Sebastian was born in Loja in the south of Ecuador and lived for five years with his grandparents, while his parents went to other cities in search of work. For the last six months he's been living in Quito with his parents and his sister: the family has been re-united.

Sebastian lives with his mother, step-father and two siblings; his father has a regular but low-paid job, but his mother only has irregular work. Sebastian likes to play the guitar. He is also enjoying learning the Quichua language at school. In the future, he is hoping at the moment to work in gastronomy.

David is a very good students and has achieved high marks at school. His family is Colombian and came as refugees to Ecuador when David was eight years old. He lives on the outskirts of Quito with his mother, two elder siblings and three other family members.

Genesis lives with her mother and an elder sister, who is 20. They live in a small house built by the government but had to take out a loan for it, which they are now working to pay back. Genesis is a very bright student and managed to get a place at one of the best state secondary schools in the city. This means a long daily journey from her house on the outskirts, as the school is in the middle of the city, but she says she doesn't mind this (most days!). She enjoys most subjects at school, and is also very fond of animals. This is why she would one day like to become a vet.

Cynthia lives with her parents and three younger brothers, aged nine, five and two, in a small rented house in a village in the mountains. Her father works on the land. His income is erratic: at times he cannot find work and at other times the severe mountain weather prevents him from working. Cynthia goes to the local school, although she will have to change schools at the end of the next academic year as her present school does not cater for the last three years of secondary education. This will mean a fairly long daily journey for Cynthia, as the nearest suitable school is several miles away. At the moment, she is happy with her friends in the local school. She particularly enjoys maths and eventually hopes to be able to find a job working with computers.

Jennifer is a lovely girl, and very mature for her age. This is probably because she has to take charge of all the household chores. Her mother abandoned the family, leaving Jennifer with her father, an ill man, and a younger sister to look after. She has a strong character and a great will to overcome her difficulties and realize her dreams.

Luis lives with his mother, an older sister and two younger siblings. They live in a house with two rooms, a kitchen and bathroom. Their only income is his mother's irregular, low income. Luis is very keen on science and in his spare time likes to learn more about about it. At the moment, he is undecided whether a career as a doctor or as a mechanic attracts him most.

Jhonatan lives with his mother and two older brothers. His mother only has part-time work, and has to help out in the local market to try and get food. When he finishes school Jhonatan would like to be a motor mechanic. In his spare time, he enjoys riding his bike and listening to music.

When he graduates, Oscar would like to work in mechatronic engineering. Last year, he represented his school in a competition for developing robots. He lives with his mother and an older sister; another sister has already left home. When he's not studying, he likes to invent things and also to do origami. His favorite book is Mi Amigo Argon.