SPRING VALLEY — The Tandana Foundation will be holding a volunteer trip to Ecuador March 31-April 6.

Volunteers will spend the mornings working at the La Joya School for children with special needs in Otavalo and with indigenous communities high in the mountains on a variety of community projects. Volunteers will learn from each other and community members and help dreams become a reality.

Examples of the work the volunteers may do at the La Joya School include helping install a new roof on one of the classrooms and helping students learn how to do household tasks using their educational furniture. Examples of work that volunteers may do in the communities include helping paint a new community center and helping clean out a roadside drainage ditch. No special skills are required — just a willingness to learn, help and have fun.

In the afternoons, volunteers will have the opportunity to learn more about the region’s culture through guided activities, optional hikes, and meeting Tandana friends. Afternoon activities may include hikes to sacred sites, waterfalls, cooking classes, a trip to the world-renowned Otavalo market, and visits to craftspeople and traditional healers. At night, volunteers will relax and socialize together at a comfortable inn in Otavalo.

This trip cost per person is $1,300. This cost is based on a shared, double occupancy hotel room. The cost for a private single room is an additional $150. This cost does not include airfare but does include transportation in Ecuador, food, lodging, and all planned group activities. For more information on the trip or to register, visit http://tandanafdn.org/spring-ecuador.htm.

The Tandana Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports cross-cultural volunteer opportunities, scholarships, and community projects in highland Ecuador and Mali’s Dogon Country.