With 70% of people living below the poverty line, Ecuador is desperately in need of volunteers. Volunteer projects range from helping the victims of sexual abuse to continue their studies, or directing day-care projects for young children. Alternatively you could get involved at research stations in the Amazon, helping to safeguard the forest for the future.

Quito

More like two cities rolled into one, the cobbled streets of the old town gradually become the wider, tree-lined avenues of the new town, colonial churches swapped for modern hotels and banks, indian dress for pinstripes. But for a capital city there is still a small, intimate feel about the place, just as there is in the country as a whole. The beauty here is that all the history and culture is contained within a small and perfectly accessible area.

Cactus @ i-to-i

Almost as many as 45 per cent of Ecuadorians live below the poverty line. Volunteer work in Ecuador is needed to improve the lives of countless people in the country through working with local children, teaching English or even supporting health services. Maintaining the nation's vast Amazonian rainforest which covers nearly half the country is also in need of help. The biodiversity of this tropical forest is greater than anywhere else on earth. And given the Amazon's importance as a whole (producing around 50 per cent of the world's oxygen), its preservation is a matter of concern for us all.

We have Volunteer Ecuador placements designed specifically with the gap year student in mind. Spend your days soaking up the local language, sports coaching and learning the merengue. The placements try to cover all aspects of the Volunteer Ecuador experience, for students who want to taste everything Ecuador has to offer.

If you are planning a career in medicine or health care, you could take part in our Volunteer Ecuador placements looking after children with cancer. With competition for medical and GP placements at an all time high, voluntary work may give you an edge over your peers. In Ecuador many hospitals do not receive the resources that they require. With your help charitable organisations such as the Fundación Sol y Vida can channel resources into medicines as you take on some aspects of care work.