Ecuador Homes of Hope

Rotary Homes of Hope 2008 Update

Rotary Homes of Hope

Our accomplishments….

Every year, for the past 6 years, Rotarians and volunteers have been working
diligently doing their part to help create a sustainable community for the men,
women and children of the Ciudadela Rotaria Rio Guayas. To date our efforts,
working alongside our Rio Guayas family, have provided the community with
housing, a community center, a daycare center, sanitation and electricity. Since
our visit to Rio Guayas in June 2007, clean water lines have been brought to
every home and the children are reaping the rewards of newly constructed
classrooms at the local elementary school!

This past spring, high school students from Avon Old Farms School in
Connecticut raised nearly $8,000 toward the new elementary school and another
$1,000 to build a new playground for the children in the village. The bamboo
playground equipment was built during their 8-day visit to the Ciudadela Rotaria
Rio Guayas. There are now swings, seesaws, slides, and climbing ropes for the
children to play on, all surrounded by beautiful landscaping.

Our volunteer healthcare staff returned to Ecuador in May to provide medical and
dental examinations, services and medications to the men, women and children
of the Ciudaela Rotaria Rio Guayas and the village of San Pablo. Our healthcare
staff doubled this year and included 4 doctors, 5 nurses, 1 dentist and 1 dental
assistant. During the week long trip, the team cared for almost 700 patients,
treating a variety of acute and chronic illnesses. Thousands of medications were
dispensed to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, allergies, and
infections. Teeth were cared for, cleaned, coated with fluoride, or pulled. Overall,
the healthcare team has seen a significant improvement in the health of the
villagers, especially the children, over the past 4 years.

Along with the healthcare staff, a team of volunteers conducted educational
classes, with the core curriculum based in the importance of family relationships
and communication. Families learned the value of communication and working
through family problems in a positive way. There was an overwhelming response
to the classes, and the villagers requested additional classes during future trips!
The education team is researching various educational curriculum that will be
meaningful to the villagers.

A second group of volunteers traveled to the Ciudadela Rotaria Rio Guayas in
June to help paint the community center and to inaugurate (with a wonderful
celebration) the completion and opening of the new classrooms, offices, and
courtyard at the local elementary school. The renovations to the school were
made possible, largely in part, by New Jersey Rotary District #7510.

Looking forward….

The 2008-2009 year is one of great opportunity, especially for the adolescents
and young adults in the village. We will begin raising funds and establishing a
college scholarship program. Due to the success of our “Sponsor Me” program,
we now have several students who have graduated at the top of their classes
and are excellent candidates for higher education. By establishing a program
where they can be awarded college scholarships, based upon their academic
achievements, we are providing these young people an opportunity they would
have never been able to experience!

We are also investigating a fund to establish microcredit loans that will enable
the villagers to start small businesses of their own. Recently, 10 acres was
donated to the village for the purpose of starting a small farming enterprise. We
have a number of entrepreneurs in our village, or people that want to move into
our village, and they will need loans to start a small business or build their
homes – after all, we want to provide a hand up, not a hand out.

In a partnership with Temple University Center for Sustainable Communities, we
will be working on the development of a community plan that will help us put
into place a plan to ensure long-term sustainability and growth of the Ciudadela
Rotaria Rio Guayas.

As we continue to move forward with these new plans, we cannot forget those
individuals and groups that have supported the Homes of Hope project. Your
generosity and support have enabled us to achieve so many wonderful things
over the past 6 years. We are excited about our scholarship program, microcredit
loans and community development plan, and ask for your continued support for
these projects as well as our ongoing “Sponsor Me Program”. We are constantly
seeking to involve new volunteers and obtain additional funding for our projects
and ask if you have not previously donated to the Homes of Hope project you
consider doing so this year!
From all of us…thank you!

Doug Merritt Brian Fischer
Homes of Hope Founder and Chairman Project Manager