CRS History in Ecuador

Invited by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, Catholic Relief Services began our work in Ecuador in 1955 with the provision of food, medicine, clothes and school feeding programs. Over the years, poverty indicators, which remained somewhat stagnant, showed that charity and direct assistance were not breaking the cycle of poverty, especially among the country's most vulnerable groups. The provision of food and medicine was necessary in response to natural and man-made disasters but was not effective in changing the living conditions of Ecuador's poor.

In response, some sectors of the Catholic Church, working mostly with indigenous communities in the central highlands, began strengthening local organizations, improving access to land, and introducing new farming methods. Such initiatives proved that real, sustainable development requires a series of integrated programs of an economic, social and organizational nature. Meanwhile, CRS was shifting focus toward sustainable development, under the principle that the best way to meet the needs of the most vulnerable is by strengthening their ability to overcome the challenges they face. During the last five decades, CRS has built on this approach, serving many of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities in Ecuador with an investment of more than $60 million in humanitarian aid; natural disaster preparation and response; rural, health and childhood development programs; and microfinance.

In the 1980s, CRS began to focus more strategically on emphasizing community participation as a means for improving agricultural production, income and health care conditions. Today, CRS' approach promotes democratic and supportive relationships in homes, communities and the broader society, in addition to improving people's income and living conditions. CRS has established strong relationships with Catholic Church organizations and other agencies that share our principles and objectives, allowing us to reach those who are most in need.

Thanks to the trust of our donors, as well as the work of our partners, CRS has been able to strengthen local capacities and empower the poor and excluded. Our cooperative relationships with government organizations, civil society and human rights groups have allowed us to reform and create programs that are transforming the society in which we live.