Author: bauerde

We are always looking for new ways to engage with community organizations to establish a relationship and to expand our support of efforts in education and capacity building. We are happy to announce our newest collaboration with Infocentro Salango. The Infocentro is a community computer and educational center that provides free services, training, and certification to community residents. The center aims to promote computer literacy to rural residents in the community of Salango. REDI is excited to work with Infocentro Salango to continue to bring positive changes to rural Ecuador.

2018 was a great year for us at REDI. The single measure of the success of the year is how we are able to help others. Much of our effort was spent on providing monthly support to individuals in need by giving monthly food baskets. We also worked to continue to promote rural development efforts by supporting local institutions in rural Ecuador. One example is our support of the annual balsa festival held in the village of Salango. We closed out the year by providing holiday food baskets to families and individuals in need through our own efforts, as well as through a partnership with the Asociación de Personas con Discapacidad de la Parroquia Salango. As we move into 2019, we encourage you to continue to share your good fortune with others and to seek out ways that you can make a difference in the lives of others.

Christmas giving.

Monthly food support.

Balsa Festival.

REDI was founded on the basic premise of providing for communities and individuals in need. Simply, REDI is about giving. Our work started years ago with a request for books for a small school in Manabí, Ecuador. Since that time, we have continued to give to rural communities through a variety of initiatives including construction projects on rural schools, supporting teacher salaries, economic support for small-holder business initiatives, providing monthly food subsidies to elderly individuals in need, and delivering holiday gift baskets to needy families. Our gift basket project will continue this year. Each gift basket will include basic necessities such as cooking oil, sugar, rice, flour, milk, canned goods, fruits and vegetables, as well as a whole chicken and some holiday sweets. However, the baskets are much more than the contents. The baskets symbolize the spirit of the holiday season and the joy of giving. Supporting REDI is easy. You can make a donation via the contributions page on this site. All donations are tax deductible and will be processed securely via PayPal. Thank you for your support of REDI.

The 2018 Festival de la Balsa Manteña took place on October 7th. The festival occurs annually and celebrates the Indigenous heritage of the Manabí coast and cultural diversity in Ecuador. REDI was proud to support the festival. The rationale behind supporting cultural festivals such as the Festival de la Balsa Manteña is to aid in the promotion of tourism. The festival is one of the most prominent events that draws tourists to the community of Salango and that provides a source of income for many local residents. Simply put, the better the festival, the more visitors, the more money for the local economy. REDI funds went directly to hosting outside presenters and to providing meals through the hiring of local residents to purchase food and prepare meals. Here are some of the images from the festival. Despite poor weather, it was well attended.

Balsa Festival.

Each year the community of Salango hosts the Festival de la Balsa Manteña to commemorate the Indigenous heritage of the Ecuadorian coast and to celebrate the ethnic diversity present in Ecuador. Beginning in 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, the festival takes place each October. The festival is one of the largest cultural events on the Manabí coast. The focus of the festival is the construction and sailing of a balsa raft similar to those sailed by the pre-Columbian inhabitants of coastal Ecuador. Musicians, dancers, and other entertainers from Ecuador and abroad also take part in the festivities. In addition, the festival provides an important economic boost to the host community of Salango. This year, REDI is working closely with local organizers in support of the festival. In part, REDI will be providing meals and financial support for travel for the various performers who will be attending the festival from throughout Ecuador.

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