Hard Day at Work?

I spent today in Saquisilí, where 72% of the population region is indiginous. I visited the health centre and had a meeting at the Council for Children and Adolescents. We talked about many of the factors affecting local people, including the fact that most children over ten are already working at least one hour every day, and in many cases full time.

The indiginous population is suspicious of state provided health services and people are often reluctant to attend conventional health centres and hospitals until illnesses have reached a very advanced stage.

This is a picture of a lady I interviewed in the market. Her name is Maria. She looks older than her 25 years and has worked on the land since she was a child, not having had the opportunity to go to secondary school. Her main objective is to give her children (she is expecting her second) the chance of education that she never had.

As in other parts of Ecuador there are significant economic problems in the region and a lack of resources. Forthcoming changes to school administrations are also going to mean that as it stands a large number of children will not be admitted to school in September 2010. This will further complicate the already fragile access to education, something which in Europe we pretty much take for granted.

I was made to feel very welcome wherever I went, partly due to the fact that I was accompanied by an excellent guide, Fernando, who works with the indiginous population in the region. After our meetings Fernando took me to the potato market in town where large sacks of potatoes were being sold for $5-$6.... a price which has come crashing down from $20 just a few years ago.

Its hard to imagine how demoralising this must be for those who live off what little they can make from the land. Both men and women were engaged in carrying sacks full of potatoes across the market on their backs. I have said several times how impressed I have been by the generally optimistic outlook of the Ecudorian people, but believe me, the people I saw at the market today were not having fun.

I am planning to put one of these pictures on the wall in my office in Helsinki. Next time I am having a "bad day" at work it might make me think again. I will be happy to provide a copy to anyone who would like one!

Market day in Latacunga

I travelled to Latacunga today in order to visit a community project run by Plan International through the money raised through their child sponsorship scheme. I also had the chance to interview some of the mothers of children who went to the school we visited and got some fascinating insights into their lives.

Apparently one of the traditions in their local community until a few years ago was for families to aim to have twelve children. The ladies I spoke to did not seem to know why twelve in particular was the desired number - but they agreed that their mothers had had little choice in this and had simply done what was expected of them. Happily things have changed considerably in recent years. The average now seems to be between three and six, (I felt quite at home!) and I am glad to say that the women said that they now have an equal say in issues of family planning.

Although Latacunga is only 89 km from Quito it took just under three hours to get there. Tuesday is market day (not a single tourist in sight)....here are some pictures to give you an idea of what it was like.

Thank you for the advice on how to post a comment. Still think Fred's hat is better as a souvenir than a fashion accessory though...

Update on Rosa's Mum

Thank you to everyone who contacted me about Leonor asking if there was something we could do to help. It was lovely to know that people so far away were concerned about her.

I was hoping this week to be able to bring you some good news about helping her regain her sight but despite our best efforts I'm afraid we've been beaten on this one.

Leonor is a brave lady. She agreed to travel by air for the first time in her life in order to come to Quito and she arrived here on Sunday evening with another of her daughters, Zoila. We had arranged for her to go and see an eye specialist at a Foundation in Quito which was originally set up in conjunction with a rotary club in Finland (Fundacion de Finlandia).

We had high hopes that a simple cataract operation would significantly improve her sight and had raised the money to pay for it....so I was hoping to write to you all with a real happy ending story.

Although some additional treatment was needed, the specialist agreed that a cataract operation would have made a big difference. He could have done the operation today. Unfortunately Leonor and her husband had heard rumours about the operation and believed that far from making her see again, a cataract operation would in fact mean that she would lose her sight altogether. They were both convinced that the risks of surgery were significant and Leonor's view was that it was better to have a tiny bit of sight than none at all.

Sadly the opthalmologist confirmed that her condition is progressive and that it will not be long before she loses all sight in any event. He tried to convince her of the benefits of surgery, but unfortunately did not have the bedside manner that I would have wished for. There seemed to be no recognition that he was dealing with an elderly lady who was frightened and intimidated by her surroundings. Apparently this is not uncommon here in Ecuador.

In any event, despite the efforts of the doctor and the wishes of her daughters, after waivering several times Leonor eventually took the decision not to go ahead with surgery. She genuinely believed that it would mean she would go completely blind, and I had the strong impression she was heavily influenced by the views of her husband, who in her eyes remains very much the head of the household.

We suggested going to another organisation for a second opinion, but today Leonor made the decision to travel back home to Cuenca. It is a sad story, because I know that in her already very limited world she is frightened of going totally blind, and I also know that this outcome is inevitable in the absence of surgery.

I believe that a cataract operation would have made a big difference to her life, but at the end of the day the choice had to remain hers. I am sad that ultimately we could not help this lady, but I don't regret the fact that we tried. At least we gave her the option of surgery even if her decision was not to go ahead with it.

The story does demonstrate two things though...the fact that false rumours still persist here and play a huge part in the decisions people make, and also that in many households it is still the case that the man has the final word.

I'm sorry I can't give you better news on this story...but there is one lighter note on which I can end. I found out that Zoila (who also has very poor vision, but not from cataracts) used to have glasses which were damaged beyond repair eighteen months ago. She has been unable to replace them since. The good news is that we were able to arrange for an eye test and new glasses for her. She was so grateful that she had tears in her eyes, and said that having new glasses will transform her life. She has not been able to read small print for all this time, which has been a huge challenge to her work in the family shop.

So there we are. It was a small outcome in terms of what we had hoped to achieve, but we tried our best, and whatever happens it was a privilege to meet Leonor who is a very special lady.

Why is Frédéric wearing this hat?

You may well be asking this question. Luckily I know the answer, otherwise I would be asking it too. I love my husband very much but it is a good thing he was not wearing this hat when we met in Strasbourg, that's all I will say.

The arrival of this hat in our family is thanks to the Minister of Tourism, who is currently researching how Ecuador is perceived by visitors to the country. As part of this research the Ministry has been conducting focus groups with tourists of different nationalities. Through people that we have met here Frédéric and I were asked to take part in the French focus group.

Whilst Frédéric has the right credentials, as a half Finn half Brit I could hardly be less French, but I went along anyway just for the experience.

In fact it was a really fascinating afternoon. We were asked to say how we had perceived Ecuador before we came and how those perceptions had changed since.

For example, we had assumed that the weather would be sunny and hot. We were wrong. It has rained almost every day since we arrived, and this is not even the rainy season. The weather is apparently warmer on the coast, but with Quito being so high (2850m above sea level) is is often cloudy and always cold at night. (Incidentally...thank you everyone who has sent messages telling me how fantastic the weather is in Finland!)

We had also naively assumed that the cost of living would be cheaper than it is, and that the problems of the people here would be more visible. In fact, as is so often the case, if all you saw of Ecuador was the centre of the big towns, you could be forgiven for thinking that poverty is not really a problem here. Of course in reality it is a huge problem with the majority of people living with very little monthly income. (the official minimum wage is $240 per month ($220 net) but many people still earn far less than this.

I will introduce you in a later posting to Liliana and her family who have become our "adopted family" here in Ecuador and very dear to us. Liliana, a kind, friendly and highly intelligent woman of 23 was, until recently, working full time, (ie ten hours a day and six days a week) in a shop. She took home $80 per month. This was the only income for a family of four to live on...but more about this later.

The interview with the Ministry of Tourism was fascinating. We met Isabelle, a French lady who has totally fallen in love with Ecuador and is now planning to settle here. We all agreed that the best things about life here are the friendliness and openness of the people, together with their determination and stoicism despite the many challenges they face in life. They are truely a people to be admired. People here learn to live simply because they have to. They are good at saving and at making money stretch as far as it can. Despite everything, Ecuadorians are grateful for the little they have. If all they have is their health, then they concentrate on being grateful for this. In these respects Ecuador is an inspirational place.

We did, however, suggest to the Ministry that having a guinea pig as their logo may not be their best idea. This is because guinea pigs in Ecuador are not household pets. They are roasted and eaten. As a vegetarian I admit to not being completely objective, but even with my most objective head on I find it hard to imagine that, given their fate, a guinea pig logo would be a huge attraction for European children.

Ecuador is a fantastic destination. It has a huge amount to offer - particularly if you want to learn Spanish, learn to dance (if you have never danced the salsa you must try it before you die...) or have an interest in Latin American culture and artisanship. It is also a magnificent place to discover real human warmth and kindness. When asked who we would recommend Ecuador to, we replied (honestly) that we would recommend it to everyone we knew The only exception to this would be people in wheelchairs - who would find it almost impossible to move around here.

At the end of the interview we were presented with these hats (made in Cuenca) as a present from the Ministry, which we gratefully accepted....and so this photo of Frédéric came to be taken. We have an expression in English that every picture tells a story. At least now you know the story behind this one!

Incidentally...can I ask a favour from someone clever please? A couple of people have tried to add comments but without success. Is anyone able to explain what you need to do to add a comment please? All advice welcome! Thanks.

Chocolate Factory

The other place we visited in Mindo was El Quetzal, a cafe which claims to have the best chocolate brownies in the world.





This is because they make their own chocolate (by hand) from cocoa beans that are grown elsewhere in Ecuador in a region where the climate is more favourable for growing them.



Niko was asked for his professional opinion and agreed that the brownies were truely excellent.

Butterflies and Birds in Mindo

This weekend we travelled to Mindo, which is a two hour drive from Quito. It is a small town which had been recommended to us by Isabelle, a French lady we met last week who has lived in Ecuador for almost a year. She said it was a great place to go to see humming birds, butterflies and exotic flowers.

We were shown the various stages of the life cycle of a butterfly, which was fascinating.

The only downside was that the butterflies were so big that they terrified Luca, who screamed every time one flew over his head. This detracted slightly from what was supposed to be a tranquil setting.

Apart from learning that my two year old is scared of butterflies I also discovered the challenges of trying to photograph a humming bird. This becomes even more problematic when you have a wriggling baby strapped to your body. I managed to get one picture, (above), amongst all the screaming, wriggling and flapping but if you want anymore hummingbird photos I suggest you settle for an ornithology book. I'm not doing it again.

Amigos de Finlandia strike again in Cuenca!

In case you are wondering, Amigos de Finlandia is all of the people who donated to the collection.

Cuenca is the third biggest city in Ecuador, with a population of around 350,00 and lying 459km from the capital. It takes ten hours on the bus. I was lucky enough to travel by plane which only took 35 minutes from Quito. If you ever have the chance to come to Ecuador, I really recommend a visit.

The centre of Cuenca is stunning. The churches, cathedral and buildings are architecturally beautiful, and the only entertainment you need is to be able to walk around admiring it all. It is known as the cleanest town in Ecuador and in the centre of Cuenca at least there is evidence of significant wealth.

This is largely due to the fact that Cuenca is also the town from which the most people have emigrated to earn money abroad. Some of these people have then invested in the town by buying property - which inevitably has pushed the prices up for everyone else. Property here is more expensive than in Quito. You would never guess just by walking around the centre that you were in a poor country, but as is so often the case, what is visible to the visitor does not tell the whole story.

Part of my day in Cuenca was spent at a school for girls between the ages of 6 and 13, called the Escuela Uruguay. Unfortunately the school had already shut for the summer holidays, so I couldn't meet the girsl, but I was met by the Director, Judith Illescas, together with three of the teachers who were kind enough to tell me about life at the school.

The 350 girls are all from low income families. Those that have work earn $220 per month. Those that do not have regular jobs have considerably less. Although from the outside the building looks reasonable in fact resources are very limited. More classroom space is needed but there is no funding to continue the building work. There is no canteen for the children to eat in, so lunch is sitting on the ground outside. Ideally the teachers would like to build some sort of structure, or even cover, so that meals can be taken inside, preferably sitting at tables.

The other pressing need is for computers. There are less than a dozen computers for 350 children, all of them received second hand and therefore not equipped with modern versions of Word. When I asked how many the school would ideally like to have their ambitions were modest. They said ten new computers would transform the situation. As would a printer, for the children to be able to see their work. (The school currently has no printer).

We spent a long time discussing the problems faced by the school and Ecuadorian society in general. The teachers estimated that up to 30% of the girls from this school came from families where the parents had moved abroad to work, leaving the children with extended family members. Because of visa problems many of these parents never come back, not even to visit, leaving the children effectively abandoned with family members who do not necessarily want them and who certainly can't afford to feed the extra mouths.

Those girls who do have parents at home often talk about violence within the family and it is thanks to these wonderful teachers that they feel they have somewhere safe to talk about their issues.

As a side issue I asked whether the girls had the chance to learn languages, and was told that they were taught English, but that there was only one part-time teacher for the whole school, meaning that in reality they only had one hour a weel of English. It occurred to me that in a beautiful town such as Cuenca, already a magnet for tourists, being able to speak English would be a huge advantage for the future for these girls.

In any event, I did not have enough to build new classrooms or a canteen, but at $400 each I was certainly able to offer the purchase of a new computer for the school. Even though this was a modest contribution given the needs of the school, the teachers accepted it with tears in their eyes and asked me to thank everyone who had contributed. Translated from the Spanish their words were these..

"We want to thank you from our hearts. You are angels sent from God. May God bless all of you and your familes. Thank you."

The computer will be the first equipped with Word 2007 and the school plans to publicise its arrival once the girls arrive back at school in Spetember. They will say that it was donated by "Amigos de Finlandia"...which is you. So thank you.