Jump to Project: Trade School in Ballenita / Day Care and Community Center in Chaupiloma / Classrooms for Youth Recovery Program in Cuenca / Classrooms for Youth Recovery Program in Cuenca / Classrooms in Guayaquil / School in Sabanilla / Computer Center in Vente de Mayo

Trade School in Ballenita: In this poor fishing village on the Santa Elena Peninsula, the westernmost point of the country, B3 helped build a school with six classrooms to teach adults in the village (mostly fishermen) to read, write and do simple math. Bathrooms were also included in the construction work. After implementing a literacy campaign in the new facility, technical classes will be available to train local adults as carpenters, electricians, etc. This education will provide new job opportunities and will enrich the lives of families living in Ballenita.

Day Care and Community Center in Chaupiloma: In a rural community of 1,000 mostly indigenous residents located in the Northern Andes, B3 built a daycare/nursery center for children ages 2 months to 5 years. The building, 8 x 15 meters, included two classrooms, two bathrooms, a bodega, a medical facility, a common room, an office, a small kitchen and a dining area. The April team also found time to build a stairway from one level to another and enjoyed farming with the local residents.

Classrooms for Youth Recovery Program in Cuenca: B3 built classrooms for a social program called Casa Hogar Guardiana de la Fe (much like Connecticut’s Project Return and DOMUS programs). “At-risk” boys between the ages of 7-13, are they are invited to live in the organizations’ group home where they first undergo a “detox” program (the boys are addicted to a variety of drugs, often given by their mothers). As they become stable, they begin an educational program which teaches them to read, write, and do basic math. Integration into city schools is difficult due to their needs for emotional, physical, and social therapy and supervision. The facilities built by B3 students will help Casa Hogar implement this vital program.

Classrooms in Guayaquil: In partnership with the Rotary Club of Guayaquil, B3 built several classrooms, replaced fences, rebuilt a bridge, and cleaned out an unsanitary stream running through the land (the local politicians in the barrio have now seen fit to bury a pipe to carry the sewage away). The project, called Chamberos Divinos, which translates to “divine trash pickers”, provided learning facilities for the people who live in this barrio, many of whom making their living by salvaging and re-selling items found in the dump. Click here for photos.

School in Sabanilla: In this Guayaquil barrio project, B3 doubled the size and repaired an existing rundown school to improve accommodations for the 60 current students and to attract more students — for the very poor in Ecuador, school attendance is not mandatory. B3 also brought running water for the school’s kitchen and added sinks for the children and teachers to wash their hands. The school feeds the children because many of them must walk an hour or more to school and then another hour back home.

Computer Center in Vente de Mayo: B3 built a computer center attached to an existing structure that houses a tiny medical clinic and the barrio’s bakery. Because of the energy and perseverance of the barrio’s padre, they have secured the donation of 15 used computers. The padre is now able to teach those interested skills to enable them to secure jobs outside of the barrio. The Vente de Mayo community is striving hard to become self-sufficient; as an example, a portion of proceeds from the bakery pays for the clinic’s doctor.