Do You Believe In The Power Of One Person?
How my vacation in Cotacachi, Ecuador turned into a humanitarian journey in the spring of 2007 and continues…
My indigenous guide suggested that I visit a school just outside of Cotacachi. As we entered the community small children converged on the car from all directions. We distributed a little candy, searched for parents, but they were in the fields working.
The local teacher appeared and took us into the school with the young children in pursuit. The school roof leaked and was covered with plastic. The kitchen needed painting, a new sink, floor and tile.
The bathroom was not functional and too difficult to describe.
I made a personal decision at that moment to help change the lives of these beautiful children and their families. How would I start such a project at the age of 71?
On my return to Naples, Florida I asked for aid from family and friends. I started out by taking people on tour and asked that they bring school or medical supplies to distribute.
Over the course of eighteen months 30 people joined me on tour and brought school and medical supplies. See below to join us on the next tour…
Recently Margaret Eadington, Executive Director of the Collier County Medical Society donated some medicines that will be taken over in December.
This year a new roof has been put on the school
The kitchen has been updated and improvements have been done to the bathroom. (not very functional because of drainage)
This grass roots project is moving forward with small local donated funds. An Ecuadorian civil engineer, whom I met this summer, is supervising the work as a volunteer.
The materials are at the school to add a dropped ceiling and supplies for an electrical system. We still have more to do to make this a safe, healthy environment for these 60 young children between the ages of 2 and 6… like the ones in the photo below.
My goal is to develop a model school with the necessary educational supplies.
A teacher can then be trained to help a teacher at another school and hopefully we can continue to provide the necessary supplies.
Remember: AGE DOES NOT MATTER – once you find your focus, take the unknown journey. – Micky
Donation CHECKS should be made payable to: Ecuador Hope Project 2316 Pine Ridge Road, Naples, Florida 34109
If you would like to send products, please contact Micky Enright
at: MickyEnright@gmail.com
Ecuador Project Hope is a 501 C3 NON-PROFIT program under Global Help Foundation – and Federal Tax ID # 26-1310877