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Ecuador is almost 7 times bigger tan the Netherlands and yet there is the second smallest

country in Latin America. It has the 2nd

fastest growth at continent level with an average

growth oscillating between 4 and 7%. Ecuador engaged on the way to become a middle

income country and most of the international cooperation is now getting out of the country

while inequalities level remains high. Ecuador is on the top list of mega diverse countries and is

the only country that includes the rights of nature in its Constitution. However, sustainable

policies have been poorly coordinated and have had a limited impact despite the present

discourse. Economic wise the country is an oil producer and a primary goods exporter and

imports most of its manufactured goods. Economy based on oil and exportation of primary

goods: roses, shrimps and cocoa. It is the first producer and exporter of bananas in the world.

Touristic treasure and the centre town of Quito was the first world heritage site recognized by

the UNESCO.

Ecuador is the most densely populated country in Latin America but yet far less than Holland

(54,49 hab/km2 vs 404,9/km2). There are about 15,8 million inhabitants, really young

population, 78% urban population. The capital city, Quito and the 2nd

main city, Guayaquil,

sum up for a third of the population together which shows a really uneven population

distribution between cities and the countryside. The country is divided in mainly 3 regions: the

Amazon, the Andes and the coast (including the Galapagos Islands). In the last population

survey 7% of the population would identify as indigenous ethnical groups, 7,2% as afro-

descendants and 72% as metis ethnic group and about 6% of the population speaks a native

language as mother tongue before Spanish.

Due to the strong economic crisis at the end of the nineties that led to abandon the national

currency and adopt the US dollar, many Ecuadorians migrated to Spain and the US. At the

highest point of the migration an estimated of 600.000 Ecuadorians lived in Spain. Now with

the high national growth rate and the economic downturn in the western world, many

migrants are progressively coming back. Since 2010 there are more Ecuadorian migrating back

than emigrating and Spanish people start migrating more and more considering the job

opportunities especially for young graduates. Moreover, it was named the best place in the

world to retire in 2012 by the International Living. Finally the country, after a decade of

political unrest has been stable since 2006 with the election of Rafael Correa who brought the

country on a path of improved economic welfare and better distributed development. Ecuador

had the most important child poverty reduction last year continent wise and a quick inequality

reduction rate mostly thank to healthcare system reforms, better access to free education andby raising the minimum wage annually.

The broad picture of the good economic development shall not cover up the other picture

where the levels of inequality that still exist in the country especially between different ethnic

groups and the divide between the urban development and the countryside. As an example,

about 88% of businesses are located in Quito or Guayaquil while it represents only a third of

the population. Despite an attempt to decentralize the central power, most wealth remains in

the main cities and in certain social classes. Extreme poverty reaches about 16, 8% of global

population but is about 44% among the native populations.

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Ecuador as many Latin American countries is a place of great contrasts. While children in the

city reach a rate of almost 20% overweight, 30% of kids at national level suffer malnutrition

and it peaks at 1 out 2 in certain Andean areas.

The new 2008 constitution states that education is a right for every children and the actual

government worked over the years to provide for free public school and having access tocheaper study materials like books and uniforms but the differences remain and only 1 in 2

children would go to public schools at national levels, most of the parents preferring to send

their kids to private institutions when they can afford it and sometimes face no other option

for distance reasons and lack of transport. The public schools despite improvements over the

last decade still have limited resources and outdated teaching methods where the pupils are

left really little independence and possibilities of initiatives over their curriculum especially in

the areas of applied sciences.

As a last point of interest to conclude this snapshot of todays Ecuador situation, Ecuador being

located on the equatorial line and on the drugs corridor between Bolivia and Colombia itcreates a climate of endemic violence worsened at night. Ecuador has a high crime rate though

lower than Colombia. Most people in the cities do not go out walking after down, which is

after 7 pm. On the countryside the situation is alike and worsened by the absence of public

light in many locations. Creating situation where without personal lights most people do not

go out at night or put themselves at risk of car accidents when walking on the road side

without any kind of light. Ecuador is the second deadliest country in Latin America in term of

car accidents. The use of bikes is not widely spread especially for this reason due to the high

cost of lights and batteries to secure the ride by night.

Considering these facts, developing a product that would empower youngsters to build their

own sustainable and affordable light solution, a DIY dynamo, has the potential to create a

really powerful impact on their everyday lives. The project by solving one issue, DIY bike light,

would actually have an impact on many more facets of the daily routine. It would impact on:

- Road security- Sustainability by using less batteries- Use a personal and more transport for the poorest- Learning process of applied sciences and self esteem- Shorter transportation time to be able to use the bike at anytime of the day- Promotion of physical exercise reducing the risk of overweight issue- Higher independence transport wise helping to reach better working and studying

opportunities