Ecuador recap: how the Advancing Life Foundation has helped shape entire communities

ASEA Vice Chairman and Founding Executive Chuck Funke visited in person dozens of ongoing programs in Ecuador to see firsthand the impact The Advancing Life Foundation—along with Choice Humanitarian—have had on many communities in Ecuador with some being graduates of the Inta-Kara Advancing Life Center.

Imbabura Province, Ecuador

The Inta-Kara center sits in a remote, mountainous area of Intag in Imbabura Province of Ecuador. This area has a population of around 20,000 with the vast majority living well below poverty levels with an average income of around $260/month. These factors were among the many reasons the ASEA Advancing Life Foundation chose to have an impact here.

Finishing the Inta-Kara Center

In 2021, the Inta-Kara Center completed construction, and since then, has helped hundreds of students to find a place in the workforce when their options were so slim before. Chuck was able to visit some of these personally to witness the impact Choice Humanitarian and the ASEA Advancing Life Foundation have had.

From textiles to honeybees

Opportunity was hard to find before, and though we still have some ways to go, change is happening. Whether it’s manufacturing soap with homeopathic properties, parchment paper made from yucca, or operating a traditional African textile sewing co-op, the impact your donations have had is palpable. Every dollar goes a long, long way.

Guarango farming

One of the largest current operations is that of cultivating and farming. The Guarango tree is used in various contexts like textiles, leathers, paints, and cosmetics. It is even used in cooking for flavoring or as a natural healing agent.

With our support, Choice Humanitarian has donated the heavy machinery used to a co-op, in order to process the seeds. All seeds are initially collected by hand, off the ground. Just imagine what they could accomplish with more donations.

Sewing co-op in Salinas, Ecuador

Many don’t know about the strong Afro-Ecuadorian culture present in Ecuador, primarily in the northwest coastal region. In Salinas, there exists a sewing co-op where mostly women and single mothers make traditional African clothing to market and sell.

You would have to see this clothing firsthand to truly appreciate the quality, the color, and the passion these women are putting into every piece they make, a stark contrast to the fast fashion you see in shopping malls.

Because of your continued support of the ASEA Advancing Life Foundation we can help Choice Humanitarian breathe life into these communities by providing these women with 20 brand new sewing machines.

If you want to continue to see these communities—and countless others—break the cycles of generational trauma by providing them a way to sustain their lives and the lives of their communities, make a donation. Every single dollar has an impact.

*This is not a guarantee of any particular income. Individual results will vary. Please refer to our income disclosure statement at aseaglobal.com/opportunity/ This material is intended for a US audience only.