Country Feature - Ecuador!!

The tour of South America continues with Ecuador!.

Ecuador is a small country on the western coast of South America bordering Columbia and Peru. Here are some facts I learned about Ecuador from the Compassion website:
- most people live in urban settings
- the official language is Spanish but many people speak Quechua, the language of the Incas
- Compassion works throughout central and western Ecuador
- it gained independence as Ecuador (from Francisco Pizarro and Columbia) in 1850
- the economy relies heavily on oil exports so world fluctuations in that greatly affect their economy
- the economy was in a disaster state in 1990 because of the drop in world oil prices but was saved in 2000 by adopting American currency as legal tender (but the economy remains unstable)
- troubled by political instability

Here are some more facts I learned from the US Department of State:
- the infant mortality rate is 22/1000
- natural resources include petroleum, fish, shrimp, timber, gold, and copper
- population is evenly distributed between the mountainous central highland region and the coastal lowlands
- over 600,000 Ecuadorians emigrated to the US or Europe during the economy collapse of 1990
- formally housed the Inca Empire

In the slums of Ecuador, typical homes are made of cement and brick walls, dirk floors, and corrugated iron roofs.Communities need suitable housing, potable water, employment opportunities, telephone service, recreational centers, academic resources, schools, paved streets, qualified teachers, parks, domestic violence prevention programs, clothing, food, improved sewer systems, sports facilities

These three kids have been waiting for over a year for a sponsor! Let's not let them wait another day.

This is Ximena.

This beautiful little girl has been waiting for a sponsor for 421 days! She is eight-years-old and lives in the mountainous community of El Quinche where adults make about $340 per month. She lives with both parents (both are sometimes employed) and three siblings. Ximena enjoys playing with dolls and listening to music. Change her story!


This is Andres.

This handsome young man has been waiting for a sponsor for 421 days! He is nine-years-old and lives in the coastal community of Jaramijó where adults earn about $150 per month. Information is not currently available about his family but you could change his story today!


This is Yandry.

This handsome young man has been waiting for a sponsor for 421 days! He is nine-years-old and lives in the coastal community of Jaramijó where adults earn about $150 per month. Information is not currently available about his family but you could change his story today!


This is Mishel.

This beautiful young girl has been waiting for a sponsor for 260 days! She is nine-years old and lives on the plains of Majipamba where adults earn about $50 per month! She lives with her mother who is sometimes employed and one sibling. She enjoys telling stories and art. Change her story today!


This is Yajaira.

This beautiful young girl has been waiting for a sponsor for 260 days! She is nine-years old and lives in the mountainous community of Pajan where adults earn about $180 per month! She lives with her father (who is sometimes employed) and her mother (who helps maintain the home). She helps at home by taking care of animals and enjoys playing with dolls, bicycling and playing group games. Change her story today!


This is Jusleiby.

This beautiful young lady has been waiting for a sponsor for a sponsor for 239 days! She is six-years-old and lives in the coastal community of Barrio Aire Libre where adults earn about $80 per month!. She lives with her uncle and grandmother who are both sometimes employed and three siblings. She loves to sing and play group games and her performance in kindergarten is above average. Change her story today!


As always, if none of these children speak to your heart I invite you to find one that does from Ecuador, or from somewhere else! $38 a month changes a story and changes more lives than one!

Love & Peace