Sandra, 28 years old, lives with her husband Freddy, 31 years old, and her two children Abraham, 5 years old, and Antoni, 4 months old. The family live in Quito, except for Freddy, who had to leave the family to go search for work in Ambato, another part of Ecuador. The work opportunities in Quito are extremely limited, and although Freddy was able to find work away, he can only see the family every 15 days.
Abraham, Sandra’s oldest son, gets sick extremely easily. Their house tends to be cold and wet, as the roof does not properly keep out the rain. This causes Abraham to frequently have colds or flus. Despite this, the family still only can afford to go to the doctor when it is absolutely necessary. Abraham also attends school, but the only school with bus routes that run in the area, is far away from the family. This makes it a challenge for the family to be able to get him to school.
Sandra is unable to work because she has to care for her children, specifically the baby. Because of this, the family must survive on the one income that her husband, Freddy, makes. This means that the family is not able to afford high quality healthy foods, putting them at risk for malnutrition. They are also not able to afford better transportation for Abraham to attend a closer school.
Pan de Vida plans to support Sandra and her family in several ways. Providing them with healthy food in the form of groceries, doctor’s appointments for the whole family, and activities such as the hot food program where Sandra can connect with other mothers of young children. The strength that Sandra and Freddy have shown in both their marriage and caring for their children is incredible. If you are touched by this family’s story, please don’t hesitate to help Pan de Vida continue to support this family.
