Supporting children's development

Many Ecuadoran children have difficulty learning because they don’t have the necessary support at home. However, when children in this country were asked what they felt was lacking in their education, they pointed to a shortage of learning resources, improper infrastructure and even mistreatment from teachers. A lack of guidance from teachers presents a greater educational challenge so we set about to change that.

Working with the Ecuadoran educational system, we are training teachers and providing the support children need to learn. In Los Bancos, this support involves evaluating teachers in the classroom and finding ways to engage parents in their children’s education. But we also are empowering children to be their own best advocates. This means strengthening student councils, teaching students about their basic human rights and encouraging them to approach their school systems when materials are needed.

Because parents play the most important role in a child’s development and learning, our Early Childhood Development (ECD) program teaches mothers good child care practices and the value of intellectually stimulating their children in the early years. We also work to instill good nutritional habits in mothers during pregnancy and after birth. Guide Mothers, volunteers trained to teach others about childcare, help us get our childcare training out into the communities. We also support children from birth to age five by providing toys, music and educational materials to ECD centers.

The Safety Net program helps to identify children at risk from violence and mistreatment, requesting the intervention of local organizations when necessary.

The pursuit of happiness begins with health

Just as children in Ecuador need our assistance for education, the need for healthcare support is equally critical. We educate families about childhood diseases and prevention and communities about health services, good hygiene and nutrition. Disadvantaged communities are taught – and encouraged – to advocate for their health services needs to their governments.

Many communities only have access to contaminated water sources, or else access to safe water sources is extremely limited. This shortage of safe, potable water has been identified as one of the leading causes of illness in the children of Ecuador. This also often leads to children missing school, which can compromise their education. We support the repair, management and protection of potable water infrastructures and empower communities to take care and manage these water infrastructures to ensure a sustainable source of safe water for their residents.

The use of chemicals can cause farmers’ fruits and vegetables to be less appealing to customers. We not only help farmers more effectively market their wares, but we also provide them with advice, such as buying seeds in bulk to lower cost and therefore improve profitability, and training on business tactics, including record keeping and planning.

With improved educational, health and economic opportunities, Ecuadoran children are able to move forward with greater hope. Help us make the future even more promising for these families.