Fundraising Goals
Resources for international exchange programs
Annual Goal:
$100,000
Rationale for need
PDE students require funds for international travel for seminars, training opportunities, and extended study periods at partner institutions outside of Ecuador. PDE students who have been able to pursue these opportunities have seen demonstrable benefits in obtaining jobs and admittance to graduate programs, as in the case of Santiago Gualapuro from the Otavalo Nation, a first generation student now holding a Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from Ohio State University and working as Assistant Professor at the School of Languages and Linguistics at Northern Illinois University Carbondale.
Living expenses for PDE students at USFQ
Annual Goal:
$200,000
Rationale for need
PDE students at USFQ in Quito come largely from households with incomes of less than $1,000 per month. These students often come from large families, and their lack of resources limit their options for housing and other items during their time at USFQ. We will focus first on Waorani, Cofan, and Siona students who have less access to higher education and whose families only have income from exploiting rainforest resources. We are extremely proud to name Liliana Nango, the first Waorani woman to graduate from a university in the history of her Nation.
Mental health support services
Annual Goal:
$50,000
Rationale for need
PDE students share the same mental health struggles common among young people. These issues are often exasperated by the stresses experienced by students from underprivileged backgrounds in a university setting. Medical insurance in Ecuador does not cover mental health treatment. The lack of resources for mental health care threatens the very high retention rate of PDE students at USFQ. Although all our students are required to have health insurance, in case of medical emergencies they must cover at least 20% copayment. In many instances, PDE students do not have these kinds of resources.
