Education Ecuador Project #28565

CETAP-Lucy Child Sponsorship Program

by Fundacion Hearts of Gold

Project Report | May 13, 2021
YOU ARE THE CHANGE MAKER!

By Rocio Illescas | Cetap Lucy Director

In spite of an increase in COVID-19 cases that has caused many deaths in the rural barrio of Chilcapamba, CETAP-Lucy has been able to continue providing services to children by employing increased safety measures. There is a disinfection station at the door, an air-cleaning ionization device indoors, and masks are required in both the indoor and outdoor classrooms. As the overall situation has improved, mothers have been able to return to their work outside the home. As a result, the program has been able to re-hire one of the pre-school teachers who had been laid off. The preschool now cares for eight children who attend three days a week. Twenty-five students attend five days a week to take advantage of the computers, printers, and tutors.

The staff and volunteer tutors have been busy helping students prepare for their final exams, which will determine whether they will be able to enter quality universities or colegios. An example is Jenny, a child with a low IQ. She is a candidate to attend a special-needs training program, but she must be a graduate from her primary school. We think, with the help of her tutors, she will be able to achieve her dream to someday work as a hotel housekeeper.

CETAP-Lucy was selected to receive services from a California-based foundation called Children of the Night. The foundation provides individual English classes over the internet. Seven children are now receiving one-on-one classes three days a week for an hour. Their confidence at speaking English has improved dramatically. Many university classes in Ecuador are taught in English, and the special help the children are receiving will make it much easier for them to enter higher education programs and will increase their abilities to get good-paying jobs. We feel blessed by this gift.

The children’s physical heath is also a concern. Carlos Picon, the son of the educational specialist and speech therapist at CETAP-Lucy, has a black-belt tae kwan do ranking. He has begun to provide weekly martial arts lessons for the students. They enjoy the training, and their increased confidence is evident to everyone.

There is so much need and much to be done, but we know how important our work is and we are proud of the way we have been able to adjust to these trying circumstances. We appreciate the assistance of GlobalGiving. We couldn’t do this without you. Thank you!

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Jan 14, 2021
CETAP-LUCY During Covid: Update January 2021

By Maria Jose Orellana | Executive Director

At the beginning of the COVID lockdown, CETAP-Lucy found novel ways to use its facilities to respond to the desperate conditions of the underserved members of the community. With the help of volunteers who help by maintaining and repairing the donated computers that children without Wi-Fi or technical equipment in their homes use for their on-line classes. A limited number of expat volunteers have been able to return to tutor children, utilizing strict safety practices.

Many families whose children formerly attended CETAP-Lucy can no longer afford the tuition because they have lost their employment, and some children formerly sponsored by expats lost that support. While requests are being made of the larger community to help sponsor children, the desperate situation of some rural families means that CETAP-Lucy cannot turn them away. Because of the mild temperatures in Chilcapamba, several children can work outside in the fresh air. This has allowed CETAP-Lucy to accept five returning students, even though their families cannot pay anything toward their tuition.

CETAP-Lucy also works in conjunction with Hearts of Gold to distribute food and necessities to through a food bank.

One especially needy family are the Japas. The family of five live in a tiny two-room shack made of recycled materials. Though they now have running water and a very basic electrical service, the family of five members do not have a toilet or a sink, and no bathing facilities, and there is little food in the home. The three boys were taking turns to attend their virtual classes over a single cellular phone. The children are required to complete about 80 pages of homework assignments every week that must be downloaded and printed off. Of course, they are unable to do this at home. The children have all been welcomed back at CETAP-Lucy to take advantage of the technology and tutoring help.

There is so much need and so much to do, but we know how important our work is and we are proud of the way we have been able to adjust to these trying circumstances. We appreciate the assistance of GlobalGiving. We couldn’t do this without you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

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Sep 17, 2020
YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO US!

By Maria Jose Orellana | Executive Director

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