The foundation Children of Ecuador

The founding of the foundation

In the year 2000, Melanie Verstraeten from Budel-Dorplein (the Netherlands) left for 3 months to Ecuador to study Spanish and to work as a volunteer in an orphanage in Quito. A great time followed and she learned a lot from working with the children of the orphanage. Back in the Netherlands she couldn't forget the beautiful Ecuador and the children; that’s why she went back for 3 months in 2001, this time accompanied by Patty Theelen from Blerick (the Netherlands). This time the both of them worked as volunteers in an orphanage and thanks to the donations of family, friends and acquaintances they were able to provide the orphanage with books, writing material and toys.

From experience (thanks to their work with children in Holland) Melanie and Patty knew that education, playing and attention are of great importance for the development of every child, and they noticed that these things sadly lack for a lot of poor children in Ecuador. Therefore, when Melanie returned in 2002 after another visit of 6 months, she and Patty decided to do something for the children that stole their hearts. After exploring the possibilities for a long time, they decided to found a foundation. Meanwhile, Jos Theelen from Blerick (the Netherlands) felt himself, after hearing the stories and seeing the pictures, very connected and joined the board. From April 2004 Melanie lives in Ecuador and is the contact for our foundation in Ecuador.

Why a foundation?

The creation of a foundation gave us the opportunity to do more for the children of Ecuador in a structured way. We find it important that children can behave like children, also in Ecuador. Because of the hard surroundings in which they grow up, these children don't have the same opportunities as children that grow up in better conditions. Education, playing and attention are of huge importance for the development of each child. Education generates more opportunities in the rest of their lives. By playing they learn to maintain social contacts and learn to develop a number of social skills that they will be able to use the rest of their lives. Very important as well, is that we give the children a sense of dignity thanks to all the extra attention they receive.

What does the foundation do?

The foundation strives to support existing Ecuadorian projects that work in the interest of children, both on short term as on long term. Moreover, Children of Ecuador has initiated own projects as well for deprived children in the north of Quito and tries to bring the situation of the children to the attention by providing information to a broad public. Of course we hope to generate (regular) financial support with this last activity as well.

We can guarantee that your support is in good hands with us for the following reasons. First of all, we hardly have any costs; just the registration of the foundation and the costs of printing and spreading informative material (such as leaflets, stamps, etc.). Besides this, one of the members of the board lives in Ecuador, in this way facilitating direct contact with the various projects and volunteers and interns are regularly present at the projects as well.

The foundation in Ecuador

In December 2004 Melanie Verstraeten started with the creation of an Ecuadorian version of the foundation. The goals and the name of the foundation were registered with an advocate and he worked to getting the foundation legalized with various departments in Ecuador. It took a lot of appointments with the advocate, a fire in one of the departments and most of all a lot of waiting, but finally the creation of the Foundation Children of Ecuador was approved. Under the Spanish: Fundación Niños del Ecuador. So the foundation is now registered with all of the right departments and has an own registration number.

This legalization has made it possible for Melanie, the Ecuadorian employees, interns and volunteers to work without problems with the children in Ecuador. Through this legalization the two new projects that Children of Ecuador founded can work without problems as well. In the Netherlands Melanie is member of the board and contact for the foundation in Ecuador; in Ecuador she is the president of the foundation. All of the other members of the board are Ecuadorian and known to Melanie.

Supporting existing local projects

The foundation supports projects in Ecuador where necessary. The idea is not to change something, or arrange it all, the help offered is just there as support. After all, the projects will have to manage themselves in the end. The projects that are being supported are founded by Ecuadorians, which is a good example for others as well. Very few Ecuadorians actually do something for their own people (read: children), that's why these initiatives really deserve support, moreover because the current economic situation isn't very promising in Ecuador. However, the foundation doesn't solely help by giving money; it also helps by transferring experience and knowledge from Holland.

Children of Ecuador stresses that its help is solely supportive, because if the foundation should leave for some reason, the projects are on their own again. But hopefully the foundation can help on various areas and will leave the projects stronger.

The raised money is used to

1. Support the projects that work in the interest of children. For example, we pay for didactic and playing materials for schools and the children play houses, daily food and drinks for the children who visit the projects.
2. Hire Ecuadorian employees, through which there is more attention for the children and we support (albeit in a modest way) the Ecuadorian economy.