Today we give thanks for many of the things we take for granted: the right to an education, the right to a healthy lifestyle, and the right to future opportunities. Many of the children in the streets of Ecuador do not have these privileges. Instead of going to school, they spend 12 hour days helping their parents in the market. Our goal is to break the vicious cycle of poverty by providing the children with educational, emotional, and social support.
At-risk children and adolescents who begin working in the streets and markets at a young age are often isolated from other children and the mainstream life in Quito. They don't have the basic educational, emotional, and social support system to thrive.
UBECI will provide the children with an educational and social break from working in the market everyday. The program will also teach basic academic, social, and hygiene skills needed to flourish in society. Your donation will go directly to purchase supplies, clothes, and medical assistance along with providing financial support for the program activities.
Each year, UBECI works with over 600 children, and two thirds will attend school, many for the first time, as a result of strategies developed by UBECI. By having our staff and volunteers in the markets, children can get help before and after school, thus assuring a lower dropout rate. Education, self-confidence, and new opportunities for these children will break the chain of poverty; thus increasing productivity and opportunities for the Ecuadorian youth.
