Dental Campaign for Street Children
Donation protected
Approximately 35% of Ecuador´s population, 4 million people, live in poverty. An additional 17 percent of the country´s population is susceptible to poverty. That means that over half of Ecuador´s population and families live in unsafe and financially unstable conditions. As a result the most innocent people – children – are the victims. As many parents fight to make ends meet, children are expected to contribute to their household income by working in the marketplace alongside their parents. In some cases, children wake up at 4 a.m. to travel to the open air markets and sell produce for ten or twelve hour days, if not longer.
Such a lifestyle robs these young and innocent kids of their childhood. It also paints a dark and hopeless future for them. There are three areas in particular that are at risk for impoverished children in Ecuador: Education, Health and Wellness, Socialization and Self-Confidence.
Who we are
As a small NGO in south Quito, we have been operating since 1999 to educate and provide for the children working on the streets and in the markets here.
UBECI Foundation (United Benefit for Ecuadorian Children, International) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that works daily to ensure a better future for the Ecuadorian youth. Our goal is to eliminate child labor and social/legal discrimination through our programs that serve low-income children and their families in Quito and surrounding rural areas. We provide educational services, recreational activities, and social support to over 700 at-risk Ecuadorian kids and adolescents.
This campaign
Many families in Quito grow up without knowledge of proper dental care. As a result, most can have very poor oral hygiene, which in turn promotes disease and illness. Our annual Dental Campaign at UBECI is important because it evaluates the health conditions of our kid´s and adolescent's teeth and mouths. We then provide resources to develop and maintain healthy habits to benefit them and their families in the future.
In 2016 we helped a total of 72 of our kids (25 boys and 47 girls) through the Dental Campaign. With $2,700 we were able to teach them proper techniques on brushing and flossing; they were given a toothbrush with toothpaste; and each child was taken to the dentist for a check-up and oral exam.
Our mission is to implement care programs that benefit child laborers and their families here. These programs promote healthy development of skills and ideals that will enable children to have a better life than the one they and most of their parents were born into. UBECI focuses on addressing issues regarding education, social interaction and skills, gender inequality, social discrimination, hygiene, health, self-esteem, values, emotional development, and family involvement. Long-term, we hope to create a community center in which the children can interact and learn in a safe, nurturing environment. This is what will enable them to have access to educational opportunities and possess the skill-sets they need to eventually break the poverty cycle in Ecuador, preventing other children from being at risk in the future. In addition to the services UBECI provides to the street children via resources and volunteers, UBECI also promotes a series of campaigns, like this one, the Dental Campaign. These raise awareness of specific issues regarding the children, such as general health, medical needs, clothing, health and nutrition, and education.
We will be running this campaign through January and February so that as soon as we have enough money, we can begin to schedule appointments with the families to go to the dentist. With $2,500 we hope to be able to educate and serve close to 80 children. Giving to this campaign will be directly supporting those families in-need. UBECI and these kids need your help!
Such a lifestyle robs these young and innocent kids of their childhood. It also paints a dark and hopeless future for them. There are three areas in particular that are at risk for impoverished children in Ecuador: Education, Health and Wellness, Socialization and Self-Confidence.
Who we are
As a small NGO in south Quito, we have been operating since 1999 to educate and provide for the children working on the streets and in the markets here.
UBECI Foundation (United Benefit for Ecuadorian Children, International) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that works daily to ensure a better future for the Ecuadorian youth. Our goal is to eliminate child labor and social/legal discrimination through our programs that serve low-income children and their families in Quito and surrounding rural areas. We provide educational services, recreational activities, and social support to over 700 at-risk Ecuadorian kids and adolescents.
This campaign
Many families in Quito grow up without knowledge of proper dental care. As a result, most can have very poor oral hygiene, which in turn promotes disease and illness. Our annual Dental Campaign at UBECI is important because it evaluates the health conditions of our kid´s and adolescent's teeth and mouths. We then provide resources to develop and maintain healthy habits to benefit them and their families in the future.
In 2016 we helped a total of 72 of our kids (25 boys and 47 girls) through the Dental Campaign. With $2,700 we were able to teach them proper techniques on brushing and flossing; they were given a toothbrush with toothpaste; and each child was taken to the dentist for a check-up and oral exam.
Our mission is to implement care programs that benefit child laborers and their families here. These programs promote healthy development of skills and ideals that will enable children to have a better life than the one they and most of their parents were born into. UBECI focuses on addressing issues regarding education, social interaction and skills, gender inequality, social discrimination, hygiene, health, self-esteem, values, emotional development, and family involvement. Long-term, we hope to create a community center in which the children can interact and learn in a safe, nurturing environment. This is what will enable them to have access to educational opportunities and possess the skill-sets they need to eventually break the poverty cycle in Ecuador, preventing other children from being at risk in the future. In addition to the services UBECI provides to the street children via resources and volunteers, UBECI also promotes a series of campaigns, like this one, the Dental Campaign. These raise awareness of specific issues regarding the children, such as general health, medical needs, clothing, health and nutrition, and education.
We will be running this campaign through January and February so that as soon as we have enough money, we can begin to schedule appointments with the families to go to the dentist. With $2,500 we hope to be able to educate and serve close to 80 children. Giving to this campaign will be directly supporting those families in-need. UBECI and these kids need your help!
Organizer and beneficiary
Enriqe Salvatierra
Organizer
Jeff Loeb
Beneficiary
