Ecuador
Helping moms & babies in Ecuador
You are changing the lives of moms and babies. Here’s how.
Mom's & Babies
The Need
Of the 5.2 million children who die around the world each year, 75 per cent die in the first year of life. Babies are at risk of death due to premature birth complications, complications during childbirth, infections, pneumonia and diarrhea. But this is preventable. With training and support, moms in poverty can be empowered to raise healthy and happy babies.
Our Response
Critical care
Your support helps secure access to pre- and postnatal care, skilled birth attendants and medical intervention when necessary.
Home-based care
Mothers are visited in their homes monthly by a Survival specialist, who offers education in prenatal care and early child-rearing as well as one-on-one biblical mentoring.
Group-based learning
At these church-based activities, moms learn skills to earn an income and gain vital knowledge including basic literacy, the importance of breastfeeding and how to prevent malnutrition and disease. These groups combat isolation through a supportive community of mothers who, together, learn about the God who loves them.
Ecuador Stats
| Average number of children in household | 2 |
| Births attended by skilled health personnel | 94 |
| Stunted growth from malnutrition | 25 |
Activities
Early Stimulation: Health specialists taught moms how to do infant massage, interact with their children, stimulate their senses, guide their motor skills and reflexes and promote their cognitive and physical growth. Moms valued the early stimulation group activities because they had the opportunity to share experiences with other mothers and observe their children’s progress.
Parenting workshops: Caregivers attended relevant parenting lectures covering topics like effective holistic child development, food preparation safety, vaccine schedules, how to treat children with love and respect, and family planning.
Food baskets: Moms were thrilled to receive food baskets—containing rice, sugar, salt, oil, tuna, cocoa, noodle and grains—to contribute to their entire family’s nutrition. The encouraged mothers thanked God and asked Him to bless the lives of everyone who made these provisions possible. They expressed their commitment to continue attending Survival activities and improving their children’s development and their own personal wellbeing.
Home visits: Survival implementers visited moms in their homes to offer personal prayer support, Bible studies and one-on-one teaching. One lesson was on “the importance of early stimulation in babies,” in which the implementer helped stimulate each baby’s cognitive skills. Moms learned how to practice the exercises at home and were thankful for the the quality time, devoted attention and a listening ear.
Spiritual nurture: Survival moms grew in their knowledge and personal faith thanks to Bible studies and church services. In one study, they learned from Titus 2 how younger women can love their husband and children, work hard at home, and set an example of how to live a faithful Christian life. At the end of every group meeting, the group prayed together for God to lead their families and help them live out His Word.
Skills training: Survival mothers participated in handicraft workshops like creating hand fans and baskets. Moms also learned how to make Christmas trees from recycled materials. Mothers enjoyed the workshops, which opened a space for them to mingle, have fun and connect with each other. They discussed the things they had in common and the challenges of taking responsibility for their children’s holistic development.
Project Stats
This intervention addressed:
| Full-term births | 18 |
| Pregnancies | 19 |
| Breastfeeding Moms | 7 |
| Malnourished Babies - Severely Underweight | 11 |
| Attended births | 17 |
| Malnourished Babies - Moderately Underweight | 24 |
| Normal birth weights | 16 |
| Low birth weights | 2 |
ReportA message from a caregiver
Dear supporters,
My name is Olga. I have a 17-year-old daughter named Dina and a five-month-old son named Dani. My daughter Dina already has her own baby who is in poor health, so I am taking care of her at home.
I am very happy to be part of the Survival program, which belongs to Jesús Rey de Reyes Evangelical Church. I am in good health. My husband is working in agriculture away from home. He leaves at 6am and returns at 6pm.
I am very happy because during these months that I have been attending the church, the Survival program has offered many activities that have been so beneficial in helping me learn and develop as a mother and wife so I can help my family survive and move forward together.
In the group meetings, I learn the Word of God as well as entrepreneurship lessons where we learn how to knit hats, sweater and pants so we can dress our children warmly. I can also sell my knitted items to generate economic resources for my family.
I have also learned how to make micheladas, hamburgers and ice cream as another form of entrepreneurship. I like it very much because I can also prepare these foods for my son and daughter at home to taste each product.
I am grateful to my Compassion implementer for her teachings and visits to my home because she teaches me how to raise my son up strong and healthy. She teaches me about the Bible, the creation of the world and especially that God loves me and takes care of my family.
I feel very grateful and happy to be part of the Survival program at our church. Thank you for all of the support and attention you give me because it has been so helpful for my family. May the Lord bless you.
Please pray for the health of my entire family, that the Lord will continue to guide us in His ways, and that the Lord will give wisdom and patience to our Survival implementer.
Sincerely,
ReportA message from a pastor
We want to express our gratitude for your support of the Survival program at our Compassion centre and church. The community of Parroquia Pampanal de Bolívar is considered one of the poorest areas of San Lorenzo canton in Esmereldas province, Ecuador. It is common to find many families lacking basic resources such as nutritious food, education and health care.
The support you provided to our Survival program has helped sustain the lives of pregnant mothers and babies up to 12 months old. Once mothers are enrolled in the program, they are trained in prenatal nutrition to promote the best development of their baby. Each mother is closely monitored with medical checkups during pregnancy to ensure her good health and the proper growth of her unborn baby.
The Survival babies are cared for by empowering parents through helpful workshops. Mothers have learned about the stages of development, early stimulation skills and milestones they should be working toward. Parents also participate in nutrition classes where they learn how to prepare balanced meals according to their child’s age. Early stimulation classes are held once a month. Each baby is weighed and measured monthly to track their physical growth.
Many mothers have found refuge in the church thanks to the Survival program. Recognizing that although there are adverse times, they know that God always takes care of them. In times of affliction, He has supplied for their physical and spiritual needs.
We have also shared the Word of God with families in their homes, as well as given spiritually uplifting messages in group meetings. We tell them about God’s great love for each of them. For this reason, we are so grateful for the Survival program as it has been a great blessing to the beneficiary families, our church and the entire community.
Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.” May God reward your great work and bless you for everything you do for us. We pray for you and your family.
With love,
ReportA message from a partnership facilitator
Warm greetings to you from all of us from the Survival program in Ecuador. We want to share with you our achievements and challenges.
Our greatest achievement is that as mothers and babies participate in the program, moms are witnessing the development of their babies. Through early stimulation activities, babies have reached key milestones like making their first smile and first sound, holding their head up by, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, reaching out to ask for something, eating and walking. It is exciting for us to rejoice alongside mothers as they watch their children achieve these skills.
Through handicraft workshops, moms are developing their skills and overcoming challenges to launch their own small businesses. Mothers have learned the importance of breastfeeding as the main food for their babies. Pregnant moms have learned how to eat a nutritious diet during pregnancy.
Parents are learning from the Word of God during church services. Many have taken the message of salvation to their homes and have learned to trust in God. Many lives have been reached for the Lord! We are committed to teaching, caring for and encouraging families in their new lives with Jesus as their lives and homes transform.
Our biggest challenge is the dangerous region we live in because of crime—though we know that the Lord has taken care of us and will continue to as we work for Him and reach lives for Christ.
We ask for your prayers, that the Lord will guide us in every step, decision and workshop that serves our mothers and children. Please pray for each mommy, baby and home, that the Lord will always provide bread on their tables, provide them with work to earn a living and keep them from all evil.
Thank you very much for your good heart and your generous donations, which are a great blessing for many lives—even more so during these difficult economic times. May the Lord multiply back to you everything you do for our mommies and babies. You are always in our prayers.