CARE in Ecuador
Ecuador has substantial oil revenues, but indigenous people have not benefited proportionally from these revenues to stimulate economic growth.
In Ecuador we:
- support farmers and small businesses so they can earn a living
- preserve the environment through production of endangered plants
- improve health care, especially for pregnant women
- provide access to clean water and sanitation
CARE in action:
Earning a decent living
In the Amazon basin, we help local communities’ market three types of indigenous fruits under the fairtrade label, ensuring they get a fair price for their products. We also help them preserve bio-diversity by establishing seed nurseries for endangered plants. This project will improve the economic opportunities for the ethnic Shuar and Achuan peoples in Morona Santiago, which lies in the Amazon Basin on the eastern border of Ecuador and Peru.
Helping children get a good education
Children of minority ethnic groups in this country only attend school for an average of four years, compared to the national average of more than seven. Although Ecuador is a multi-ethnic country, the national curriculum is only in Spanish. CARE has helped to develop a bilingual curriculum in Spanish and Quechua, the most widely spoken language among Amerindian people, who represent 17 per cent of Ecuador’s total population (according to the national census of 2001).
What we do
