Quito, Ecuador:  An experience away from home is challenging, a confrontation with a different culture at times confusing, and the lack of familiarity frustrating. I believe that during my yearlong UN Youth Volunteer assignment in Ecuador, all stars were aligned: rarely did I deal with any of the above. The Andes, the city in its midst, and my host institution, the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, greeted me with open arms and slowly taught me the tips and tricks of living and working in Ecuador.

Quito, Ecuador:  I arrived in Ecuador in February 2012 to strengthen the Articulation of Territorial Networks team of the United Nations Development Programme (ART/UNDP) on issues related to gender and human development in land planning and management.

Quito, Ecuador:  In spite of progress made at the political and judicial level, violence against women continues to persist in many parts of the world. We still have a long road ahead of us in our plight to end gender violence, and Ecuador is no exception. In this country, domestic violence is common, and many women endure emotional, psychological, and/or physical abuse. For all of these reasons, during my assignment, I wanted to help raise public awareness about gender relations and violence against women.

Quito, Ecuador: I am a 27-year-old lawyer and I just finished my one-year assignment with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme at the Office of the Human Rights Adviser in Ecuador.