I spent five memorable weeks as a Genesis volunteer in the wonderful Ecuadorian 'city' of Bahia De Caraquez.
I hadn't had any previous teaching experience but had done a weekend 'TEFL' course in London which I found very rewarding and extremely useful for this programme.
The Genesis School has a very happy and friendly atmsophere and I was made to feel welcome and part of it from day one.
The children range from kindergarten age to about eleven years old and are all full of life, lots of fun and were a pleasure to teach.
I stayed with Leo, Gulnara and Paul; Vladirs' parents and brother, in their spacious house right next to the school. They were very kind,hospitable and they also speak some English. I was lucky enough to spend Xmas and New Year with them and they made me feel very welcome and part of the family.
Bahia itself is beautiful, clean and safe with a clean sandy beach . There are several shops, restaurants and a couple of good bars (Try Gordon Blues !) and everything you are ever likely to need is available in town.
There is a strong community spirit that is very apparent, not only at the Genesis School but in Bahia as a whole, and I felt very priviledged to be part of that.

Shawn McDonough, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. May-2003

The Genesis Volunteer Program was a very rewarding experience. I spoke a little Spanish when I arrived in Bahia and have learned a good deal more from being thrown into the culture. I am not a teacher, but I was able to accomplish my goal of helping the kids learn english. There are many genuine and good people in this area and the city of Bahia de Caraquez is very safe. This was a vacation for me. I guarantee, if you give this program a shot, you will come away with lifelong memories and a feeling that you have accomplished something good.

Matthew Nip, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I will never forget the 6 weeks I spent volunteering with the Genesis Volunteer Program. I could try and sum up my experience with words like inspiring, humbling, and liberating. But, it is impossible to explain the emotions and feeling that manifest themselves when helping a community that is so appreciative of your work. The relationships I formed with the students, the Villagran family, and other volunteers will be a part of me forever. Living with Leo, Gulnara, and Paul was awesome. Paul taught me a thing or two about Spanish and FIFA soccer. Leo is great to speak with about South America and Gulnara cooks some great food - her empanadas are out of control. I will never forget my experience in Bahia nor all the realizations and ideas resulting from living in a such a different culture.

Nienke & Femke, Netherland. December-2002

"We spend 3 weeks in The Genesis Volunteer Programm. This is the first time we travel in a country with such a different culture and we are glad we decided to spend our first weeks here in Bahia. We had to get used to the food, the warm weather, the cold showers (which are very nice now!) and the spiders keeping you company in your room. The warm welcome of Vladir and his family made us feel at home right away. Teaching the children was a great experience. They really appreciate it that you come all the way to Ecuador to teach them. We have been teaching in two schools. The Genesis school next to the house is really nice. There aren't more than 10 children in a class, so you can give them a lot of attention. The Rotarian school, at 20 minutes walking from the house, is new in the program. The children had not received English lessons before and they were so thankful to learn English! We're very glad that we did this program. Not only for teaching English, but as well for living in this nice place and having the opportunity to meet a lot of nice people (gringo's & locals), because of Vladir who showed us around town and introduced us to anyone..
We have a hard time saying goodbye!"

Anita Wiederkehr, Swiss. August-2003

Der Volunteerjob in der Genesis Schule war fuer mich ein sehr guter Anfang meiner Reise in Ecuador. In diesem Monat konnte ich in vielen Hinsichten provitieren: Das Unterrichten an der Schule war eine wertvolle Erfahrung. Ich unterrichtete die Klassen 4 und 6 jeweils in 40min-Lektionen (durchschnittlich 2 Lektionen pro Tag). Meistens war Karen, die eigentliche Englischlehrerin, zur Seite und half mir, wenn die Kinder mein "Spanisch" nicht verstanden oder wenn sie etwas zu wild waren. Je nach Wunsch, kann man aber auch alleine Unterrichten. Die Kinder beherrschten lediglich ein paar Woerter Englisch und versuchten teilweise auf Englisch mit mir zu komunizieren, doch meistens brauchte ich mein spaerliches Spanisch, um ihnen etwas beizubringen. Einerseits die Lebendigkeit, andererseits die die Herzlichkeit der Kinder waren die beste Voraussetzung fuer Lieder, Sprachspiele, Bingo z.B war ein absoluter Hit. Karen kennt viele dieser Spiele. Haette ich ich die Moeglichkeit, nocheinmal zu beginnen, wuerde ich mich in dieser Hinsicht besser vorbereiten.
Am Nachmittag genoss ich den sehr effizienten Spanisch-Privat-Unterricht. Anders als in vielen anderen Schulen bekam ich ein Buch mit Gramatikregeln und Uebungen welche wir teilweise waehrend des Unterrichtes loesten, oder als Hausaufgabe machten. Der Unterricht war in zwei Teile aufgeteilt; Gramatik und Konversation. Waehrend der Konversation lernte ich viel Wichtiges und Interessantes ueber Ecuador und Bahía. Meistens spazierten wir durch die Strassen von Bahía oder dem Strand entlang und sprachen ueber alles moegliche.
Meine ecuadorianischen Eltern Leo und Gunara waren auch sehr herzlich. Sie halfen mir bei meinen "Spanischfragen" und besonders Leo erzaelte mir viel von seinem Land. Das Essen war hervorragend und machte mich neugierig die lokale Speisekarte durchprobieren. Die Ecuadorianer sind Meister im Wuerzen. Die Freundschaft mit dieser Familie wird warscheinlich sehr bestaendig sein. Verschiedene Ex-Volunteere besuchten die Familie und sind immer herzlich empfangen worden.
Die Stadt Bahía ist wunderbar, ruhig und sehr sicher. Die Leute hier sind sehr freundlich und es ist leicht Kontakte mit Einheimischen zu knuepfen (besonders wenn man blond ist und blaue Augen hat). Am Abend ist es schon etwas ruhiger als in Quito. Wenn man mit den Details und den verschiedenen Lokalen vertraut ist, kann man aber auch hier feiern, besonders von Donnerstag bis Samstang.
Vladir kennt all diese Plaetze und weiss immer was wo laeuft. Fast jedes Wochenende hat es in Bahía eine Feier mit Tanz. Vielen Danke fuer diese wertvolle Lebenserfahrung.

Anita aus der Schweiz

Geran Ranney, USA

"Last May I spent two weeks living with Gulnara, Leo and their son Paul, and we became great friends. In fact, I am going to re-visit them this coming November. I had great fun teaching two classes and working closely with Karen, their ongoing English teacher. Most of all, I enjoyed cutting up pictures from magazines and making educational games. All my suggestions were enthusiastically embraced. The members of Vladir's family are warm and friendly and by only teaching in the morning, it left the rest of the day to explore Bahia, swim in the bay, etc.
Perfect combination of experiences which added greatly to my pleasure in travelling in Ecuador. Don't miss this opportunity to learn and teach."

Karen Tulloch, England, Sept-2002

"I will always remember fondly my wonderful summer in Bahia. It was a liberating and fantastic experience.
The people were warm and friendly and I learnt a lot about passion for life and enjoying every minute and being grateful and happy for every blessing. The children were beautiful and so full of zest and energy and willingness...their smiles and enthusiasm were very rewarding. The relaxed feel and beautiful setting...and the long restful days were so very different to teaching in London. I am very thankful and happy to have spent the time I did there and to experience Ecuadorian life and energy."

Michelle Duncan, Arizona, USA, July-2002

"Where do I start about my experience here in Bahia? The past 5 weeks here have been incredible and have changed my outlook on life for the better. Teaching at Genesis School was something to look forward to every day and I truly believe I learned more from the kids than they did from me! They are incredibly affectionate and eager to learn both about English and your culture. Bahia is a small, safe and tranquil city. The people are nice and I will miss being able to pass the same smiling faces day after day. There are endless opportunities to volunteer in Bahia and towns close by and it is very fulfilling to help in this community. On the weekends, you can travel to other wonderful cities or beach towns or salsa the night away with the locals. My favorite memories are going to a San Isidro with the mother Gulnara, dancing with Vladir and friends, being hugged so hard by the kids I could barely breathe and the various weekend excursions that I took. I don't have a single regret about my stay here in Bahia, except that I can not stay longer. However, now I know I have friends, family and a peaceful existence here and I am destined to return, sooner rather than later. My joke with Leo, the father, is that I will return when I am ready to marry an Ecuadorian man! Hey, who knows what the future holds?"

Massimo, Italy, June-2002

"Quando decisi di partecipare al programma "Genesis" sapevo ben poco di questo paese, sono arrivato fino a Bahia dopo un viaggio lungo ma interessantissimo. Bahia e' una piccola cittadina allungata tra l'estuario di un fiume e l'Oceano Pacifico, si respira aria di frontiera un po' come fosse il mitico "Far west". La scuola, l'ospitalita'della famiglia dove ho passato questo breve periodo, la gente in generale e sopratutto i bambini, fanno che questa esperienza rimanga indelebilmente marcata nella memoria. Ho riscoperto cose di me stesso da troppo tempo dimenticate nella nostra frettolosa societa' moderna.
Trascorrere alcune settimane (minimo richieste due), in questo angolo di mondo mi hanno fatto sentire oltre che "utile"in pace con me stesso. Per capire, l'unica soluzione e' contattare il mio capo e amico Vladir......e l'avventura puo' iniziare!!"