In the quiet hills of Ecuador, local elder, Angelita Chonillo León has witnessed her community change in ways she once thought impossible. A mother of six, she remembers the years when every meal was uncertain and hunger was part of daily life.
“If I had a little food,” she recalls, “I would give it to my children and go hungry myself.”
For families like Angelita’s, food scarcity isn’t just about empty plates—it’s about survival. Droughts destroyed crops, erratic rainfall made farming unpredictable and limited access to seeds or irrigation meant that harvests often failed.
In many parts of rural Ecuador, families depend almost entirely on small-scale farming. When the weather changes or crops fail, there’s no backup—no grocery store nearby, no savings to buy food and few opportunities to earn an income. Over time, these challenges deepen the cycle of poverty, leading to malnutrition, poor health and loss of education as children leave school to help their families find food.
For Angelita, that meant years of watching her community struggle with the fear of not knowing where the next meal would come from.
Understanding the root causes of hunger
Across Latin America and the world, hunger often stems from a combination of poverty, climate change and inequality. Droughts and floods disrupt planting seasons, while rising costs of food make it even harder for families to recover.
In communities like Angelita’s, a single poor harvest can set families back for months, forcing them to skip meals or sell livestock just to get by. Over time, chronic hunger weakens immune systems, increases the risk of disease and affects children’s ability to learn and grow.
The impact is generational: when food is scarce, futures shrink. But when families have what they need to feed themselves, everything changes—health improves, children go to school and communities thrive.
A partnership that changed everything
Everything began to shift when World Vision partnered with Angelita’s community. Through training, access to seeds and tools and Family Food Baskets during lean seasons, families were able to rebuild their food systems from the ground up.
The baskets—filled with rice, grains, sugar and cooking oil—provided immediate relief.
Angelita says, “Since World Vision started visiting us, it’s been a joy. We received baskets full of food—everything essential for a household. What they gave me could last for almost a month.”
What began as emergency food support soon became a foundation for self-sufficiency. Families learned to plant drought-resistant crops, diversify their harvests and form savings groups to strengthen resilience. The rhythm of survival turned into a rhythm of renewal.
How food creates lasting change
Each Family Food Basket represents more than just a meal.
Programs like these are designed to move families from dependency to empowerment. Food donations spark a cycle of growth: children can attend school instead of working in fields; parents can plan for the future instead of worrying about the next meal.
Transforming immediate aid into lasting opportunity—that’s the power of charitable giving.
The joy of sharing
These days, Angelita says her community has found its ‘rhythm’ again—a steady beat of hope fueled by ongoing food security and the comfort of knowing every child will eat, each and every day.
“It transformed me,” she says. “Now we have enough. We dance, we laugh, because life feels full again.”
Her story reminds us that sharing food isn’t just an act of generosity—it’s about standing in solidarity with families everywhere. Today, thousands of families like Angelita’s are thriving because people chose to give generously.
Why food matters this Christmas
During the holidays, consider feeding a hungry family as a meaningful way to give back—a single donation can provide a food basket and help ensure that no child goes to bed hungry.
When you give through World Vision Canada, your support reaches beyond the plate—it nurtures futures, strengthens communities and multiplies impact across generations.
Donate today