EcoSwell

  Verified by Volunteer World
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rating

4.9

Outstanding


15

Reviews


11

Years in business

Sustainable development NGO driving the development of poor Peruvian coastal communities through a path of sustainability, improving the lives of the local population.

What we do

EcoSwell is a sustainable development non-profit (NGO) driving the development of poor Peruvian coastal communities through a path of sustainability, improving the quality of life of their inhabitants.

As an NGO we develop educational, infrastructure, environmental, social and economic ...

Review Description

What we do

EcoSwell is a sustainable development non-profit (NGO) driving the development of poor Peruvian coastal communities through a path of sustainability, improving the quality of life of their inhabitants.

As an NGO we develop educational, infrastructure, environmental, social and economic productivity programs working hand in hand with local communities and with international volunteers/interns. We take a “shared value” approach, working with the private, public, academic sectors and other NGO’s, to come up with relevant and lasting sustainable solutions. 

Our approach towards sustainability consists of three pillars:

  • Nature conservation
  • Social justice
  • Economic well-being for all

Where we operate

We at EcoSwell currently operate in Lobitos, a Peruvian coastal northern town and surfing hotspot, which has seen an increase in uncontrolled tourism over the last 15 years. As a result of the town’s lack of infrastructure, lack of communication between stakeholders and lack of integrated development programs, this tourism is giving rise to various environmental, social and economic risks to the town’s long-term sustainability and wellbeing. Further to this Lobitos is a small town of approx 1,650 people where approximately 27% of the population live in poverty and 14% live in extreme poverty, that means less than 90 cents a day for all their needs.

We are working to change this through a variety of programs from distinct disciplines to come up with innovative solutions.

Our vision and long term objective

The issues that we at EcoSwell see in Lobitos are not exclusive to the town, or to the north of Peru. They are global issues which are impacting various communities around the world. As such, by 2021, our vision is to make Lobitos a success story of coastal sustainability, where a respectful tourism industry can co-exist with the local community and the industries found within Lobitos. The long term objective of the organisation is to develop a sustainability framework which could be applied in other Peruvian coastal communities, based on our experience gained in Lobitos, and to communities around the world. 

Who we are

We believe that diversity breeds change, a positive one at that. As such EcoSwell is made up by a network of young professionals from a wide range of different professional disciplines, from environmentalists, to social scientists, engineers, lawyers, economists, athletes, language specialists and others. We believe that only through the wide perspectives all these different professions bring to the table, is the concept of sustainability attainable in the real world. We share and learn from each other and apply all of our expertise into coming up with relevant, realistic and applicable solutions to help us drive sustainability forwards and improve the lives of our beneficiaries.

We have a team based in Lobitos permanently and a team based in the UK who provide technical and financial resources to our team on the ground. Our contributors and members are based all over the world.

EcoSwell's story

It all started with friendships and a surf trip. Four lifelong friends (our co-founders) travelled along the Peruvian coast in search of waves. One of the locations they went to, was the off the beaten track town of Lobitos. Whilst there they caught some of the best waves of their lives, met some of the kindest people imaginable and were exposed to breath-taking natural beauty and wildlife. Jacques Cousteau once said: "people conserve what they love" and the group of friends had fallen for Lobitos. Seeing the environmental and social constraints the town was enduring though, contrasting with the natural beauty of the locality made them realised that if nothing was done, Lobitos' essence would not endure for long. EcoSwell is the manifestation of this call to action. Since then, the EcoSwell family has grown from 4 members to nearly 20 from various nationalities, with operations expanding beyond Lobitos, to other surrounding towns. And to think that this is the beginning of our story... there is so much more to come.


Contact Person

Michael Alderson

  Moderate response rate

EcoSwell reviews

Arthur Gallois rating4.4

2023 at Renewable Energy Internship (in-person)

My experience with Ecoswell was exactly what I was hoping it would be, I learned so much in only one month, with amazing people. Plus, the work we were doing had a clear and concrete impact on the community, I definitely recommend ...
Sten Lengsfeld rating5.0

2021 at Renewable Energy Internship (in-person)

My name is Sten Lengsfeld, I‘m from Zürich Switzerland and I was 19 during my internship at EcoSwell. I applied for a renewable energy internship, so I got to work on the development of a solar distiller together with other interns and the directors. But I got to work on various different ...
Selcut rating5.0

2019 at Research Internship (In-person)

I packaged my Master's learning and travelled to Lobitos to carry out my thesis research, which created a comparative tool to analyse the extent and nature of opportunity identification within multidisciplinary teams. Outside of this purpose I identified an opportunity to help Ecoswell after ...
Joris Simaitis rating5.0

2019 at Renewable Energy Internship (in-person)

Lost. That’s how I felt during my third year of university. But I found EcoSwell’s volunteer internship program. I was determined. I have always had renewable energy and sustainability in my heart and it was time to take initiative. Here at EcoSwell I got to work on many incredible projects. I ...
Frances Ramsay rating5.0

2019 at Renewable Energy Internship (in-person)

Upon reflection on my experience volunteering at EcoSwell, I think one of the most important things I learned that the way to create change is through sustainable maintenance of projects. Many NGOs in developing countries is that they tend to start projects, when volunteers come, and discontinue ...
I spent two weeks with EcoSwell in Lobitos, a lovely little untouched town. The work allowed me to get involved with the community. The EcoSwell team are well established in the locality and have a great relationship with the fishermen of the town. I honestly couldn't have chosen a better place to ...

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Good Health And Well-Being
  • Clean Water And Sanitation
  • Affordable And Clean Energy
  • Decent Work And Economic Growth
  • Industry, Innovation And Infrastructure
  • Sustainable Cities And Communities
  • Life On Land
  • Partnerships For The Goals