In Quito about 53,000 children suffer from malnutrition. Experts believe that the closure of the ‘Guagua Centros’ – where they received five meals a day – has an impact.
One of the social problems that the country has not been able to combat is child malnutrition.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the malnutrition Chronic childhood affects 27.2% of children under 2 years of age in Ecuador and, on average, one in four infants has feeding problems and one in two minors in rural areas suffers from this condition.
Only in Quito, there are approximately 53,000 minors who suffer from it, according to the Technical Secretariat Ecuador Grows Without Child Malnutrition.
In the capital, official data also detail that the higher incidence of kids with malnutrition is one of those who they work together with their families, in any of the 54 markets and centers from supplies.
For Albertina Cobo, pediatric gastroenterologist, the children who work in the markets they must do work of loading and unloading food. “These works to supply the markets are done many times at dawn, this demands more to their bodies. First, they shouldn’t do it, but also their feeding does not make up this envelope effort“, Explain.
It is estimated that about 25,000 children work in Quito; 71% of them are between 5 and 15 years old.
The Guagua Centros were an option
Given this, the mayor of Quito, Santiago Guarderas; Edwin Ronquillo, technical secretary of Ecuador Grows Without Child Malnutrition; and Luis Enrique Coloma, presidential advisor, reviewed the plan for the Prevention and Reduction of Chronic Malnutrition in Children.
Guarderas said that this analysis will serve as an input to start working on this problem. Although a concrete plan. That is when Ana María de la Torre, a nutritionist, remembers that Quito had a project aimed at reducing child malnutrition: Los Guagua Centers.
De la Torre recalls that one of the objectives of these centers that welcomed more than 9,000 minors was to combine a model of playful education with a four-meal regimen during the daily shift, from 08:00 to 16:00.
The Program that worked since 2014 cHe was accompanied by professionals and followed-up with families so that the children’s nutritional progress is not complicated by bad habits at home.
“Actually, letting this project die was a mistake because results were seen,” says De la Torre.
For 2018, data from the San José Board of Trustees showed that 72% of children, that is, 6,480 minors had overcome malnutrition since they entered the Guagua Centers. Of this percentage, 91% also came out of severe anemia.
No reopening plans
Before leaving the Mayor’s Office, Jorge Yunda indicated to LA HOUR that the Guagua Centers They would reopen from October.
Santiago Guarderas, who assumed the position of Mayor since September 30, 2021, detailed that they are looking for alternatives “More than children, of initial education. We are doing analysis to help in this part of education that is fundamental ”. However, it has not specified whether this model, which had 200 Guagua centers, may be resumed.
Inequality and lack of opportunities
Cristina Almeida, president of the Nina Warmi Foundation, indicates that the closure of these centers is “insensitive to the harsh reality that all these women and mothers are going through. The urgency of mothers who are heads of households, who need to work to support themselves, are becoming invisible ”.
The activist and lawyer points out that this truncates women’s right to work, which widens the inequality gap that already exists with men. “There are thousands of women who will withdraw from the workplace, because upbringing and care continues, erroneously, to fall back on the mother figure.”
Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC), through the Poll National Health and Nutrition (Ensanut), published in January 2020, give a reason for this. It is estimated that only 6.4% of parents take care of or get involved in the activities of their children. While this same role is fulfilled by 50.6% of mothers. The remaining percentage is in other members of the household, such as siblings, grandparents or uncles. (AVV)
Some Effects of Child Malnutrition
- Anemia
- Lowering the defenses
- Learning disorders
- Growing problems
- Loss of muscle mass
Los Guagua Centros funcionan desde 2014. Han sido reconocidos por organizaciones internacionales, como el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo.
