Ecuador: programs & priorities

ChildFund Australia's affiliate organisation in Ecuador has been working in the country since 1985 and currently assists over 150,000 children and their families.

The communities in which ChildFund in Ecuador works have Health Festivals quarterly or twice a year. Each project plans its own festival according to its current health needs. The festivals become the setting for massive health events like vaccinations, family planning training, preparation demonstrations of nutritious foods, and games testing the community's health knowledge. Contest winners receive prizes to help improve the health conditions of their children and homes.

ChildFund in Ecaudor is also helping families to improve their houses, so that the home environment is safer for their children. This includes updating kitchens to include running water, and providing work tables for food preparation and storage. Many families are able to install toilets, showers and laundries for the first time with the help of ChildFund.

In addition to ChildFund in Ecuador's health, nutrition, sanitation, education and early childhood development programs, ChildFund in Ecuador is promoting sustainability through micro-enterprise, early childhood development, and reading and writing skills.

Development in progress

ChildFund in Ecuador's health program focuses on improving community sanitation facilities and providing access to safe water. Water development programs include the construction of water tanks for collecting and filtering water, the construction of distribution systems, and water treatment and maintenance.

Additionally, the growing problem of waste collection and treatment is being resolved by simple strategies generated by community members, such as a horse and cart that picks up the waste material and takes the rubbish to be prepared as compost fertiliser.