Meet Yumi: Transforming Ill-Stricken Communities of Ecuador
Yumi, meaning “Sweet & Strong” in Shuar, beautifully reflects the blend of compassion and determination of a young woman who is shaped by hardship but driven by an unyielding resolve to make life better for others.
In the dense jungles of Ecuador, Yumi’s early years were marked by trauma until her family encountered Christ. Slowly, their home became a place of love, hope, and healing. The newfound faith that rebuilt Yumi’s family ignited a deep calling in her heart. Responding to this calling, Yumi left home to attend seminary and learn methods for reaching the vulnerable.
“I don’t want other children to live through what I did,” Yumi said.
“I don’t want other children to live through what I did,” Yumi said, her voice filled with quiet resolve. Her dream? To protect vulnerable, neglected, or abused children and give them the tools to overcome adversity.
Last year, Yumi’s village was heartbroken by the loss of six lives to preventable illnesses—four of them children—caused by contaminated water. Seeing her community suffer, Yumi vowed to act.
Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, change came quickly when she discovered our Give Water project. Within weeks, we delivered 100 water filtration systems to the village.
Yumi’s work in her home community brought remarkable change. Within weeks of installing the water filters, the physical health of the villagers improved so dramatically that even the visiting doctor commented on the transformation.
Grateful families began attending church, and today, 50 children fill the Sunday School classes each week. “This is what God’s love looks like,” Yumi shares. “It’s meeting needs without expecting anything in return.”
When Yumi discovered another community even deeper in the jungle gripped by unimaginable darkness — cartel bosses controlling who can enter, children drinking from a contaminated river, abandoned kids vulnerable to abuse and trafficking, 100:1 student-teacher ratio—Yumi sought support to safely reach these remote and at-risk areas. Your support gave her the necessary courage, strategy, and resources.
“Every time we install a water filter, I think of the people who made it possible,” Yumi says.
You didn’t just give us clean water,” she says. “You gave us dignity. You showed us that we mattered.” “Every time we install a water filter, I think of the people who made it possible,” Yumi says. “You are the reason a mother can finally stop worrying about her children’s health. You are the reason kids can dream of a future.”
Your gift of clean water doesn’t just save lives—it opens doors for transformation and allows hope to flourish in unimaginable ways. When you give, you’re not just addressing immediate needs— you’re investing in people like Yumi, who will carry that hope forward and make it grow.
Imagine how many more lives can be touched when we partner with more courageous leaders. With your help, we can deliver not just solutions but lasting hope.
"We lost 4 children" - A story of how clean water helped stop an epidemic
In a remote community in Ecuador’s jungle, an outbreak linked to unsafe water took the lives of many children. We partnered with local leaders and Yumi, who grew up in this tribe and is now preparing for ministry, to bring in-home water filters and training. This is a story of a village’s courage, Yumi’s calling, and a community of donors standing together so children can live, learn, and thrive.
Short on time? Here’s a summarized version of Yumi’s story and the impact clean water is making in his community.