Condor Trust for Education

Mauricio has lived with his uncle, aunt and their two children since his parents died when he was five. His uncle has irregular work as a builder, and his aunt tries to find cleaning jobs. Mauricio likes school and is keen to learn to play the guitar.

Yanela is an only child and is sad that she has no father and no brothers or sisters. She is a determined student and has done well at school. In her spare time, she listens to music and loves to swim. When she is older, she would like to become a swimming teacher.

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.

Karen is the second youngest of six children aged between 6 and 19. She lives with her brothers, sisters and parents in a small rented house with three rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. The family income is low and there is often not enough money to go round. Before getting help from Condor Trust, she was often unable to complete tasks at school because she couldn't buy the necessary things. It has been a great relief to her to know that her educational expenses can now be paid and that she no longer loses out when there are special activities at school. She takes the challenge of being a good student very seriously and wants in the future to have a professional career, probably as an accountant, so she can help her parents as well as herself. When not studying, Karen loves to play football.

Michelle has a younger sister and lives with her mother, her aunt and her grandmother. Her father has left them, and this has given Michelle some very sad moments. In spite of this, she is a very lively girl, sure of herself and mature for her age. She is a very good student and regularly gets good grades. She is always keen to become involved in activities at school and at the foundation. Michelle has several young cousins, all of them girls, and she has become a role model for them to follow.

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.