The Yachay Initiative is a youth-run organization that is dedicated to empowering young people to affect positive change in communities around the world. Founded in 2010 by a group of students and alumni from Jacobs University-an international university in Bremen, Germany-the Yachay Initiative has its headquarters in Canada with additional projects in Germany and Ecuador. The Yachay Initiative is staffed by volunteers—none of us get paid for the work we do. Yet we do it because we believe in the power of education and the importance of working together to create a just and equitable world—one where all people and communities have the opportunity to realize their highest potential.

We are currently looking for 2 volunteers to help run our programs in Ecuador, starting in June 2012. Volunteers would stay for 8 or 14 months at a time, receive comprehensive training, and be in charge of running aspects of Yachay’s projects in Ecuador, together with 2 permanent staff members from the local communities. Unlike other programs, where volunteers help out here or there, Yachay’s volunteer program puts you at the center of the work. You are, in part, Yachay in Ecuador. The level of responsibility is high, but with it comes an incredible opportunity to learn, to grow, and to contribute to the development of programs that will support the empowerment of youth in rural Ecuadorian communities for years to come!

Visit our website for more details: www.yachayinitiative.org.