Feb 8, 2013
Association “Joy of Living for Children in Ecuador”
The ‘Joy of Living for Children in Ecuador’, is a charity which was founded to promote solidarity with and to help bring the ‘joy of living’ to children of the poverty stricken district of Ruminahui in the city of Santo Domingo, in Ecuador.
Taxation Code 9305917 050 1
The organization was formed by a group of friends who, at the invitation of the Franciscan missionaries working in the area, came to see at first hand the needs of these children, suffering from extreme poverty and malnutrition.
Inspiration and spiritual guide of this association is Fr. Marek Szymanski OFM Conv.
Fr. Zbigniew (Zibi) Braun OFM Conv. – delegate for the Mission in Ecuador is responsible for realization of this project.
Were we work
Santo Domingo de los Colorados is an agricultural/industrial city with around 400,000 inhabitants in the Pichincha region nestled between the mountains and the coast of western Ecuador.
The signs of extreme poverty are to be seen everywhere in this young city which has expanded quickly and chaotically in recent years. Rates of unemployment are exceptionally high, about 50%.
There are huge numbers of children and many live in the streets, walking barefoot in the muddy roads, often barely clothed. Education is rare and malnutrition common, and quality of life is extremely low.
In the midst of this poverty the order of Franciscan Conventuals of the Gdansk Province in Poland have set up their mission.