(ANS - Quito)- More than 400 children and teenagers aged between 7 and 14 are helped by the Salesian missionaries in areas of Quito, La Marín, Avenida Amazonas, Iñaquito and Pisulí. The poorest children of the Ecuadorian capital have experienced a Christmas with gifts. There are many stories: Liliana sells candy with her mother in the centre of Quito. She is 13 years old and the only thing she asks from the Child Jesus as a Christmas gift is for her mother to enjoy good health for many years.

Liliana is a girl who along with more than 400 other children and adolescents has benefitted from the "Acción Guambras" project. The Salesians support these children with limited resources. The Chapel of Christ the King in the district of La Tola welcomed the beneficiaries and their families to celebrate the Eucharist with Christmas songs and greetings.

Edith Jaramillo is the coordinator of the "Acción Guambras" project. She told the newspaper El Commercial that "there are people who come and make donations, we distribute them on the basis of need. The people we care for have families but they are in vulnerable situations. They are children who help their parents at work, especially at selling."

The children want a gift for Christmas, but the best gift - says Liliana - "what I hope for most is for my mother to have good health. The important thing is that she keeps well and has a good year." Dylan is a twelve-year old boy. He asks the Child Jesus that he will always have work, but he would also like to get a football.

At the end of the Mass, the children received sweets and toys. The older people were given clothes. On the face of every child there was a smile of thanks for the gifts they received from the Salesian missionaries. They also hope to continue to receive support from the Salesian project "Acción Guambras" to enable them to take control of their own lives.

Published 05/01/2016