AMERICA/ECUADOR - Children: 50% undernourished, 20% underweight and smaller than average, 70% lives below poverty line

Quito (Fides Service) - In the world 150 million children suffer from under-nourishment, 6000 contract HIV/AIDS, more than 120 million cannot go to school and thousands are subject to abuse and violence.
In Ecuador, since 1997, FECUPAL Foundation started by the Camillian Fathers has run a Feeding Centre in Quito for 60 disabled children. In 2005 it opened a second centre “Centro de Cuidado y atención integral a niños especiales”.
The new structure also in the capital but in a different district, organises activities for disabled children and cares for them for part of the day.
The children are given food integrated with vitamins and proteins and medical assistance including physiotherapy and speech therapy and the Centre also offers family counselling.
The children spend part of the day at the centre and this means parents are not forced to give up their jobs to look after their children, instead they can go to work and earn money for the family.
Both Centres respond to serious needs in Ecuador where 7 out of 10 people live in poverty and one of the most serious consequences is feeding problem. Ecuador’s children are 50% undernourished, 20% underweight and smaller than average, 70% lives below poverty line. About nine million need integral development and of these 49% suffer chronic under nourishment.
Seven children out of 10 suffer abuse, 26% of these cases are sexual abuse. (AP) (25/4/2006 Agenzia Fides; Righe:25; Parole:267)