Santa Ana Area Program

The Santa Ana community is located in Ecuador's Manabi province. It is a place of steep hills and low river valleys. Families living on the hills are vulnerable to landslides, and those in the river valleys experience flooding. Most families here live in poverty, working either as subsistence farmers or labourers for large land and livestock owners.

Income is low, and does not provide for people's basic needs. Each year during the rainy season, families earn even less because there is little work during the growing season. This seasonal unemployment is only made worse when flooding or landslides destroy their crops and property. Most homes do not have a safe supply of water or sanitation facilities. Flooding in the rainy season also contaminates the water supply.

Health
From birth, children's health is often compromised. Mothers are uninformed about pre- or post-natal care, healthy diet, and access to supplements. Most deliveries are still performed by untrained midwives. As a result, children suffer from low birth weight, and there are higher numbers of child deaths. As they grow, children continue to be fed a diet lacking nutrients from fruit, vegetables, and proteins. One third of children are malnourished, and stunting is common, which proves that children are not developing within the normal parameters for their age.

Drinking water is often contaminated, and families know little about hygiene or household sanitation, so children experience recurrent bouts of respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases. Many families cannot access healthcare, as there is a shortage of clinics and travel is difficult, made worse by the rainy season. Mothers often do not know when to seek professional care, or about the importance of basic preventative medicine, like vaccinations. Parents also are not taught the importance of early stimulation to help children develop the physical, cognitive, and social abilities necessary for entry into formal school.

Education
Many people in the community are illiterate, while others have very little education. This makes it difficult for parents to support their children's education. Without this support, children lack the motivation they need to stay in school, causing them to perform poorly and benefit less from their education.

Schools in the community often do not have sufficient space to educate all children. It is difficult for children in the more remote areas of the community to get to a school. Many teachers do not have training in methods that can engage and motivate children. Older children struggle as well, with too few high schools and not enough opportunities to receive college and vocational training.

Community Leadership
Adolescents need a vision for themselves if they are to live lives that are different from what they have seen. The community as a whole is not organized. People do not know the importance of coming together and working together to address the needs in the community. Without a vision for the future, training, and an organized response, young people and families have very little to look forward to beyond the poverty they have known. Young people in the community also lack an understanding of how to make responsible choices, including how to protect their sexual and reproductive health.