!

Volunteer