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