Give Fresh Produce to School Children in Ecuador
Your gift can help provide fresh fruits and vegetables in the school meals that will give poor children in Ecuador the sustenance they need to be able concentrate on their studies, and reach age-appropriate physical development. 70 kindergarten and elementary school children in the poorest part of Quito, Ecuador depend on the school cafeteria at CENIT for their one healthy and nutritious meal of the day. Many of these children have little access to fresh fruits and vegetables despite living in an agriculturally rich country, negatively impacting their physical development.
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The Need
According to a UNICEF study from 2004, children represent 40 percent of Ecuador’s population and nearly 70 percent of those under the age of 17 live in poverty, with little or no access to schools. An estimated 21 percent of 5-17 year olds are forced to engage in work of some sort to help support their families. School enrollment is low, especially among the indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorians of whom only 39 percent complete primary school. According to the World Food Program, 23 percent of children in Ecuador under the age of five have stunted growth due to poor nutrition: in the rural areas the figure is 31 percent, while in the indigenous communities that CENIT works with the rate of children with developmental problems is 47 percent.
About Ecuador Children's Hope Organization
Partner since December, 2008
The primary service of Ecuador Children's Hope Organization (ECHO) is to facilitate donations to non-profit organizations in Ecuador that are committed to providing hopeful futures for working children and their families through education, job training, nutrition programs, health and social services, psychological help, and recreation. Currently, ECHO is fulfilling this mission through its relationship with CENIT (The Center for the Working Girl, Centro de la Niña Trabajadora). This relationship enables CENIT to continue to meet the needs of Ecuadorian child laborers and their families. CENIT's cafeteria feeds more than 300 children daily, yet recent changes in government funding for schools have compromised CENIT's lunch program.
