I cannot believe that it is already the end of November, where did this year go? I have been in Ecuador almost 3 months...and it’s almost Christmas! My time here...and this year has passed me by so quickly.
Starting this week I am starting a nutrition project! A company will be putting a solar energy plant in Paragachi (where I work) and they want to increase the health and nutrition of the residents. I will be working along side of this company to do the research and to show them the results of increased nutrition in the diet.
We will begin with the kids of the community by adding a “shake” every morning, this drink is full of vitamins and nutrients that these kids are lacking. For example, I was talking to a 12 years old this week and since we are working on this new nutrition project I thought I’d ask him what he had to eat on that particular day: breakfast was bread and coffee, lunch was pasta soup, and dinner was a hamburger and french fries. Do you see the lack of nutrition there?
Our goal with this project is to see results; changes in grades in school, overall wellness , less tiredness, meeting their milestones faster, and whatever else may come with it! After we begin with the kids we will move onto their families, we will also be working on teaching nutrition and the importance of fruits and vegetables in the diet. This all works together with the other organization (Mountains of Hope) that is here and who are teaching the families how to have gardens and to grow fruits and vegetables without pesticides. Hopefully this project will come full circle and we will see big results in the health of the people here!
Thank you all so very much for your help for Christmas! I have received 5 packages from Shelley Houshell! Thanks so much Shelley! I am still waiting for the 17 packages that my mom sent...with all of that I assume that these kids will have an awesome Christmas! We are organizing a day where we will invite the mothers to come, the kids will do a small Christmas program and then we will give them their gifts!
Thank you all so very much for your love and support....I couldn’t do this without each and every one of you!
