Student Officers
2025 - 2026
Jhonny: PRESIDENT
Katherine: VICE PRESIDENT
Tania: TREASURER
Brayan: SECRETARY
Meet FFGE’s 3 New Students
Marlon, Vilma and Blanca
These three students joined 21 other FFGE scholarship recipients in October 2024. They will be studying, respectively, Geospatial Engineering, Accounting, and Business Administration, each enrolled in a highly regarded Ecuadorian university. We wish them the best in their studies, and celebrate with their families in their bright futures. Think of all of these bright minds helping to develop Ecuador’s workforce!
Student Spotlight: Wilmer Lutuala
of Tingo Pucará, Guangaje, Cotopaxi, Ecuador.
Graduation, November 2024 Bachelors of Science, Agronomy, Universidad Tecnicá de Cotopaxi (the largest public university in the province of Cotopaxi).
FFGE Scholarship Recipient: 4 Years
Wilmer: Good afternoon, Dear Dr. David, I hope you are well. I want to express my sincere gratitude to you and the FFGE Foundation for your invaluable financial support, which has allowed me to continue and complete my academic studies.
I feel immensely happy and grateful for having reached this important goal in my life. My family is very proud of me and encourages me to continue with my studies. My community also recognizes this achievement as an inspiration [for my siblings and cousins to follow].
Pictured here is Wilmer (3rd from right) among other scholarship recipients during his first year at UTC.
December 2024 Newsletter
How will you celebrate? We celebrated with a small family meal, where we reflected on the challenges overcome and the value of effort (Wilmer has a wife and a 2-year-old daughter).
Who among your friends, family, and community has supported you during your studies? Mainly my parents and my wife have been fundamental pillars in my academic path (Wilmer is pictured to the below at his graduation with his mother, wife and daughter, and other family members).
Explain why you studied agronomy. What interests you about this area? I love nature and its connection with life. I am passionate about agronomy because it allows me to work directly with plants, soil, water and animals, contributing to the balance between the environment and agricultural production. I can contribute [to my community] by helping them improve agricultural productivity and sustainability through the implementation of modern techniques, education, access to markets and the conservation of natural resources, which are key to the economy of my community.
What are your immediate plans? My immediate goal is to work and form my own business related to the agricultural sector. I am interested in working in agricultural production or in research centers where I can continue to develop professionally. My plan is to stay in Cotopaxi, but if a good opportunity arises somewhere else, such as Quito or Cuenca, I would be willing to move to gain new experiences.
What is your dream job? My dream is to be a university professor, to share knowledge and educate future generations.
How did the support from Para El Futuro de Guangaje and the mentorship by Mr. Rodrigo Ilaquiche, FFGE Ecuador Director, help you achieve this goal? The financial support was fundamental to completing my studies, as it allowed me to focus completely on my academic training without worrying so much about financial difficulties. I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to Sr. Rodrigo Ilaquiche, for all of his support…his constant dedication, giving us motivational talks month after month, which has driven us to continue forward to achieve our goals.
Wilmer is second from right, among 8 graduates in the concentration of Agronomy.
Do you have any comments or advice for young indigenous people who want to continue their studies at university? If you dream of studying and becoming a professional, ask God for guidance and wisdom. Never limit yourself, keep a positive mindset and work consistently. Important achievements require effort and sacrifice, but with perseverance everything is possible. Trust in your abilities and keep going. Once again, I thank you very much for everything. May God bless you greatly in health, family and work. A big hug from afar,
Wilmer Lutuala, BS Agronomy.
Please consider donating to FFGE. All donations go directly to student support.
Fall 2024 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
I’m happy to send you our Fall 2024 Newsletter. As you know the mission of For the Future of Guangaje, Ecuador is to support the educational growth of financially needy indigenous, first-generation students from the Guangaje area of Cotopaxi Province of Ecuador. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are currently supporting 24 students from Guangaje at a number of universities; 6 at Universidad Central (the largest, most prestigious university in the highlands of Ecuador), 12 at Universidad Technica de Cotopaxi (UTC), 3 at ESPE, a public Polytechnical University, 1 at Universidad de Riobamba and a couple at other schools. They are studying a wide range of subjects including various areas of engineering, administration, education, accounting and dentistry. Ten of the students who go to school in Latacunga (ESPE and UTC) live in our dorm in Latacunga, which also serves as the administrative center for our work and a monthly meeting location for the students to meet with their mentors, Rodrigo Ilaquiche and Florinda Tigasi.
Each quarterly newsletter we will highlight a student to help you get to know them, where they came from and where they are going—they have wonderful goals and aspirations. In order to get to a university, they have overcome incredible obstacles of poverty and societal racism.
Student Spotlight
This month we are sharing with you the background of and interview with Rodrigo Toaquiza, senior, UTC, Systems Engineering
Rodrigo Toaquiza, one of our first scholarship students starting in 2019, is finishing his 4-year degree in Systems Engineering at the Technical University of Cotopaxi. He is working on his thesis now and plans to graduate in January. He will have been supported with a scholarship by “For The Future of Guangaje Ecuador” since 2019. The pictures show Rodrigo in 2019 receiving his laptop computer that is given to all FFGE scholarship recipients.
I asked him to send a brief statement and here is a summary of his comments to us:
“My name is Byron Rodrigo Toaquiza Ugsha. I am 24 years old. I am from the community of Chugchilán Pamba, which is part of the Guangaje parish, Pujili County, Cotopaxi Province. It is an honor to express my deepest gratitude for the scholarship that has been awarded to me. This scholarship has allowed me to finish my university studies. Your support and trust have been fundamental to reach this achievement. Your generosity and vision to nurture young talent like mine is truly inspiring. Your investment in my education has changed my life and has given me opportunities that I never thought could be possible, especially when I was in high school.
Rodrigo speaking at a meeting to celebrate the
opening of the dormitory in Latacunga
I also want to share with you that I am completing my thesis and will graduate soon with a Bachelor’s of Science in Systems Engineering in Information Systems. I plan to seek employment in a company doing cybersecurity, web design and mobile applications. I do plan to fulfil my commitment to help my family and my community with the skills I have acquired through my university education.
Thanks to the support I received from For the Future of Guangaje, which has had an enormously positive impact on my life and on the communities of Guangaje. I also want to express my gratitude for believing in me and for giving me and the other students you support. With the deepest respect and gratitude, I say thank to the board members and donors that partner with For the Future of Guangaje to support the students from Guangaje.”
Dave will be going to Ecuador in January to work on a medical brigade to Guangaje. He will also welcome 3 new students to our scholarship program.
Please consider donating to For the Future of Guangaje so that we can increase the number of students we support with college scholarships. It costs FFGE approximately $2000/year to sustain a student in college, provide him or her room, board, supplies, a computer and internet access as well as educational and financial mentorship and guidance. Please consider giving by going to the Donation page on our website www.forthefuturege.com.
Thank you!
David Wood
May 1, 2024
New FFGE Graduate Begins Career in TV and Radio
Student Update:
Ms. T. graduated last spring from Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi with a degree in Social Communications. She now hosts both a radio show and a TV show in the native language of her people - Kichwa. Obviously a very gifted young woman, Ms. T. has an incredible story of perseverance through difficult times of personal loss and financial stress. We celebrate Ms. T., her accomplishments, and her service to her community.
She says, “I sincerely thank those who, through their generosity make academic dreams possible. I fully recognize the value invested in higher education for young people, and I will strive to give back in the future through my commitment and contribution to the community and the foundation. I appreciate the trust you have shown in my skills and abilities.”
