Ecuador

Ecuador





Ecuador is the small country in Latin America. The conditions in Ecuador are not anywhere near what we expect and get everyday. There are numerous active volcanoes and many earthquakes that cause much damage. The economic situation is not good and health problems are many.

The per capita income for the year is only about $ 1,070. This is caused in part by the government which tried to stimulate growth by imposing strict budgets, devaluing the currency, and increasing taxation of the people. The currency of Ecuador, the sucre, is not very valuable. It takes 2,146 of them to equal one US dollar. The inflation rate is an alarming 49%, and the economic growth is an even more astonishing number, 2.5%. Oil, Ecuador's main export, is expected to be depleted by the early part of the 21st century. This will make conditions even worse.

Although the literacy rate is currently rather high, there are no schools in the rural areas, and school is only required until the age of 14. Malnutrition is extremely common. Most children get about what we eat for lunch for the entire day. The work rate among children is high. Cholera is a big problem in Ecuador; Abourt 650 people died of it last year. The infant mortality rate is also high, although it has lowered drastically in the past three years. Only 16% of the roads are paved and many houses do not have running water or electricity.

People are trying to improve these conditions in any way they can. The man who started the clinic is trying to help the children. He will use the money for medical supplies, food, clothes, or bedding. Trying to run a hospital/clinic is hard in Ecuador and he and his helpers will surely appreciate your money. Consider the conditions described in the report when you are asked to give to this cause or a similar one.