Ecuador

Ecuador is a country in the north-western part of South America. Taking its name from the Spanish word for equator, Ecuador is bounded by Colombia in the north, Peru in the south, and the Pacific Ocean in the west.

The country was a largely agricultural country until the discovery of oil in the 1960s. Ecuador’s population is ethnically diverse and not all have benefited from the oil revenues. Furthermore, indigenous ways of life has been disrupted by the petrochemical industry in forms of pollution and deforestation.

Poor economic performance combined with El Niño in the late 1990s led to a severe financial crisis. The country was unable to cope with the impact of heavy rainfall and flooding which damaged the infrastructure and affected water supply and sewage systems. Steps to stabilise the economic situation, including privatisation and free trade, have led to widespread unrest, particularly amongst the indigenous poor. Civic involvement is increasing amongst the indigenous population; numerous social movements aim to influence government social policy. However inequality remains widespread.

Some of the reasons why Plan works in Ecuador

• Almost three quarters of all children in Ecuador, approximately 3.4 million children, live in poverty
• 430,000 children and adolescents between 5 and 17 years of age are involved in labour activities
• 26 percent of children entering primary school do not complete their primary education
• Malnutrition affects 15 percent of children under five years of age
• 41 percent of the rural population do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities