Country and People
Country and people
Ecuador is a small country in South America with about 15 million inhabitants. It is slightly larger than the former Federal Republic of Germany and is located on the west coast between Colombia and Peru. The country exports oil, bananas, cocoa, and roses.
There is a significant disparity between the poor and the rich populations. Unemployment and underemployment are widespread, affecting approximately 50-60% of the population. Around 40% of the population lives in poverty (earning 1-2 USD per day), while about 20% are considered extremely poor (earning less than 1 USD per day). As everywhere, it is primarily the children who suffer the most. Even the youngest children must work to contribute to the family’s livelihood. Many children experience violence and neglect at home. They run away and end up on the streets, where they try to survive as shoeshiners, porters, park attendants, or garbage collectors. Many slide into drug addiction and/or prostitution.
In the mountain villages, many families still live in windowless mud huts, and it is common for cooking and sleeping to take place in the same room. Often, there are no sanitary facilities, such as a bathroom or a toilet with running water. The often dire income situation of families leads to problems such as malnutrition. Poor hygiene conditions and the supply of contaminated water are among the triggers for many diseases. Furthermore, there is no public health insurance in Ecuador, which results in a lack of medical care for the poor population and excludes them from any medical services.
In summary, it can be boiled down to one point: countless people do not receive essential basic services in their home country, and children are particularly affected by this. Moreover, the country provides barely enough for a basic living.
The country also has its sunny sides!
There are four geographic regions with completely different landscapes:
The coastal strip (Costa) is characterized by miles of sandy beaches, mangrove forests, and lush tropical vegetation. You can find people of all skin colors here.
The Andes (Sierra) distinctly divide the country into three regions. Volcanoes with snow-capped peaks over 6,000 meters (19,685 feet) above sea level fascinate many tourists, and breathtaking landscapes leave nature lovers in awe. The indigenous population inhabits this region much like they did a hundred years ago, and one has the feeling that time has stood still. This belt, located at an altitude of 2,800 meters (9,186 feet), is also home to the capital, Quito, with its 2 million inhabitants, as well as Riobamba, which has 125,000 residents and is where our children's village is being established.
The rainforest region (Selva) forms the third region of Ecuador, and once again, you find yourself in a completely different «world». The climate is humid, and the vegetation is lush and green. The people here also have their own distinct appearance, and the deeper you venture into the green thicket, the more authentically the people live their traditions.
A fourth region is located over 1,000 km away in the Pacific Ocean. The Galápagos Islands are a unique nature reserve. The wildlife is breathtaking and provides visitors with an unspoiled view of nature, which is, however, threatened by human exploitation.
There are no distinct summers or winters, only seasons and regions with varying amounts of rain. The landscape can change drastically within just a few kilometers: Ecuador features extremely diverse landscapes in a relatively small area, with altitude being the decisive factor: tropical, humid rainforest below 1,000 m, a temperate climate around 2,000 m, dry Sierra at 3,000 m, cold stone deserts above 4,000 m, and the eternal ice of glaciers above 5,000 m.
It is worth visiting Ecuador.