Plantain flour factory in Ecuador

Before this intervention, I thought that nobody paid attention to me, nor that they were interested in me. I felt very sad and forgotten. Now I feel happy—all my friends and me—because we have a place to learn about God and His Word, a place where they pay attention to us and teach us valuable things for our lives in the future. They take us into account even when we are small.

This new plantain factory means we will have a place to learn and a job to help our families because sometimes we don’t have enough money and life is difficult.

I have learned that God cares how we eat and how we take care of our bodies. God is our provider, and He will help us through hard times. God has perfect plans for each one of us.

Thank you very much, beloved donors, for thinking of us and our families. We are blessed with your help.

Thank you for equipping the local church in Echeandía to expand the reach of their children’s ministry by increasing their capacity to generate sustainable economic resources through the establishment of a plantain flour factory. Thanks to the new plantain factory you helped build in Echeandía, parents have real hope for the future, and children will experience freedom from poverty as they grow up to become all God created them to be.

Despite continuous challenges and an extended process, the church has faithfully complied with all objectives regarding construction and training. Due to sanitary and registry legalities, the factory has not yet officially opened, but once we have obtained the proper permits, the church is eager for beneficiary children and youth to learn the flour processing and production—observing their hard-working parents and gaining future marketable skills for themselves.

So far, 100 parents have participated in three technical agricultural training sessions thanks to the expertise of an agronomist engineer. Parents are excited to put their learnings into practice and are better equipped to apply new tools to manage and care for their crops. Church leaders have completed their training on how to produce plantain flour, so they are ready to support the new employees once the factory is allowed to open. The original goal was to employ 25 caregivers of beneficiaries, while also purchasing plantain harvested at a fair price from caregivers in the Echeandía community. Currently, the factory can support three caregivers but as production and revenue grow, we hope that more caregivers will soon find steady employment at the new factory. Discussions have already been held with parents to establish a standard price.

With God’s help, the church has overcome many obstacles throughout the three-year intervention—and has learned valuable lessons along the way, like how to trust God when launching a business of this magnitude. Throughout a challenging yet rewarding process, the church has learned that it is important to never give up, even when all factors are against you. They recognize that perseverance and trust in God are key to success. Teamwork and planning were also big takeaways. The church also learned the importance of carrying out in-depth research on even small details to reduce errors and avoid delays.

Local pastor Alexander says, “It has been a process of many challenges, but a manifestation of God’s power since He has provided the resources to fulfill our goal. We are giving our best effort to fully achieve the execution of the banana flour factory. As a church we are committed to this endeavour since it is our goal to generate a steady source of work for families in urgent need.” As people have come to recognize the local church as a trusted source of true help and hope, the church has been thankful for this public opportunity to share God’s love with families. As anticipation for the plantain factory opportunity has grown over the past three years, it has stirred hope in the community, with many parents, children and youth benefiting from the process.

Thank you for believing in this church and investing in these families to bring financial security and freedom so children can be freed from the heartbreaking cycle of poverty. With your generous support, caregivers in Ecuador will soon be able to earn a dignified, sustainable income from the plantain flour factory so they can provide for their children’s daily needs. Thank you for restoring hope to families living in poverty so they can work toward a brighter future.

Your gift of the plantain factory has created hope and caregivers are looking forward to beginning the process of learning how to make plantain flour. Young participants and caregivers have received technical training in the preparation of plantain flour. The community and parents see how the church is working for the economic well-being of families in the community. They recognize the church as an entity that cares about them in all aspects of their lives.

This factory is a breakthrough in terms of creating sources of work to involve youth and parents. The church has become a trusted resource for Echeandía. The intervention has led us to extend ourselves, to think in ways that we had not previously thought about the kingdom of God and to learn valuable lessons. Our community will be positively impacted as jobs are created over time and a healthy and affordable product will be made available.

The creation of the plantain factory has created a high level of trust and commitment. Beneficiaries and caregivers trust the church, which has not been easy to achieve. However, this intervention has made a notable difference as it constitutes solid proof that the church is in this community to help in every aspect and contribute to children’s holistic development.

We offer our immense gratitude to our dear donors for your generous help, as well as for your patience and understanding throughout the whole process. The trust you have placed in us is of great value. Therefore, we are managing very wisely the resources given to us for this venture. May God continue blessing and prospering you in every area of your lives. Many hugs to you.