Uplifting Children in Rural Ecuador Through Backpacks, Education and Empowering Emotional Wellbeing
ECUADOR, IMBABURA PROVINCE — In a heartwarming collaboration, Love Peace Harmony Foundation volunteer Gady Ardila joined forces with the Threads Worldwide team to bring essential resources for both physical and mental-emotional wellbeing to children in Ecuador's rural communities.
For many children in Ecuador's underserved areas, basic necessities like backpacks are luxuries their families cannot afford. Having a sturdy backpack is crucial for carrying school supplies, enabling these children to participate fully in their education. Access to such essentials not only enhances their learning experience but also fosters a sense of dignity and motivation, contributing to breaking the cycle of poverty.
Threads Worldwide is a social enterprise dedicated to empowering women through fair trade, which partners with artisans across eight countries, including Ecuador, to create handcrafted jewelry and accessories. By fostering long-term relationships, Threads Worldwide ensures that artisans receive fair wages and sustainable employment opportunities. Notably, they fund locally made backpacks through the Andean Collection, providing vital support to both artisans and the children who receive these backpacks.
Love Peace Harmony Foundation volunteer Gady Ardila joined forces with the Threads Worldwide team to participate in a number of their events at various schools — including the Centro de Desarrollo Infantil María Montessori school, the Escuela de Educación Básica Juan Enrique Pestalozzi, and the Tangali community school — to distribute over 600 backpacks to children in need, as well as empower them to uplift their wellbeing through the Love Peace Harmony Field™. Watch as the children receive their backpacks in this video:
Each backpack contained one of our Love Peace Harmony calligraphy cards and Love Peace Harmony Song MP3 players, allowing the children to receive the continued uplifting benefits of the practices at home. During sessions led by Gady at each school, over 600 children ages 3 to 13-years-old, along with parents and teachers, learned how to connect with the emotionally harmonizing benefits of the Love Peace Harmony Field™ through tracing the calligraphy and singing the Love Peace Harmony song.
Participants shared positive and enthusiastic feedback, with many expressing that they enjoyed singing the song. Several teachers wanted to know how they could experience more, and expressed interest in future collaborations, including the potential for weekly Love Peace Harmony sessions in their schools.
This initiative exemplifies the profound impact we can have collectively by addressing both material needs and emotional well-being. United by a common goal of uplifting communities, both Threads Worldwide and the Love Peace Harmony Foundation are nurturing a brighter, more harmonious future for the children of our world.