Caring for
Manglaralto
Helping the community of Manglaralto, Ecuador.
We are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit.
Our Story
Manglaralto Giving is an organization dedicated to improving the well-being of vulnerable families living in the Parroquia of Manglaralto. Our mission is to help improve the lives of the families we serve by supporting their basic food and living needs.
The Parroquia of Manglaralto relies heavily on tourism as its main source of income. Other industries include shrimp farming, offshore fishing, and construction. By June 2024, a quarter of Ecuadorians were living below the national poverty line, with nearly one in ten living in extreme poverty. These adverse conditions have worsened existing regional disparities, with moderate poverty (measured at national poverty lines) affecting 43.2% of rural populations. The minimum wage is Ecuador is currently $470 per month.
Nearly 35% of children living in the Manglaralto area suffer the effects of malnutrition.
The Nest
The Nest is the first of its kind community center which provides social programs and support for residents of the Parroquia of Manglaralto.
In 2024, Manglaralto Giving joined forces with our local government leaders from GAD Parroquial Manglaralto and the Catholic Diocis of Santa Elena to open El Nido (The Nest). The Nest is located in a building directly behind the church in Manglaralto. It houses all the programs of Manglaralto Giving as well as our weekly senior citizen lunch. We also provide offices and workspace for social services such as physical and occupational therapy and psychological services.
Our Photo Gallery
Take a visual tour of many of our past Manglaralto Giving activities.
Our Programs
Manglaralto Giving focuses on five main programs:
BAMA (Banco de Alimentos Manglaralto) is our food bank program. We currently serve seventy-five families, every other week with food staples as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.
ManoAmigo program offers interest-free loans to existing, small businesses in our area.
ABCViky supports educational programs.
MiHogar provides items to help improve living conditions, such as new mattresses or cooktops.
El Nido is our home base to provide the senior lunch as well as a variety of other social services.
School Break Reading Program
This week we celebrated the final day of our first-ever School Break Reading Program!
24 students and families read over 230 books during school break. We celebrated each reader with certificates, ice cream, and cookies!
Thank you to Biblioteca de Manglaralto and our librarian Betsy Matias Baquerizo for keeping track of all the readers.
We plan to host this as a yearly event during school break! But what a great first year!
“A child who reads will be an adult who thinks.”
– Sasha Salmina
