Condor Trust for Education

Mariela lives in the south of Quito with her aunt. She has one brother, but no parents or grandparents. From this September, she will begin to study mechanics at school and she is really looking forward to this as in the future she would like to earn her living as a car mechanic. At the weekend, she likes to spend time with her cousin. She is also learning the guitar, and practices as regularly as she can at home.

Christian lives with his mother and sister high in the mountains on the outskirts of Quito. His mother has arthritis in her hands and has difficulty working, so both Christian and his sister help out as much as they can at home. Until recently, the family lived in a house without a bathroom and with a leaking roof and poorly fitting doors and windows. This meant that Christian was often ill and had difficulty going to school and studying. Help from the local community, other family members and the Condor Trust has enabled them to make substantial improvements. This has greatly helped Christian, who is now much healthier and doing well at school. He is interested in most subjects, and is also keen on doing voluntary work organized by the school. When he graduates from high school, he would like to spend a year volunteering in different parts of Ecuador.

Ivana lives with her mother, step-father, adopted grandparents and a younger brother. She is a keen student and has so far done well at school. In her spare time, she loves listening to music. She also enjoys coming to the singing classes held on Saturdays at the Condor Trust.

Renata is an excellent student and has regularly achieved very high grades. She loves music, singing and football, and is a keen reader. As her mum works guarding cars in the street, Renata often also does her homework outdoors by the side of the road.

Jose is the oldest of three children. He loves sports and at school enjoys maths but doesn't know yet what he'd like to do once he's graduated. He lives with his parents and siblings on the outskirts of Quito.

Genesis was the best student in her class this last year, and she enjoys school very much. She is the third of four children, and lives with her brothers, sister and mother, after her parents separated last year. She does not yet know what she would like to do when she finishes school. At the moment, she enjoys music and has begun to learn to play the cello at school.