About us
Villa Ticca is an organization with a history going back more than 15 years. In 2003, the meeting between Evelien Kremer and Mariska Versteegh, both at the time volunteers in various projects in Quito, was the impetus for founding the Niños de Waita Ticca Foundation. This difficult name was soon popularly renamed Fundación Villa Ticca.
With a daycare that could accommodate 25 toddlers by providing food, clothing and education, Villa Ticca was a reality. In the El Camal neighborhood, there was a great need for additional care and assistance for young and often single mothers.
Over the years, Villa Ticca has always managed to evolve in a turbulent and unpredictable Ecuador. At our peak, we caught 250 children aged 3-12 spread across two locations in Ecuador. Many volunteers from countries around the world helped us realize our dream.
The Ecuadorian government wants to show Ecuador as an attractive vacation country without poverty and turns a blind eye to the difficult the situation in which so many people still live. For us, as a foreign foundation, more and more rules were added, until the moment we could no longer and did not want to comply with them. The difficult decision to close our shelter was made in 2020. Also, the Ecuadorian version of the Villa Ticca foundation was dissolved. This choice made new opportunities possible, and our own (former) employees Marlène, Anita and Nelly decided to join hands and start their own foundation. Under the name Villa Ticca - Niños Felices, our shelter can continue to function under Ecuadorian governance. A great step toward project independence and sustainability!
Now that this important step was a reality, Villa Ticca as a foundation could begin to focus on other requests for help. After a two-year period during which the board in the Netherlands was able to orient itself to the new way of working, working on a project basis is a reality. With a number of projects in Agato, Mindo, and also in Argentina, the Villa Ticca Foundation has expanded its scope and in this way we can contribute to goals around education, nutrition and sustainability.