Ecuador Part Tres

Day 3 began with a typical breakfast in Ecuador: fresh squeezed juice, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and bread.

After quickly eating, we were picked up by Helen. Helen is a member of Advent St. Nicholas and also works with CIF (Centre Integral de la Familia). First stop was the San Jose de Moran project.  This is housed within a church and provides an after school center for kids.  If it weren't for this project, these kids would often go without a meal and wander the streets waiting for their mom or parents to get home from work.  Parents often have to travel 2 hours each way to and from work so the kids are left to fend for themselves.  San Jose gives the kids a meal, helps them with their homework, provides testing for disabilities, and also provides counseling for kids and families. 

Kiddos that were playing in the street when we pulled up to the San Jose de Moran project site

One of the classrooms at San Jose

Counseling room at San Jose

Church that houses San Jose

From there we went down the road to a daycare center.  These kids were so cute!  We were greeted with a round of HOLA!

Daycare center near San Jose de Moran

Cute little kids at the daycare

Just wanted to take all of these adorable kids home with me!

That room had a long row of matching pink high chairs.

Adorable little girl-she had beautiful eyes!

After tearing ourselves away from the precious little ones at the daycare, we visited the area they take kids if there are too many to house at the church.  They have turned these warehouses into classrooms so that kids can do homework.

When there is overflow at the San Jose project, they come to these old warehouses to do their homework.

They may not have much, but they have a futball field!

We piled back into the van and headed to the CIF center.  This is where the majority of CIF's work happens.  It is a counseling center that provides counseling to couples, families, interviews and counsels kids that have been abused, works with different schools, provides workshops for different groups, and houses a masters in counseling program.  Whew!  Lots of important work in this building!!

One of the kids rooms at CIF

Me in the lobby of CIF

Listening to the presentation and getting ready for lunch!

Gorgeous CIF building.  The architecture was amazing!

When we finished our tour we headed back to the Charles Darwin to pack our luggage and were picked up for the hour or so drive south to Cotopaxi.  This is where we spent the next three days.