The Omprakash Foundation

Partnership with FABC

 Submitted by David Zonana (dzonana@bowdoin.edu) and Margot Kistler (mfkistler@wesleyan.edu)

Project Profile

Description and Background

Ecuador is a culturally and geographically diverse country overflowing with natural resources, and yet much of the population is unemployed and below the poverty line. The situation of many senior citizens throughout Ecuador particularly indicates this disparity of wealth. While many people emigrate away from the suffering economy in search of work, the oldest members of their family—usually too old or too sick to relocate—are often left alone to look after themselves. Furthermore, poor abuelitos in Ecuador suffer from minimal government representation and a deficit of public funds, to the extent that 86% of senior citizens were without social security and retirement benefits as of 2001.

Based in Quito, the capital and second-largest city in Ecuador, the FABC has worked to improve the circumstances of poor senior citizens from marginalized barrios for the past seven years. The foundation now provides for over 400 abuelitos, the majority of which live alone in inadequate conditions without the support of family and without access to steady income, social security, healthcare, or the fulfillment of basic needs. FABC’s mission is to equip the senior citizens with the tools necessary to help better their quality of life through learning and personal growth. It looks to promote a positive culture in which the abuelitos can live an active, dignified, healthy, and productive old age. Generally lonely and dispirited when they arrive at the foundation for the first time, most members rely on FABC as their only source of healthcare and their strongest network of support and social engagement. Many have learned about the foundation by word of mouth, and many travel over an hour by bus in order to benefit from services provided and to participate in activities on location at FABC headquarters.

Objectives and Activities

One of the FABC’s main objectives is to fulfill the basic health and nutritional needs of its members. It also encourages life-long learning, activity, and self-improvement through educational, recreational, and motivational services, which continue to expand and improve. Projects and services provided by FABC include:

• On-site doctor and medical clinic
• Physical rehabilitation center
• Literacy workshops
• Physical exercise classes
• Weekly day trips
• Breakfast and lunch four days a week
• Painting and drawing workshops
• Card-making workshop and business
• On-site bakery business
• Dances and games
• Choir
• Self-esteem and spirituality workshops
• Personal domestic visits
• Adopt an abuelito program

Need for Volunteers

Despite the wealth of services provided by the foundation, the administrators enthusiastically welcome motivated volunteers with the ability to better coordinate established projects or the initiative to spearhead new projects. The foundation offers a variety of services that guarantee that volunteers may work within their realm of interest, be it health, education, cooking, managing small business endeavors, or social work. In the past, volunteers have worked with the baking and marketing of bakery goods, leading personal health and literacy workshops and classes, leading up to forty abuelitos on weekly day trips, preparing meals, or travelling around Quito making house visits to check on the living and medical conditions of the abuelitos. A proficiency in Spanish would allow volunteers to take on more responsibility, though there are activities that could be performed with a more limited knowledge. The foundation also asks for a minimum commitment of 30 days from its volunteers.

Need for Material Resources

In Quito and throughout the world there are minimal resources and services aimed at addressing the needs of poor senior citizens. FABC recognizes this deficit and feels strongly that there is no moment in one’s life when they become less worthy of help, support, and fulfillment.

Donations to FABC can be made by donating to Omprakash and writing “FABC” in the check memo. If you have a special use in mind for your donation, please include it. All donations are tax-exempt in the U.S. In the near future we will post more information on this page that describes what kind of difference your donation can make.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like to learn more or help out. Direct any questions to David Zonana (dzonana@bowdoin.edu) or Margot Kistler (margot.kistler@gmail.com)