Recruiting Volunteers -- Haircut not included.

Ana Lucia on the scissors.

With a fresh new haircut, a clean car, and a house finally approaching completion, we're ready to begin looking for volunteers. We'd like to cast the call as widely as possible, which means you, our readers, will have to act as the internet megaphone. Drop some information in a casual conversation with a friend, suggest a trip to Ecuador to a family member looking for something to do, if you or someone you know is emotionally disconnected at work consider taking time off. Do what you've got to -- we're waiting for you.

Travel to Ecuador and spend up to three months learning or refining natural building skills with a small family in an Andean valley. Information is presented three ways, as suits your reading style, below.

Too long; Won't read.

We are looking for several interns to help build a cob house and tend the kitchen garden on land in the Chota Valley of Ecuador. We will provide housing, shower and toilet facilities, Internet, food for 3 meals a day and ground transport to and from our site. You will provide air fair and a minimum of US$200 per month to cover lodging expenses. You may choose to stay between one and there months. The week is five days of work with the weekend off. The climate is hot and dry with lots of sun. Contact us by e-mail (pedregaldechota@gmail.com), twitter (@pedregaldechota) or Skype (barisajam) if you are interested or have any questions.

Don't mind reading more: Details!

We are looking for three volunteers/interns to help us in the construction of a cob house in the Chota Valley region of the Imbabura province in Ecuador. Living facilities will be provided, including: one private bedroom, one shared bedroom, three meals a day (to be prepared communally), potable water, Internet, electricity, outdoor kitchen & larder area,  washing machine for laundry, composting dry toilet and solar shower. Additionally, we will provide road transport to and from our site, or in the case we cannot provide it, alternative methods will be arranged.

Out back.

The land is located in a warm, dry climate with lots of sun and a daily breeze in the mornings and evenings. The Chota River runs along one side of the property 500m from the lodgings. Temperatures range between 20-30ºC in the day and 15-25ºC at night. There are many insects and arachnids inhabiting the land and many of the insects have a mosquito-like bite (think biting midges). We have done our best to seal the habitation as well as driving the worst of the insects from the immediate vicinity of the house and workplace, however no method is perfect and encounters with these flying neighbours should be expected.

Both of us (Jamie and Sandra) have worked as volunteers on natural building projects so we have some understanding of the issues facing you. We are prepared to offer emotional support and what counselling we can. We are always open to discussion of on-site practices.

We ask that you pay a minimum of US$200 per month to help us provide utilities to the site and ensure the pantry remains stocked. The amount is open to higher donations if you enjoy your stay and wish to contribute more to our project.

You will be expected to work 5-day weeks from morning (~8am) to evening (~6pm) with a two-hour lunch break and water/snack breaks. You will not be asked to work through sicknesses, injuries, or physical or mental exhaustion. We know you are volunteers/interns, not indentured servants.

Weekends will be free to do as you see fit: spend the day relaxing, work on an on-site project, visit Ibarra or Quito, travel. If you wish to travel we ask that you inform us at least several days in advance so that we can plan to transport you or help you arrange transport and accommodation for yourself.

Washing the pickup. When this gets old, you can carry
old cooking-gas tanks up the mountain to Ibarra,
or crawl through the ceiling looking for opossums.
We have prepared a number of tedious, strenuous chores
to ensure you 'enjoy' your stay!

Work will consist of preparing and building cob, putting in doors, windows, plumbing and electricity, floors, shaping terrain and landscaping, gardening and some cooking and cleaning. In general, you should consider all activity surrounding natural building as included in work. All work is communal, in other words performed together or on a rotating schedule -- we will be cooking meals and cleaning the site as often as you.

Ecuador offers 90-day tourist visas to holders of passports from certain countries. You will be asked to possess a passport valid for at least a year from your planned date of entry. We will help you as much as we can, should you request our help, in locating the nearest consulate and identifying required documents. We are veterans of the visa process and at the very lest we can offer you some helpful tips.

“We” are myself, Jamie, a 29-year-old American man from New York, who has lived on both coasts of the US, Japan and Belgium, and Sandra, a Belgo-Peruvian woman in her early thirties who has lived in Belgium, Peru, Japan and the Czech Republic. We are LGBTQ friendly and welcome people of all skin colours and ethnic backgrounds. We believe that everyone has the right to their own belief (and diet) and while we enjoy discussion, we ask that you please not evangelise.

These are the general descriptions of where, and with whom the internship/volunteer position will be. If you are interested and/or have additional questions, please contact us at the project e-mail (pedregaldechota@gmail.com), on twitter (@pedregaldechota) or at Skype username barisajam.

For all interested persons we will conduct Skype or phone interviews. We are looking for people who can bring something from their own lives, so if you play an instrument, sing, practice yoga, tell stories, speak a second language, teach children, can educate us about a different walk of life -- you get the idea.

We look forward to speaking with you.

Conditions

1 Pay for your own transport to and from Ecuador.

2 Agree to 5 day/week work schedule, weekends open.

3 Agree to certain daily and weekly chores: cooking, cleaning, etc.

Soon to be site of the outdoor kitchen.

4 Inform us of any dietary needs, allergies, phobias, health concerns, etc.

5 Pay a minimum of $200 per month to cover expenses. Price open to donations!

6 Have a passport valid for at least a year from date of entry.

7 Pay for medical visits and prescriptions while in Ecuador.

Environment

1 Housing in a restored brick and concrete house. Private room & public room for bedroom options. Outdoor kitchen. Electricity, potable water, cooking gas. Dry toilet. Solar shower.

2 Dry climate, temperature between 20-30ºC with breeze in the morning and evening. Lots of sun.

3 Many small biting flies. Spiders. Opossums. Birds.

4 Spanish speaking country, neighbours.

5 About four hours from the pacific coast (no nearby surf spots however), 45 minutes from Ibarra (provincial capital), two and a quarter hours from Quito (national capital), three hours from Columbia.

Provisions

1 Basic foodstuffs, seasonings. Three meals a day.

2 Ground transport, by pickup truck, to and from the airport. Trips to Ibarra or Quito on weekends. Other trips can be planned in advance, or help with the bus service will be provided.

3 Counseling and emotional support. Language support.

4 Learning opportunities in natural building, dry toilets, wastewater management, gardening.

5 Internet access on-site.

6 Support for medical visits, sick care, etc.

Term

1 One to three months for holders of passports from countries with a 90-day tourist visa agreement.