On Saturday, Hands for Humanity Executive Director Kate Welp, a Saint Marys Hospital nurse, said the 52 children tried to escape the flood but weren’t strong enough.

“The currents were too swift for them, so they had to go up on the roof until someone could come help them,” Welp said.

Six sisters from a religious order in Ecuador take care of the children, who until now have subsisted on meager food, clothing and bedding.

All of that was destroyed in the flood, Welp said.

A $1,000 orphanage refrigerator to store bulk food recently purchased by Hands for Humanity through a Rochester donation was up a few steps and thus escaped damage. But nearly everything else of value in the orphanage —  blankets, mattresses, books, clothes — was destroyed.

Hands for Humanityhad previously scheduled a medical trip to Ecuador, with orphanage assistance included in its plans. Now, Welp said, the approximately 15 team members will need to assess conditions for the children and consult with the sisters to determine the highest priorities.

Two team members will go from South Dakota, one from Boston, and the rest from the Rochester region.

Welp said there’s not enough room on the plane, so the best way for donors to help is by monetary donations. HandsforHumanity.com, a nonprofit despite its dot-com web address, has a Paypal option for monetary donations.

The youngest of the children from the orphanage, ranging in age from 6 months to 17 years, were first carried to a waiting truck after water had receded from a height of about four feet.

All the children were then taken to another orphanage Friday. On Saturday, they were split into three groups and taken to places in three different communities, including, for one group, an empty building.

Ecuador does not have government-run emergency relief agencies to provide help. Rather, assistance will only come from community members, Welp said.

“Local people have shown up with chicken and rice and oil,” she said. A call went out on radio programs, asking for help for the kids.

Inspectors are checking the orphanage to see if it is structurally sound.

“To lose everything when you have nothing to begin with …,” Welp said, “it all makes me sad.” But, she said, “no one was hurt. That’s what we’re going to focus on. They’re all safe.”

The orphanage van was damaged, but is believed repairable. Immediate needs for the kids will be shelter, food and clothes. Welp also said that she told the religious sisters that people in the U.S. are praying for them.

Many of the children at the orphanage are survivors of physical, neglectful and sexual abuse.

“The whole thing is heartbreaking. These kids have been through so much,” Welp said.

In the summer of 1998, I had just returned from Portoviejo, Ecuador, where I spent seven long months completing the arduous process of finalizing our daughter’s adoption. The country of Ecuador was experiencing turbulent times and economic struggles. I witnessed first hand a devastatingly poor country becoming even poorer…and more desperate.

I returned to the United States with a beautiful, healthy and happy baby girl, and a new appreciation for life. I live in a relatively safe community with access to excellent medical care, education, and clean air and water. The people of Ecuador have no such luxuries; for many, it is a challenge to have their basic needs met. The two countries were worlds apart…more than just the distance on a map.

With the desire to give back to this community, I took my direction from the San Lucas Foundation of the Province of Manabi. They encouraged me to obtain several hundred doses of the Hib Titer vaccine, which I transported to their waiting hands! My plan was to just deliver the vaccinations and return home to continue my comfortable life. This was not to be the case! Seeing the overwhelming disparity in quality of life, I was inspired to give more.  In partnership with my dear friend, Louise Randall, Hands For Humanity was founded. One project has led to another, and our organization continues to grow.

Hands For Humanity has proved to be one of the most rewarding challenges of my life. Ecuador has become my second home, and provided me with a second family. With your generous support, I hope to continue the commitment we have made to the children of this impoverished country.

Kate Welp

Founder and Executive Director
Hands For Humanity

Read more about Hands For Humanity

Your tax deductible donation is a wonderful way to support the mission of Hands For Humanity. Any amount will help Ecuadorian children and families in need!  If you’d like to contribute a specific amount, here are costs of individual projects:

• $50.00 will buy groceries for a family during the holidays
• $1,000 will pay for college tuition for an Ecuadorian student
• $250.00 will provide a surgery for a child in Ecuador
• $75.00 will feed the children at the orphanage for one day

Visit our donate page for more details.
Thank you so much for your support!

“Ecuador opened my eyes to so many things I would have never thought of doing. I got to see how surgeries go and how much time they put into everything. I was able to see firsthand how much poverty there is in the world by going on house visits checking on patients from past years. They barely even had a house but as soon as we walked in we welcomed with huge smiles and hugs, and it seemed like they were very happy with their life’s. I want to go back to Ecuador again as soon as possible, help as much as I can, and be a part of changing people’s life’s.”
Sam, High School Student

“Being a volunteer on the medical missions trip  in February 2011 was a great life changing experience for me.  I am a recent nursing graduate and this was my first “nursing job”.  Working in a foreign country with supplies and ways different from those used at Mayo was a humbling experience. I was able to use the Spanish I have been learning since my last trip to Ecuador in May 2010 with the help of our amazing interpreters.  The patients we took care and their families were so appreciative of everything we did for them, it felt very rewarding to be a part of something so amazing.  I would love to go on another medical missions trip to Ecuador in the future with Hands for Humanity and have another amazing experience.”
Dawn, RN

“The trip to Ecuador was something I’ll want and need to do every year I can.  Even though we spoke a different language from those we were caring for, there wasn’t a huge language barrier. They knew we cared, and we knew they were happy to be given the opportunity to have their loved ones cared for. That’s what impacted me the most. The fact that we were so welcomed, appreciated, and that everyone around us was so willing to help each other all for the greater good of the patient. It was also a great immersion into another culture, especially the food!”
Winie, RN

“For the past 8 years I have had the privilege of volunteering with Hands For Humanity in Portoviejo, Ecuador.  The experience has been wonderfully rewarding for myself and my family.  Each year we return home to the United States with renewed perspective on what is truly important in life and gratitude for the blessings we have been given.  Our lives are enriched by the patients we treat and the Ecuadorian friends we have made.

Hands For Humanity has given my family and I the opportunity to provide orthopedic medical care to children who would otherwise go untreated.  We are very careful to treat those orthopedic problems which have a high likelihood for success and a low chance for complications, such as congenital hip dislocation and clubfoot deformity.  In addition to performing surgery, for the past several years we have been teaching local pediatricians how to perform a clubfoot casting technique so that children might avoid surgery.  Despite their hardships and limited resources, the patients and their families are remarkably happy, content, and grateful for any care which we can provide.

Local Ecuadorian physician staff and community members are partners with Hands For Humanity providing service in Portoviejo.  Four outstanding pediatric physicians identify patients who might benefit from surgery, perform the pre-operative evaluations, provide anesthesia for surgery and care for patients after their surgery.  Community volunteers provide meals for the workers, wash linen, provide transportation and assist with every aspect of the volunteer project.  Working closely with Ecuadorian physician staff and community volunteers has created many close and rewarding friendships.

Hands For Humanity has also provided non-medical service opportunities for my family.  My wife and children – ages 10, 12 and 13 – have worked at a Portoviejo orphanage painting, sewing clothing, building playground equipment and simply playing with local children.  Our children have learned about another culture, and although they won’t always admit it, they have even learning some Spanish.  They have learned that much of the rest of the world doesn’t always get 3 warm meals each day, have 2 cars and live in the suburbs.  The safe environment provided by Hands For Humanity has allowed us to feel comfortable with the modest risk inherent in traveling to a less-well-developed country and has made possible this terrific experience for our family.

My family and I are grateful for the service opportunities, the close friendships and the broadened perspective on life which Hands for Humanity has made possible.”
Anthony Stans, MD  

“Hello my name is Caylor Jose Escalante. I first met Kate in October of 2007 during a volunteer trip to an orphange in Ecuador with Hands for Humanity. The relationships I made with Kate and the rest of the volunteer team continue to remain strong to this day. Being able to witness first hand what a difference a group like Hands for Humanity could make in the lives of so many people truly touched my heart. The physical work that our team of volunteers accomplished during our stay in Ecuador was remarkable, but what amazed me the most is how emotionally rewarding that experience was. I knew that in the short amount of time I spent at the orphanage, I made an impact on many kids’ lives and that in itself made the trip worthwhile. Having just recently started my sophomore year at the University of Cincinnati, I continue to live my life according to the lessons I learned back in 2007. I would highly recommend this organization to anyone interested in volunteer opportunities such as these. I was accepted into Hands for Humanity with arms wide open and for that, I am very thankful.”
Caylor Escalante, Volunteer

Please visit our volunteer page for more details.