Second and Third Quarters 2021
Dear Supporters:
.
Greetings from our teams in Ecuador and the United States! I hope that you and your families are staying well during this time.
.
COVID19 continues to impact the communities we serve in the Alausí, Ecuador region. When I created the Maria Lida Foundation in 2018 with the aim to use tourism as a vehicle for economic development, I never could have imagined what was ahead. However, I am incredibly grateful to God for His provision to continue our initiatives the past 18 months. I am also very grateful to our supporters, our team, and the community of Alausí, Ecuador for their commitment to forge ahead during these trying times.
.
As always, thank you all very much for helping our cause. I am inspired by the dedication our supporters and teams have shown to produce change in Ecuador, and have no doubt that there is a bright future ahead!
.
Sincerely,
.
Shannon Turner
Founder and CEO
.
Ryan's ASK Program
(Alausí Scholarships for Kids)
As noted in our last newsletter, we launched a new program, Ryan's ASK, to provide tuition scholarships for students to attend the local San Francisco de Sales (SFS) school.
.
SFS is a school in Alausí, Ecuador that provides high quality education and serves students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Due to COVID19, many parents have had to withdraw their children from the school as they could no longer afford the tuition costs. This has greatly impacted children's education and how many teachers and staff the school can continue to employ.
We are thrilled to announce that we have raised enough funds to sponsor 16 students for the 2021-2022 school year!
.
This new initiative will help support our mission of promoting self-sustaining economic development using education as a vehicle. We are excited to invest in the community's education and local economy through this program, by helping students continue to receive a quality education and allowing the school to keep teachers and staff on board!
.
Our sincerest thanks to all sponsors of this initiative. May God bless you for your generosity!
.
.
English Program
.
Due to the pandemic, we had to temporarily pause our adult English program as there were many constraints facing our students and teachers. However, we are thrilled to announce that in May 2021 we resumed our program virtually, and our Third Cohort officially graduated from our Program last week!
.
We could not be more proud of our students and staff! They have shown us what perseverance looks like, and we are grateful for their commitment to education.
.
Many thanks to all who have supported this flagship program. We are grateful to God and each of you for the ability to invest in the future of Alausí!
.
If you would like to learn more about our English program for adults in the Alausí, Ecuador community or how to support this initiative, please visit the link below:
.
.
Ecuador Homecoming
.
We plan to launch a new initiative, Ecuador Homecoming, in Summer 2022! This project will celebrate those who have a connection to Ecuador and are currently living in the United States.
.
This mission will involve the Maria Lida Foundation planning a weeklong trip to Ecuador (including Alausí) that will be full of fun and adventure! The aim of this project is to help the local businesses and economy get back on their feet in the aftermath of COVID19.
.
This trip will take place in late June until early July 2022. If you are interested in attending or learning more about this wonderful project, you may contact us at admin@marialidafoundation.org.
.
Please stay tuned for additional details on this exciting initiative!
.
.
Faces of Alausí
.
To support our mission, we believe it is extremely important to help promote the local businesses and entrepreneurs in Alausí. Please enjoy this section of our newsletter, Faces of Alausí, to learn more about Alausí's community members.
.
Luisa, Cafeteria Restaurante Estacion del Tren
.
Meet Luisa, the owner of Cafeteria Restaurante Estacion del Tren, one of the area's restaurants.
.
"The reason I decided to open my business is because as an Alausena, I wanted to be able to create jobs and contribute to the economy of the town. I also wanted to have the chance to welcome National and International tourists with kindness and love. Even though times have been rough due to the pandemic, we have to continue with the hopes that things will get back to the way they were before."
.
Cafeteria Estacion del Tren offers a wide variety of cuisine including Ecuadorian, American, and Italian. It also accommodates those who have restricted diets. We highly recommend this business if you are looking for fantastic meals in Alausí, Ecuador!
.
.
.
.
SAVE THE DATE
2021 Virtual Fundraiser Event
.
We are pleased to invite you to our second Virtual Fundraiser event!
.
Although we will be sending out an official invitation shortly, here are the details:
.
Date: Saturday, October 16, 2021
Time: 10:00 AM ET
Link: Zoom link
Passcode: 057235
Meeting ID: 841 4547 1933
.
At this hour-long event, you can expect to learn more about our impact, hear from special guests, participate in an auction, earn the chance to win a gift card for your future travel plans, and more surprises!
.
Last year's participants told us how much they enjoyed the event, so you do not want to miss out!
.
Maria Lida Foundation Team Highlight
.
"I wanted to serve as the President of Maria Lida Foundation's Board because it was a wonderful opportunity to honor the memory of my mother by helping her hometown in some meaningful way."
.
-Patrick O'Neill, Board President of Maria Lida Foundation
.