Mooresville Woman Raising Funds to Create an Orphanage in Ecuador

Mooresville, N.C. - A woman living in Mooresville is raising funds to create and build an orphanage near Manta, Ecuador. Miriam Arteaga, a 54 year old woman, came to the United States with her five children when she was 27 years old in search for better life. 27 years later, she is planning to return to Ecuador in order to create an orphanage for young girls who are in need.

            The initiative, commonly called “The Ecuador Project”, was established in 2010 as a 501c3 non-profit organization with the ultimate goal of giving a better, brighter future to the children of Ecuador.  Miriam’s husband, “Buddy” Lagle, helps run the non-profit, as well as their business, which is called “Creative Upholstery and Canvas” (1113 Brawley School Road, Mooresville, NC).

            “I’ve been given many great opportunities since coming to the United States 27 years ago.  However, many Ecuadorians aren’t that fortunate. In my occasional trips back to Ecuador, I’ve witnessed firsthand the extreme poverty in which many of these children live on a daily basis. Many of these children don’t have adequate access to food, shelter, clothing, or education. What’s worse is that many of these children live in poor family conditions, where the father may be a substance abuser.  It is my vision to help get some of these children out of these horrible conditions and help them go to college.” said Arteaga.

            The education system in Ecuador is slightly different than it is in the United States.  In 2008, an amendment was added to the Ecuadorian Constitution allowing undergraduate students to gain higher education in public universities for free, as long as they met the academic admission standards of the institution.  Unfortunately, being able to meet these admission standards can be quite challenging. Public education in Ecuador is provided at no cost through the 9^th grade, but any education after the 9^th grade must be paid by the parents or another entity. 

           

            The public education system in Ecuador is also commonly known to be one of the worst in South America. In a recent article by PR Newswire, a study of 104 countries was released showing the countries with the worst public education systems, Ecuador ranked 71^st on the list. The only South American countries ranked lower were Venezuela (74th) and Bolivia (73rd).

           

            To address the long-term sustainability of the project, Miriam, along with students from the UNC Charlotte Enactus team (formerly known as SIFE), are developing cocoa butter lip balms and hand lotions. These products will be manufactured by artisans in Ecuador and sold through e-commerce and in “Mom and Pop” shops in the Charlotte region. In March, Miriam will be returning to Ecuador for five months to do further research on creating the cocoa butter products and identifying a location for the orphanage.

            Currently, Miriam is raising funds through a crowdfunding website called GoFundMe.com.  She hopes to raise $15,000 in order to purchase the land on which the orphanage will be placed. Further fundraising campaigns will be launched in the latter half of 2013. All together, Miriam hopes to raise $80,000 for the construction of the orphanage. 

People can donate to Miriam’s cause by visiting http://www.gofundme.com/1y2afg and they can learn more information about The Ecuador Project by visiting and liking her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/theecuadorproject, or going on her website at www.theecuadorproject.org. For more information, you can contact Miriam Arteaga, The Ecuador Project Founder, at Miriam.Arteaga@gmail.com. 

The Ecuador Project Profile

The Ecuador Project is a 501c3 non-profit organization established in 2010 by Miriam Arteaga. The Ecuador Project aims to improve the quality of life and standard of living of children in Ecuador by forming and managing an orphanage near the city of Manta, Ecuador.

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Enactus in the Pro's: Sarah Camp

UNC Charlotte Enactus is the closest you can get to real world experience while in college. Because of this many companies come to us looking to give our students internships and jobs.  Below is just one of our success stories.

Name: Sarah Camp                                                                                                        

Hometown:  Oak Ridge, NC

Currently live in Charlotte, NC

Currently work for AXA Equitable as a Technology Associate- Data Analyst

Year Graduated:  May 2010

Major(s) and minor(s): Major: Business Management; Minor: Management Information Systems

Leadership positions while in Enactus: Co- project leader for Play Pals and chairperson for team building activities

Semesters in Enactus: I began Enactus my first semester as a freshmen in 2006 and finished Enactus when I graduated in May 2010. I was involved with Enactus all 4 years of my college career.

What does Enactus mean to you? : Enactus is a great public service driven organization with a business twist on all the projects. This organization taught me how to network, improve my public speaking skills, business etiquette and all the components that go into leading a project. I had a great experience in this organization and would encourage every one of all majors to join.

SIFE Is Now Enactus

“Our organization was created almost 40 years ago—long before concepts like micro-loans and social enterprises even existed—in order to prove the transformative power the entrepreneurial spirit can have in people’s lives,” said Alvin Rohrs, Enactus’ CEO. “Our core belief has always been that the same kind of creativity and rigor and accountability that fuels businesses around the world is not only transferrable but actually essential to human progress.”

The organization has pioneered a groundbreaking model that deploys student teams, with the advice and support of academic and business leaders, to design and implement community empowerment projects in 39 countries. “Our organization is built around a core set of principles, rather than a specific formula,” notes Mat Burton Enactus’ Chief Marketing Officer. “Every year we literally create 1,600 ‘innovation labs’—each finding innovative ways to address difficult challenges in communities around the world.”

“There’s really nothing else quite like it,” added Rohrs. “We needed a name that reflected that uniqueness. Something that captured the entrepreneurial spirit that fuels everything we do. We were also eager to create a name that reflected how global this organization has become. Entrepreneurial action is not something that is relevant to a single culture or nationality. What we do is just as powerful in Shanghai as it is in Sao Paulo, just as transformative whether we are in San Francisco or Sydney.

In fact, the name change is only the first step in an aggressive effort to expand the organization’s level of reach and impact. Equally important is the influence Enactus has on the 57,000 students that participate in creating projects each year. The experience has a profound impact on the kind of leaders they become, and the type of work they choose to do in their lives.

“This is a time for leaders who can see opportunity where others can’t, and turn that opportunity into value. Leaders who can look beyond the status quo and bring imagination and ingenuity and a sense of possibility to the challenges of our time,” said Rohrs. “Enactus is committed to fostering that kind of leader.”

View the official press release HERE.