UBECI is a non-profit community-let charity based in Quito, Ecuador, working to support vulnerable children and young people who live and work in the markets and streets of the city’s southern neighbourhoods.

Founded in 1999, UBECI has spent over two decades providing safe spaces, education support, and holistic care to children aged 3 to 17 who face daily risks linked to child labour, poverty, and social exclusion. Many of the children UBECI supports work long hours in informal market settings, often missing school and lacking access to consistent care, stability, and opportunity.

UBECI’s work is rooted in presence and trust. Programmes are delivered close to where children live and work, creating reliable spaces where they can rest, learn, play, and develop social and emotional skills. Alongside educational support, UBECI focuses on wellbeing, routine, and positive relationships, recognising that learning and development are inseparable from safety and belonging.

The organisation works closely with families and caregivers, recognising the wider social and economic pressures they face. By supporting both children and their families, UBECI aims to reduce harm, strengthen resilience, and help young people stay connected to education and healthier life pathways.

Today, UBECI supports more than 600 children each year through a range of community-based programmes. While the organisation’s roots are local, its approach is shaped by a broader commitment to evidence, learning, and social impact. UBECI continues to evolve its work to better understand what helps children thrive in complex urban environments, and how community-led support can contribute to longer-term change.

UBECI exists to create safer childhoods, stronger communities, and futures with choice, grounded in dignity, care, and practical action.

UBECI FOUNDATION

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