Hunger does not discriminate. Men, women, children, the elderly... all are beset with hunger
here. A small charity from the city brought food to the people of Isla Grande in Esmeraldas. With
so many people coming, there weren't enough food for everyone so we gave out tickets. When it
comes time for people to line up to get food, many do not have tickets. The majority are
children. Mothers with nursing babies on their side begged for food. I have to say that this is
probably one of the hardest moment for me in Ecuador. To see a little child being denied food
because there wasn't enough. Fortunately, it was decided that all children and the elderly would
receive food. It is not a lot, just a small container of rice, a piece of chicken and a small
pouch of milk. It is enough to curb hunger for a day.

A few weeks before, two large floods pretty much destroyed the infrastructure of the islands and
leaving the residents without work or food. The residents told me that they would leave if they
could, but they have no money to go anywhere. There would be continual floods on these two islands
the few months that I was there. There were many deaths as well. When it rains, I would look out
my windows toward the two islands and see the water rising.