Ecuador info packet

Ecuador Ecuador: An Ecological Wonder With the Galapagos Islands situated off the coast, lush tropical rainforests nestled through the central valleys, and the spiraling Andes stretching from north to Quito south, Ecuador can easily lay claim to being one of the most environmentally diverse countries on the planet.

The contrasts found in this equatorial marvel are matched only by the diversity of the people who call Ecuador home. The population consists of native-language populations, called Indians, as well as African, Middle Eastern, Asian and European descendants. Unfortunately, like Colombia to the north and Peru to the south, Ecuador is marked by strong inequities in the distribution of wealth.

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Capital and Population Quito, in the upper third part of the country and almost directly on the equator, is very modern but also preserves a vast colonial heritage. The city's elevation is more than 9,300 feet, and it sits at the base of Pichincha, a towering, active volcano.

Quito is the oldest capital city in South America and home to more than 1.8 million people.

Languages Spanish is the official language, but there are many indigenous languages, most notably, Quecua.

Children International in Ecuador Children International has been working in Quito and Guayaquil, the country's largest city and chief port, for more than 15 years.

Both cities have vast slums that harbor tens of thousands of people.

Isolated in these congested communities, families often live without running water, electricity or proper sanitation. Other issues they face are: • Unemployment • Lack of education • Inadequate housing • Health and nutritional problems

Pervasive Unemployment For most impoverished families, decent work remains elusive.

Unemployment hovers around 10 percent for the general population but is most likely much higher in the slums. There, parents with little education can expect to earn between $4 and $5 a day, primarily from day labor, construction or street vending.

Education: A System Under Strain While the Ecuadorian government has made great strides in improving educational infrastructure, there continues to be insufficient resources to handle the growing number of children who should be enrolled.

In addition, for poor families who find themselves far from the nearest school, transportation Less than half of all children will costs make it economically graduate from school in Ecuador. infeasible to continue their children's educations. And, in many cases, the children must leave school to help support the family. Of the nearly 100 percent of children enrolled in primary school, less than 75 percent will reach the fifth grade. By the time they reach secondary school age, only about 60 percent will still be in the classrooms.

In Gnayaquil, heavy seasonal rains require that families build their homes on stilts to prevent or reduce flooding.

Instability at Home Many families in Guayaquil build homes of bamboo, sometimes elevated to prevent flooding, but more often clinging to a steep, verdant hillside or sitting squarely on the ground. In Quito, homes of homemade mud bricks, scraps of tin and black plastic rarely provide enough protection from the cooler temperatures found at higher elevations.

Problems with Health and Nutrition Alarmingly, more than 60 percent of newly sponsored children had never visited a doctor prior to enrollment in the sponsorship program. They face a host of dangers: trash-riddled streets, contaminated water, lung-choking dust and pollution, overcrowding and poor hygiene. This makes them susceptible to many different illnesses, including skin diseases, parasitic infections and respiratory illnesses.

Children are also at risk of malnutrition because families lack knowledge on how to buy and prepare a wide selection of nutritionally complete meals. Often, foods that would fulfill a child's nutritional requirements are too expensive, leaving families to purchase foods that ease hunger but lack substance.

The Melting Pot With such a wide range of cultures influencing Ecuador - such as Spanish colonialism and many native traditions - the country is filled with many distinct styles. In fact, Ecuador can easily be divided into more than a dozen different cultural regions.

Perhaps the culture with the heaviest influence in Ecuador, however, is the mestizos, a mix of European and Amerindian peoples.

This group makes up more than 60 percent of the population, often adopting different styles of music and dress based on the part of the country where they are found.

Ecuadorians are known for celebrating their diverse culture through music and dance.

CHILDREN(~ INTERNATIONAL' !速

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