Sponsor a Child Today

Mauricio makes his home with his father and his mother. Caring for animals, washing clothes and helping in the kitchen are his household duties. His father is employed as a farmer and his mother is sometimes employed as a farmer. There are 2 children in the family.

For fun, Mauricio enjoys soccer, listening to music and reading. He attends church activities regularly and is in high school where his performance is average.

Please remember Mauricio in your prayers. Your love and support will help him to receive the assistance he needs to grow and develop.

Mauricio lives in the forest community of Carrera, home to approximately 1,500 residents. Typical houses are constructed of dirt floors, cement walls and zinc roofs. The most commonly spoken language is Quichua.

The regional diet consists of maize and potatoes. A common health problem in this area is influenza. Most adults in Carrera are unemployed but some work on plantations and earn the equivalent of $100 per month. This community needs schools and employment opportunities.

Your sponsorship allows the staff of Mushuj Causay Student Center to provide Mauricio with Bible teaching, health education, special celebrations, computer training and academic support. In addition, non-schooled children receive developmental activities. The center staff will also provide meetings for the parents or guardians of Mauricio.

Straddling the equator, Ecuador has two Andes mountain ranges that split it into three zones: the western coastal lowlands, the central Andean highlands and the eastern jungles of the Amazon basin. The lowlands and islands are hot and humid and the highlands are temperate.

The Ecuadorian population is about 25 percent Amerindian and 65 percent mestizo (Amerindian and Caucasian). The remainder is of Spanish or African descent. Most people live in urban settings. Spanish is the official language but many Indians speak Quechua, the language of the Incas, and practice traditional religions. Ninety-five percent of Ecuadorians are Catholic. Compassion works throughout central and western Ecuador.

Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro invaded Ecuador, home of the Inca Empire, in 1532 and controlled it within two years. In 1822, Ecuador gained freedom as part of a federation known as Gran Colombia. In 1830, it gained independence as Ecuador.

In recent decades, Ecuador's economy has relied heavily on oil export revenue, so fluctuations in world market prices have a significant economic impact. A drop in world oil prices combined with natural disasters in the late 1990s to drive Ecuador's economy into poverty. In 2000, Congress enacted reforms and adopted the U.S. dollar as legal tender, which helped stabilize the economy. In recent years, however, economic reforms have been reversed, making Ecuador again vulnerable to oil price swings and financial crises. And though Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004, it has been troubled by political instability, including the ouster of the last three democratically elected presidents. Rafael Correa is the current president.