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The Parroquia Maria Reina de Puerto Azul is a catholic church that serves the community of Puerto Azul, a neighborhood outside of Guayaquil. Every year the church organizes a Christmas celebration to take baskets with Christmas goods, presents, and food to schools in areas of the city that have been taken over by poverty.
In 2009 the distribution took place in the neighborhood schools of San Eduardo, “Alejo Lascano" and "Rey Jesus". This neighborhood was built around trash deposits in the northern part of Guayaquil where after several years the government finally moved the trash deposits so school can be built. However, the residents still live in extreme poverty and are neglected in this area.
This year in addition to the gifts and the party that the church was able to put together the children had an extra blessing thanks to the donation made Ronda McEwen & Raffi Ruotolo’s Sports Support, Christian Chavoya’s Christians Kids mentorship programs & Athletes for Education Foundation. The soccer gear from this generous foundation made Christmas even more special, especially coming from a far away place. Soccer in Ecuador is the number one sport and a successful way to keep kids off the streets, and in this case promoting soccer through the donated equipment is even more significant for these children and the society they live in.
Guayaquil is the largest city in Ecuador and undoubtedly one the most important. It serves as the nation's main sea port and is the heart of Ecuador's fishing and manufacturing industries. The city is extremely energetic and hectic. There always seems to be a large amount of traffic and people are constantly in a frenzy to get things done. Guayaquil is also known for its great night life and its lively people.
Guayaquil has experienced a great deal of growth and development since around 1990. City Mayor Jaime Nebot led a major construction campaign that has benefited the city greatly. There has been a great amount of new sidewalks, streets and highways built. There is also a new sewage system, underground phone and power lines, and a new bus transit system.
But along with being the biggest and most populous city, it is also the poorest and most troubled in the nation. Guayaquil has long been a refuge for poor people from around the country who migrate to the city looking for jobs and new opportunities. Recently there has also been a surge of foreigners, mainly from Colombia and Peru, who are seeking to make wages in dollars to send back home.
Poverty is evident throughout most areas of the city, but it is at its worst on the outskirts of Guayaquil. If one stands and looks out into the surrounding hills, it is hard to miss the thousands of houses that have been built there. They represent the worst slums of Guayaquil where extreme poverty is only one of the problems affecting the community. The levels of violent crime are extremely high and basic services such as clean water are non-existent.
On behalf of the Maria Reina de Puerto Azul church I would to thank Athletes for Education Foundation for their generous gift of soccer equipment. Below I am attaching pictures of the Christmas party in addition to a synopsis of the socio-economic conditions of Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Click on the photo to enlarge
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