March
to save children's programs
A large march in defense of the country’s preschool programs was held in
the streets of Quito on Thursday June 24. Delegates from 103 organizations that
work with 120,000 children in all the provinces of Ecuador came to the captial
to demand the sustainabilty of the holistic development programs geared toward
country’s most marginalized children.
The marchers, with strong participation ofromthe YMCA, won support for the preservation
the Children’s Development Fund from the Social Welfare Minister. The Minister
received a commission of organization directors and various congressional representatives
in his office, who spoke to him in defense of the programs. Then the march headed
to the National Congress, and two representatives spoke to the congressional
general commission. One of these spokes people was the Y’s own Edgar Andrade,
director of the Y’s children’s program Circles of Recreation and Learning.
The march, organized in 48 hours, allowed children’s issues to be positioned
as a priority not only before the government, the Congress and Social Welfare
Ministry, but also in public opinion, due to wide media converage of the event.
It also confirmed the support and commitment of the Welfare Minstry and several
congressional representatives for the continuation of the programs.
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