Perhaps the most memorable experience of the BHS Spanish immersion trip to Ecuador last month was the social project at the Foundation Ñeque y más ñeque. Located in Quito, Ecuador, the foundation acts as a safe haven for children at risk in El Comité del Pueblo.The name of the programme, ñeque means ‘one who is strong and courageous and who preserves through difficult times”, and it reflects the foundation’s mission. The formation of this project in 2000 has provided much needed support to children living in poor conditions with little food, adolescents found on street corners, often under the influence of alcohol or at risk of exploitation. One hundred children are supported by the foundation monthly.The children are provided with schooling, one meal a day (which is usually the only one they get as most of them are not fed at home), medical evaluations and treatments, spiritual development, values training and parents must attend parent-education sessions. Although the property belonging to Ñeque y más ñeque is a very small one, the students have learned the qualities of sharing and respecting one another to an inspirational level.The partnership between la Academia Latino Americana de Español (the school we were enrolled at whilst in Ecuador) and Ñeque y mas ñeque since 2001 allowed us to meet the children at the foundation and spend time with them. Each BHS girl was paired with a boy or a girl from the foundation. We then spent time together, getting to know their personalities and interests by starting a conversation with them in Spanish.The children performed traditional Ecuadorian dance in traditional clothing and explained to us what they had learned through the project. We joined the children in song and dance in the single schooling room, ate and played games with our partners and before we knew it, it was time to go.As we left, all the children ran behind the bus begging for us not to leave and come back the next day.Our peers described the experience as “one that will never be forgotten” and “life-changing.” One student even said that they would have loved to be able to skip the mall outing the next day if they could have gone back to see the children.We all realised how lucky and privileged we are and that even though at times we might feel as if our lives are hard, what we go through is nothing compared to the struggles they face every day. On the way back to our host families more than half of us were crying when we thought about all the amazing and special children who had to live in such tough conditions each day.Anyone wishing to sponsor or support a child at the Ñeque y más ñeque foundation can donate funds which will go towards the purchase of school supplies, new uniforms, transportation, hospital attention medicine, food and workshops for the children. Please visit www.nequeyneque.org for more information. ¡Gracias!