Monseñor Oscar Romero Community Dining Room is a project run by Nun Sister Pastorita de Jesús De María in the impoverished La Pulida Alta district of Quito. The aim of the foundation is to provide support to children, young girls, adolescents, teenage mothers, and their families during difficult times. It provides a safe space where children of poor families can come for a meal and to do their schoolwork. Over the past 15 years, they have built a dining room and classroom and rely solely on benefactors to carry out their community work.
Why are Think Galapagos supporting this project?
Think Galapagos are proud to support this project, via our team on the ground in Ecuador, knowing that we can make a real difference to some of the poorest families in Quito.
Paulina, a member of the Think Galapagos team based in Quito, whose eagle eyes are invaluable in double and triple checking all the travel logistics before guests travel introduced Think Galapagos to this wonderful project. Here is a bit about Paulina’s involvement with the project….
Our Family’s Experience with the Monsignor Oscar Romero Community Dining Room
Over seven years ago, our daughter, Lucia, as part of her studies and social support, became familiar with this community centre. From there, she organized our family and friends to volunteer. She brought some goodies, cleaning kits and played with the children.
As a family, we joined the volunteering effort, and even though she has been living outside of Ecuador for two years now, we have continued to contribute each year taking school supplies, clothes, shoes, especially during Christmas and back-to-school season. Most importantly, we, along with family and friends, supported the reconstruction of a vital area of the centre that was severely damaged by a mudslide, which filled the area with dirt and water, nearly destroying it. The generous donations from many people and the community’s hard work were crucial.
Recently, we had the pleasure of receiving a donation from a couple from the United States, who visited through Think Galapagos. After learning about the work of Mother Pastorita, they brought school supplies and a laptop to the community dining room. The moment of handing over this donation was special for both the children and their parents, who were overjoyed and deeply grateful.
How it began…
In 2010, a local nun Sister Pastorita de Jesús De María, on a trip home to visit her elderly father visited families in the La Pulida Alta neighbourhood, where she encountered many sad and painful realities, such as children from dysfunctional homes. These children, as young as two years old, were left locked in dangerous conditions in a small room, with a kitchen, a gas tank, and matches. The meal consisted of a glass of Coca-Cola and two bread rolls.
Sister Pastorita did everything possible to help the children while she was there. She spoke with some neighbours, who suggested she report the children’s mother. With a smile, she said it didn’t seem fair to her. First, she needed to talk to the mother, listen to her, and help her. At times, she took the children with her to feed them, and every day she sought out more children. Eventually, she had eight children. Her house became a home for the children, and her only benefactor was her father, who supported her in whatever way he could.
When Sister Pastorita had to return to her work in child protection in Colombia she held a meeting to say goodbye to the children. The place became very sad. Tears flowed as the children cried out, “MOTHER, DON’T LEAVE!” The mothers also begged her to stay.
The idea of the dining room starts to take shape…
When local Pastor Father Diego Vinicio learned of Sister Pastorita’s departure, he suggested she start a dining room for the children, something he had been considering for some time but couldn’t do alone. He needed someone who loved children and fought for them, and Sister Pastorita was the right person.
Later that month Father Diego invited her to a ordination at the Church of La Compañía, where he introduced her to Friar Jesús Espinosa. Father Diego asked him to convince the sister not to return to Colombia and to help them with the foundation of the dining room for poor children. She agreed!
Sister Pastorita stays to start the dining room project
The dining room started very simply, with each child bringing a plastic plate, a spoon, and a cup—none of them were new or very clean. Sister Pastorita and the children began washing and disinfecting their plates with cleaner to make them look better.
On the first day, in the midst of poverty, the number of children had grown from eight to many more. They started cooking with firewood in the yard, and every day the children enjoyed looking for firewood in the forest for the next day’s lunch. For them, this was the greatest happiness.
At first, the dining room operated in the pines of La Pulida Alta. The house where they lived was surrounded by forest and had a slope, which was a constant danger to the children. They resembled monkeys, swinging on ropes to jump to another tree.
The project progresses with more benefactors
By December 2010, the project had connected with other benefactors, firstly “SONRISA PARA UN NIÑO” FOUNDATION, who put them in contact with the “ATRAPA SUEÑO” group. They, in turn, involved other groups like “SUEÑOS DE ÁNGELES” and “GRUPO P L 60.” This was the beginning of the Monseñor Oscar Romero dining room.
The first task was to find a safer location for the children.
On December 24, during the Christmas Mass, Mr. Miguel Santo, who resides in the U.S., called Sister Pastorita and gave her land as a gift for her work—specifically, for the children’s dining room.
In February 2011, Mrs. Rosa Guama offered Sister Pastorita a space in her home to work with the children for one year. This is where the children’s dining room currently operates. Many groups have contributed to the children, from building a prefabricated classroom to covering it with plastic sheets for walls and roof. Today, thanks to all the groups that have done social work in the dining room, they have the land cleared.
Address: La Pulida Alta, Leopoldo Arcos Lot 241
Phone: 2295268
Cell: 0987057009
Email: agulaniajipijapa@yahoo.es
