Australia Helps Improve the Lives of Ecuadoreans

DAP sponsored a project aimed at providing affordable access to healthy fruits and vegetables amongst disadvantaged people living in Quito’s poorer suburbs.

The Australian Embassy in Santiago contributes up to AUD$70,000 annually to assist development work in Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador as part of the Australian Government’s Direct Aid Program (DAP).

During a visit to Ecuador, Julie Shiels and James Yeomans from the Embassy visited the aid program “Canasta de Alimentos y Consumo Responsable – Canasta Solidaria” – a project aimed at providing affordable access to healthy fruits and vegetables amongst disadvantaged people living in Quito’s poorer suburbs.
Australian funding has helped facilitate the program that established small community “canastas” which, under an organised framework, would pool money each fortnight to buy a designated collection of fresh fruit and vegetables from the market which would then be distributed amongst the community along with information and training on developing healthy eating habits.

The number of “canastas” has spread rapidly with hundreds of socially disadvantaged families now participating in the scheme which provides a range of healthy fruit and vegetables for just US$6 a fortnight.

The scheme has also built social contacts between people living in isolation such as single mothers and the elderly, thereby also strengthening the sense of community spirit of the participants.