Refugio de los Sueños: Traveling with Real Purpose
The aroma of freshly baked cookies mingles with the laughter of children running through the courtyard. It’s December, and like every year, I’m back at Refugio de los Sueños with a heart full of hope and a truck loaded with donations. Before I can even open the door, I hear a familiar voice calling my name. It’s Sebastián, that bright-eyed boy who’s already waiting for me at the entrance, ready to embrace me with the strength of someone who knows that this hug means more than just a simple welcome.
This isn’t ordinary tourism. This is what it means to travel with real purpose.
The Shelter That Changes Destinies
Refugio de los Sueños is much more than a daytime shelter in Quito. It’s a sanctuary of hope for approximately 100 children and adolescents who arrive each day seeking what many of us enjoy every day: safety, affection, and a hot meal. Managed by the Fundación Niñez y Vida with support from the international NGO Terre des Hommes, this space has become the daytime home for children who come from family situations marked by violence, abuse, alcoholism, and drug addiction.
But here, within these colorful walls covered in murals painted by the children themselves, they find what the streets cannot give them: a real chance to dream of a different future.
More Than a Shelter: A Home of Opportunities
When I walk into the Shelter, I’m greeted by a universe of possibilities. The children don’t just receive basic care; here they have access to:
Comprehensive education: Their educational philosophy respects natural developmental processes, where loving care and acceptance are the foundation of everything.
Artisan workshops: In different areas of the center, children explore carpentry, baking, crafts, and art. It’s precisely in the baking area where I find myself every December, apron on, baking cookies alongside them while sharing stories and laughter.
Comprehensive health care: From medical campaigns and lab tests to dental care and therapy, the Shelter ensures these children have access to health services that would otherwise be unattainable for their families.
How does your trip contribute?
When you book any tour with SoleQ Travel, you automatically become part of this transformation story:
- Each traveler contributes: Your visit to Ecuador includes a $10 USD donation to Refugio de los Sueños
- Pack for a Purpose: You can bring in your luggage: General school supplies: Backpacks, chalk, lined paper, colored cardstock, colored pencils, dictionaries (English and Spanish). Textbooks/reading materials: (Spanish) Age-appropriate storybooks, biology, general science, educational toys: Bananagrams, board games, musical instruments: Harmonicas/kazoos, maracas, sports/outdoor activities: jump ropes, netball/basketball balls, ping pong paddles and balls, and soccer balls. Clothing/footwear: Children’s costumes, new or gently used children’s clothing and footwear, kitchen items: pans, plastic serving bowls, plastic serving cups, plastic serving plates, pots, health/personal care: soap bars, hairbrushes, hair clips and elastics, multivitamin tablets, art supplies: brushes and acrylic paints, craft beads, children’s face paint, gardening: gardening gloves, clips and shovels.
- Optional visits: We organize meetings with the children where you can experience the project firsthand
- Annual commitment: We hold Christmas celebrations and periodic donations funded by our tours
- Measurable impact: Each tour directly contributes to food, activities, and the Shelter’s development
My Experience: When Travel Has Soul
Like every December, I arrived at the Shelter with my hands full but my heart even fuller. Sebastián ran toward me with that contagious energy only children have, and in his embrace I felt the beautiful weight of what our work at SoleQ Travel means.
I spent the morning in the baking area, mixing ingredients alongside a group of children who taught me their own recipes and told me about their plans for the future. An eleven-year-old girl proudly explained how she had improved her math grades thanks to the Shelter’s tutoring. Another, a shy teenager, showed me a table he had built in the carpentry workshop.
These moments remind me why we founded SoleQ Travel over 15 years ago. We didn’t want to be just another travel agency; we wanted to create real connections between travelers and the communities we visit. We wanted each tour to leave a positive footprint, not just memories in a camera.
The smell of cookies baking, the sound of laughter in the courtyard, little hands painted with colors after the art workshop… These are the details that don’t appear in tourist photographs, but they’re exactly what makes travel meaningful.
In Ecuador, thousands of children live in situations of extreme vulnerability. Many are forced to work on the streets from an early age, exposed to dangers no child should face. Refugio de los Sueños offers them an alternative: a place where they can simply be children.
Here they don’t just receive food or temporary shelter. They receive quality education, medical care, psychological support, and most importantly, they learn that they deserve a better future. Teamwork, mutual respect, and following rules are part of their daily life, preparing them for a life outside the cycles of poverty and violence.
But projects like this don’t run on their own. They need constant funding, committed volunteers, and yes, conscious travelers like you who understand that tourism can be a transformative force.
Responsible Tourism Isn't a Trend, It's a Necessity
When we design our tours at SoleQ Travel, we think about every detail: the communities we visit, the local guides we employ, the accommodations that respect the environment, and of course, the social projects we support. It’s not about charity or marketing; it’s about building a tourism model that benefits everyone.
Your decision to travel with a responsible agency has a ripple effect:
- You directly support more than 100 children and adolescents at Refugio de los Sueños
- You generate local employment in Ecuador
- You contribute to the conservation of unique ecosystems like Galápagos
- You promote sustainable practices in the tourism industry
- You take home something more valuable than photos: the certainty of having made a difference
How You Can Be Part of This Story
You don’t need to be a full-time volunteer or make large donations to transform lives. Sometimes, a trip is enough.
1. Book a Tour with Purpose
Every tour you book with SoleQ automatically includes a contribution to Refugio de los Sueños. From our Galápagos adventures to our treks through the Andes, your trip has a direct and measurable impact.
2. Bring Supplies in Your Luggage
We’re proud members of Pack for a Purpose, an organization that makes it easy for travelers to bring essential supplies in their luggage. New socks, school supplies, children’s books, or board games fit perfectly in your suitcase and mean the world to these children.
3. Visit the Shelter During Your Tour
If you wish, we can arrange a visit to the Shelter where you’ll personally experience the project, spend time with the children, and deliver your donations. It’s an experience that changes your perspective on travel forever.
4. Expand Your Donation
If your visit inspires you to contribute more, you can increase your donation beyond the included $10. Every additional dollar goes directly to educational scholarships, workshop materials, or medical services.
Commitment to Dignity and Privacy
At SoleQ Travel, we take child protection very seriously. That’s why:
- Informed consent: All interaction with the project is supervised and has the foundation’s approval
- Focus on dignity: Our goal is not to “show poverty” but to celebrate the resilience and potential of these children
- Family privacy: We respect the confidentiality of each child’s family situation
We believe that responsible tourism must honor the dignity of all people involved. The Shelter is not a “tourist attraction”; it’s a serious project that deserves respect and sensitivity.
Your Journey Starts Here
When Sebastián let go that day, after our welcome embrace, he looked at me with those eyes full of life and asked: “When are you coming back?” I promised him I’d return next December, as always. But I also knew that every time a traveler chooses SoleQ, I’m fulfilling that promise in another way: ensuring the Shelter has the resources to keep transforming lives.
Now it’s your turn to be part of this story.
Ecuador awaits you with its dreamlike landscapes, unique biodiversity, and vibrant culture. But beyond all that, the opportunity to travel with purpose awaits you, knowing that every day of your adventure is contributing to something greater than yourself.
The children at Refugio de los Sueños are baking cookies, building tables, improving their grades, and dreaming of bright futures. Your trip can be part of those dreams.
Book Your Transformative Journey Today
Explore our tours through Ecuador and Galápagos and discover how travel can change lives, starting with your own. Every booking is a donation, every trip is a commitment, every traveler is an agent of change.
Travel with purpose. Travel with SoleQ.
→ View all our tours | → Contact our team | → Read more about sustainability
Frequently Asked Questions
How does my trip support Refugio de los Sueños?
Every tour you book with SoleQ Travel automatically includes a $10 USD donation to Refugio de los Sueños. This money goes directly to educational scholarships, food, medical services, and activities for more than 100 children and adolescents who attend the center daily.
Can I visit the Shelter during my tour?
Yes, we coordinate optional visits to the Shelter where you can experience the project firsthand, spend time with the children, and deliver donations. This experience must be booked in advance to respect the center’s dynamics and ensure a meaningful visit for everyone.
What can I bring in my luggage to donate?
As members of Pack for a Purpose, we accept general school supplies: backpacks, chalk, lined paper, colored cardstock, colored pencils, dictionaries (English and Spanish). Textbooks/reading materials: (Spanish) age-appropriate storybooks, biology, general science, educational toys: Bananagrams, board games, musical instruments: harmonicas/kazoos, maracas, sports/outdoor activities: jump ropes, netball/basketball balls, ping pong paddles and balls, and soccer balls. Clothing/footwear: children’s costumes, new or gently used children’s clothing and footwear, kitchen items: pans, plastic serving bowls, plastic serving cups, plastic serving plates, pots, health/personal care: soap bars, hairbrushes, hair clips and elastics, multivitamin tablets, art supplies: brushes and acrylic paints, craft beads, children’s face paint, gardening: gardening gloves, clips and shovels. Each item should be new or in excellent condition. Check the updated list on our website before traveling.
Is it safe for children to participate in these visits?
Absolutely. The Shelter is a safe environment, supervised by professionals in social work and education. Visits are designed to be positive and educational experiences for both visitors and the center’s children. All interactions are supervised and respect strict child protection protocols.
What sets SoleQ Travel apart from other agencies in terms of social responsibility?
Our commitment to Refugio de los Sueños is not a temporary program or a marketing strategy. We’ve been supporting this project continuously and transparently for over a decade. Every traveler contributes automatically, we organize annual Christmas celebrations, and we maintain a close relationship with the foundation. For us, responsible tourism isn’t a label, it’s our way of doing business.
