Ecuador Facts

Hola! That’s how you say “hello” in Spanish, the primary language of Ecuador. This country in South America is known for being the home of the Galápagos Islands and delicious, high-quality cacao beans. Learn more Ecuador facts here.

five Facts About Ecuador

Here are five fun facts about Ecuador:

  1. Ecuador is named after the equator, as the country straddles the invisible line.
  2. Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands are home to unique wildlife, including giant tortoises, iguanas and even penguins.
  3. The country is a top producer of chocolate and is world-renowned for Arriba, a high-quality cacao bean native to Ecuador.
  4. Ecuador’s cuisine features a mix of indigenous, Spanish and African influences. If you visit, you might enjoy ceviche (marinated seafood) or even cuy (roasted guinea pig).
  5. The country has four distinct regions, each with their own climate: the coast, the Andean Sierra, the Amazon rainforest and the Galápagos Islands.

Where is Ecuador?

Ecuador is located in northwestern South America. It shares borders with Colombia, Peru and the Pacific Ocean.

Key Challenges in Ecuador & Our Response

Although Ecuador boasts beautiful landscapes and incredible wildlife, it’s also home to children and families living in devastating poverty. Children in impoverished communities face many challenges, from lacking access to medical care to suffering violence.

Children in Remote Areas Can’t Get Essentials

Ecuador has many remote areas, including the Amazon and the Andes. Children who live in these regions can’t get critical services like clean water, medical care and education, putting their lives at risk and limiting their opportunities to overcome poverty.

Our Response: Reaching Children in Ecuador’s Remote Regions

Compassion partners with local churches near these areas. Together, we offer medical care, education support and many other essentials to children and families in remote communities.

For example, this might look like building a water filtration system for a village or ensuring a child gets treatment when they’re sick.

Violence Threatens Children

According to recent data, violence against children in Ecuador has risen significantly. Some of this violence stems from armed groups that recruit children. Other forms of violence, like physical abuse, are also unfortunately common.

Our Response: Protecting Children From Violence & Abuse

At Compassion, we believe it’s our duty to know, love and protect children. Children in our programs are protected by staff and volunteers who have been trained to spot the signs of abuse and quickly intervene. We also teach children about their rights, empowering them to stand up for themselves and ask for help when they need it.

Children laugh as they throw confetti into the air

Children laugh as they throw confetti into the air.

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Children wear traditional Ecuadorian clothes as they dance on a festive occasion

Children wear traditional Ecuadorian clothes as they dance on a festive occasion.

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Boys play soccer on the beach

Boys play soccer on the beach.

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Children pray before their meal

Children pray before their meal.

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Children hang on the playground equipment at their child development center

Children hang on the playground equipment at their child development center.

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A boy who faces a rare bone disease smiles with hope

A boy who faces a rare bone disease smiles with hope.

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Children learn about the love of God with Bibles of their very own

Children learn about the love of God with Bibles of their very own.

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A boy stands in a chicken coop

A boy stands in a chicken coop.

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A young girl slides on her stomach on the playground at her child development center

A young girl slides on her stomach on the playground at her child development center.

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A girl stands and smiles outside her child development center

A girl stands and smiles outside her child development center.

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Our Impact in Ecuador

Compassion has served children and families in Ecuador for nearly five decades. Over the years, we’ve released thousands of children from poverty in Jesus’ name through our child sponsorship program.

96,978

children served (and counting).

272

churches serving.

49

years serving.

Kids Trade Their Straw Pallets for Comfy Pillows

In the heart of the Ecuadorian Andes, children were left sleeping on the floor with only straw mats and threadbare blankets. But the local church stepped in to provide them with beds, giving them the gift of healthy sleep.

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Neymar Dreams of Being a Wildlife Photographer

Neymar, a young boy living in Ecuador, dreams of taking photos of “animals and happy kids around the world.” And with the support of his Compassion center, he’s confident he can achieve his dream.

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How You Can Help Vulnerable Children in Ecuador

You can join Compassion’s fight against child poverty in Ecuador in three key ways:

  • Pray: Jeremiah 33:3 tells us that if we call on God, he will answer us. When we lift children living in poverty up in prayer, God hears us, and we can trust he's working on their behalf. Join us in praying daily for children living in poverty by becoming a prayer partner.
  • Donate: Children living in poverty face many challenges, from a lack of medical care to dangerous living conditions. You can provide immediate support by donating to fulfill a right-now need.
  • Sponsor a Child: By sponsoring a child, you empower a local church to meet the critical needs of a child's body, mind and spirit as they journey out of poverty. Through sponsorship, you'll help deliver medical care, hygiene training, education, malnutrition monitoring and so much more to a child in need. But most importantly, you'll help introduce them to the hope of the gospel, which changes everything.
Sponsor a Child in Ecuador