POOR CHILDREN IN ECUADOR EAT LITTLE BUT DRINK A LOT

As he does every year in July, Matteo Moretti, a missionary in Ecuador, reminds me of the debt we owe him – a promise made by GSI ITALIA several years ago now – to supply him once a year with blood glucose test strips and anti-diabetic medication. No, this is not about treatment for adults, but a ‘medical and social epidemic’ affecting a large proportion of Ecuador’s younger population. Particularly amongst the poorest sections of the population, people in Ecuador ‘feed’ themselves on Coca-Cola and other sugary drinks, leading to unhealthy obesity and diabetes. One can contains 9 teaspoons of sugar. It’s a godsend at breakfast. But also at lunch and dinner. A can, as they know, curbs the appetite. Diabetes is grateful. Matteo comes to the rescue, and GSI Italia lends him a hand year after year, providing medical supplies and medicines. He’s setting off on 15 July.