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Day 2 in Ecuador with Compassion

Today we visited a special program within Compassion International called Child Survival Program. This program focuses on the education of women with infants (in the womb until age 3). In Ecuador, abortions are not common; unfit mothers are more likely to give birth to their child and then it dies in infancy. Everyday, 6 children die in their 1st month of life.

Statistics show that 7,000 children under 5 years of age die each year and that 60% of those deaths could be prevented if mothers had better knowledge of how to grow healthy children.
In 2003, Quito, Ecuador had 3 CSP programs helping 450 mother-child units and now, in 2010, there are 34 programs and almost 2,000 participants.
Volunteers spend their weekdays visiting mothers and building relationships with them and teaching them proper health in their home and how to teach their children the proper learning skills. One graduate mother from CSP brought her child to school for the first time and the teacher was shocked at how advanced and was surprised to find that this young mother had played a key role in her child's development.

Women in this program also have a opportunity to learn different skills at workshops in their local church (also a Compassion Child Development Project) and have been able to earn their own incomes by making crafts or cutting hair. The results have been mothers with a trust and belief in God, love and respect for themselves, and brighter children.

 

We visited Covenant Church where we met women and children in the project (most of the women that attend this church heard about the CSP program from word of mouth) and could see some of the materials and tools used in the home visits (Bibles, puzzles, books, materials to develop sense of touch, etc). We were impressed that 3 brothers (Raoul, Christian and Eddy) all do home visits and are heavily involved in their youth group worship band (they sing lots of Hillsong, Hillsong London and David Crowder Band!). The Pastor (a pastor of 17 years at this church who had been praying and working for 3 years to get involved with Compassion International) has been praying for a bigger building. They have 3 regular church services and a youth service!

 

After meeting people at the church, we did a home visit to a mother in the program. I was surprised at the difference between her home and the home we visited yesterday: It wasn't built as well but it was much cleaner and you could tell she was implementing what she learned in the program and is truly trying her best for her 3 children. Her husband just left a week ago to attend alcoholics anonymous and to become a better husband and father.

By the way, two people on our trip sponsored a child today!

 

We then checked out of our hotel and drove an hour and a half into the mountains to Otavalo to stay in a beautiful, family-owned rustic mountain lodge. Again... Compassion is treating us well! It's a amazing to see God's creation... yesterday I was looking down into the valleys from the back of Margarita's home... and today I'm looking up at the snow-capped mountains around us.

Right before dinner we had the treat of hearing music from a group of brothers who are all former Compassion children (23 years ago). They play traditional-style Christian music professionally around Ecuador as Compassion Artists. They are amazing!!! (and ALL brothers.. all were sponsored as kids except one). They would love to meet their sponsors someday... they would be so proud of the men of God they have become.

 

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