STORIES
Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh // photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
Special Offering 2026 : A NEW WAY In Otavalo, Ecuador, two extraordinary Indigenous women – Diana and Abigail – exemplify the way small seeds of support can grow into powerful movements of transformation.  In Otavalo, Ecuador, two extraordinary Indigenous women – Diana and Abigail – exemplify the way small seeds of support can grow into powerful movements of transformation. A few years ago, Diana began making and selling ice cream. It was hard – she only had a few freezers and struggled to make ends meet. But with a small loan from FEDICE (the Ecumenical Foundation for Development, Integration, Training, and Education), a long-standing Week of Compassion partner in sustainable development work, Diana was able to expand – buying more freezers, hiring other women in her community, and growing her business with dignity and care. FEDICE is a faith-based organization in Ecuador empowering indigenous rural communities, especially women, through microloans, agricultural training, and development projects to combat poverty and build self-sufficiency. The acronym stands for "faith says" (‘fe dice’ in Spanish) and focuses on justice, peace, and human dignity, partnering with churches across the globe for support.  Around the same time, Abigail received a loan from FEDICE to open a pharmacy. Today, it’s thriving. She now provides medicine and essentials, offers financial services, and – yes – even sells ice cream. And where does she get that ice cream? From Diana. What a beautiful circle of empowerment – women supporting women, businesses lifting communities, and a future being built from the ground up. This is what sustainable development looks like: not charity, but partnership. Not handouts, but hope – with just the right seed planted at the right time. Just four hours south of Quito, in the town of Jatun Juigua, six Indigenous communities of the Panzaleo people have been partnering with FEDICE Ecuador for more than 15 years.  With shared vision and solidarity, they began raising cattle to generate income – and today, they are self-sustaining. Together, they’ve saved enough to not only support their own families, but also to care for their neighbors and strengthen the wider community. This spirit of minga – a Quechua word meaning mutual aid, community work, and coming together for the common good – is alive and well here. It’s what has made their success possible, and what continues to guide their future. On a recent visit, Week of Compassion Executive Director Vy Nguyen was honored to sit with these leaders to hear their stories. Florinda, the eldest in the room at 73 years old, was asked to offer wisdom. She said, “Always have dreams and hope… and chase them.” Sarai, the youngest in the room (just 10!) was asked what the community should pay attention to. She answered, “We should keep helping one another and build on what we’ve already done.” Two people, generations apart, reminding us of the same truth: when we work together, rooted in hope and guided by shared responsibility, we can build something lasting. In the hills of Ecuador, elders and youth, communities and individuals, can see beyond the old ways of being and find A NEW WAY forward. Compassion transforms and inspires a community to move beyond dependence, beyond hardship, and into a future shaped by collective care. The work of compassion continues – here and everywhere. This story is excerpted and edited from two reflections shared by Executive Director Vy Nguyen during his July 2025 partner visit with FEDICE.
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