Mary’s Meals is serving more than 350 children every school day in Ecuador
Life in Ecuador
Ecuador is currently ranked 95 out of 191 countries and territories in the Human Development Index (HDI). It is located northwest on the South American continent. Ecuador is bordered by Colombia and Peru. The area is vulnerable to natural disasters, and this is an ongoing threat to sustainable food production.
While many areas are quite prosperous there is stark inequality, particularly in major cities, where families living in slums struggle to access food and education. Around 40% of the rural population lives below the International Poverty Line ($2.15 per day).
It is estimated around 26,147 children in Ecuador are out of school. Although basic education is free in Ecuador, the cost of providing books and other materials remains a barrier for people in impoverished communities.
Mary's Meals in Ecuador
Mary’s Meals has been serving school meals in Ecuador since 2010.
We feed children from the slums of Ecuador’s capital, Quito, in partnership with the Cristo Misionero Orante Foundation.
We currently serve more than 350 children in one school in Oyacoto. The children who receive Mary’s Meals, some of whom live there permanently, come from low-income families living in the urban slums of Oyacoto or indigenous families in the nearby rainforest where access to education is very limited. Many children come to the centre undernourished or with limited education, and so the meals our partner provides help to support them in their learning.