Situation in Ecuador: Ecuador
is a country of vast cultural and ecological wealth, but despite these resources
a history of racism and exclusion towards indigenous and afro-Ecuadorian groups,
political instability, rampant corruption, and poor public policy and management,
have led to a level of extreme poverty and a continually expanding gap between
rich and poor. Currently 63% of Ecuador’s total population and 80% of the
indigenous population lives below the poverty line (defined as the minimum level
of income required to achieve an adequate standard of living), while 42% lives
in extreme poverty. Additionally, Ecuador exhibits an expanding income gap between
rich and poor, with the wealthiest 20% of the country holding 61% of the nation’s
income and the poorest 20% holding only 1.5% of the nation’s income. Barriers
to Education: The most affected victims of this poverty
are the children of Ecuador, abandoned by families who cannot afford to care for
them and forced to work on the streets selling candy and shining shoes instead
of attending school. While the Ministry of Education reports the average number
of years of schooling as 6.7, this number is even lower among minority populations.
The average indigenous adult has had, on average, only 3.7 years of education,
while the average afro-Ecuadorian adult has had, on average, only 5.6 years of
education.  To
further accentuate the problem, even public schooling in Ecuador is not entirely
free. While the Ecuadorian constitution allocates 30% of the Gross Domestic Product
to education, the government’s stated goal is 11%, and currently only 3%
of the GDP is actually being allocated to educational spending.
Due to the lack of public funding for education, children are forced to pay annual
matriculation fees as well as buy their own mandatory books and school uniforms.
On average these costs can total between $200 and $250 per student per year ,
which for low-resource families in a country where the average number of children
per family is 3.3 (higher among indigenous and afro-Ecuadorian families)
is often too much to bear and even the most attentive parents cannot afford to
educate their children.
Role of Bruce Ecuador: The
Bruce Ecuador program seeks to help these “at-risk” children receive
an education. We provide classes for children currently marginalized by the public
school system and supply them with the educational resources necessary to enter
their proper grade levels. Additionally, volunteer fees and generous outside donations
pay for matriculation fees, books, and school uniforms for these children for
two years after leaving the Bruce Ecuador centers. Bruce Ecuador students are
able to enter the public school system with the educational, financial, and emotional
resources necessary to achieve academically. Through
the hard work of our current full-time volunteers, our local liaisons, and generous
travelers who have lent an invaluable hand, as well as the charitable support
of numerous local businesses and individuals [as well as the underlying support
of our founers, Bruce Organisation ngo], we are currently operating two school
centers in Quito.  
The
first is located in the Las Casas area of Northern Quito and was founded by our
original volunteers Kyle, Crystal and Diane. Last fall, 22 students from the Las
Casas center successfully graduated into the public school system and continue
to receive financial and educational support from Bruce Ecuador. There are a number
of students attending the Las Casas center and benefiting from the dynamic classroom
structure and enthusiasm of our invaluable teacher there, and we have complete
faith in the successful educational development of these children.  
Our
most recent center, established byJo Broughton, is located in the South City.
There are more students registered with this center and we have the highest hopes
for its success. See Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=P5WES1SOY4o  
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