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 9th grade, but
any education after the 9th 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 71st
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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