Photo of Guayaquil and its rivers
Maria Nieves and her daughter Noemi.
THERE ARE MORE THAN A MILLION BLACKS IN ECUADOR. THE VAST MAJORITY ARE IN ESMERALDAS ON THE NW COAST OF ECUADOR AND IN THE CITY OF GUAYAQUIL AND IN EL CHOTA ,QUITO.. THE ISLA TRINITARIA HAS A BIG POPULATION OF BLACKS. THEY ARE DESCENDANTS FROM THE AFRICAN SLAVES BROUGHT TO ECUADOR BY THE SPANISH. THE FIRST BLACKS ARRIVED IN MARCH 1553. THEY CAME FROM WEST AFRICA AND ALSO THE CONGO.
SOME ARE VERY TALL AND MAJESTIC SO THEY MAY HAVE BELONGED TO THE MASAI TRIBE. IT IS A SAD PART OF THE HISTORY OF ECUADOR AND SPAIN, AS IS ALSO THE HISTORY OF BRAZIL AND PORTUGAL..IT WAS TOUGH FOR THE BLACKS BUT IT IS GREAT CREDIT TO THEM THAT THEY SURVIVED. THEY EVENTUALLY MIXED WELL WITH THE INDIANS, THE NAMES GIVEN TO THEM THEN STILL ARE USED TODAY, ANGULO,LASTRA,GUAGUA,QUIÑONEZ,QUINTERO,MINA, CORTEZ, ALL THE SLUMS OF GUAYAQUIL HAVE BLACKS,LIKE IN THE SLUMS OF SALVADOR AND RIO DE JANEIRO ,BRAZIL,AND NEW ORLEANS USA..THE SITUATION HAS IMPROVED AND IS IMPROVING. MOST OF ECUADORS WORLD CUP FOOTBALL TEAM ARE BLACKS. TWO AFROECUADOREANS PLAY IN THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE,ANTONIO VALENCIA FOR MANCHESTER UNITED AND FELIPE CAICEDO FOR MANCHESTER CITY. SEVERAL POLITICIANS ARE BLACK..MANY TEACHERS ARE BLACK. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN MARIMBA AND DANZA MUSIC WHICH IS FASCINATING..SOME ARE CATHOLIC AND OTHERS ARE EVANGELICALS.OUR PARISHES IN THE ISLA TRINITARIA HAVE A GOOD PROPORTION OF BLACKS,.THEY HAVE FORMED GROUPS AND WE HAVE AFROECUADOREAN LITURGIES AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS. YOU WILL SEE THE GROUPS ON THE PHOTOS. OUR AFRO GROUP HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE AFRO MASSES IN THE CATHEDRAL OF GUAYAQUIL AND HAVE MET OUR ARCHBISHOP MONSEÑOR ANTONIO ARREGUI. THERE IS A PHOTO OF THE GROUP AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CATHEDRAL.AT FIRST WE HAD NO SUCCESS WITH THE BOYS WHO PREFERRED TO ROAM THE STREETS,BUT RECENTLY JANUARY 2009- MARIELA TELLO FROM OUR GIRLS GROUP FORMED THREE GROUPS OF AFROECUADOREAN BOYS.YOU CAN SEE THEM IN THE PHOTOS.
WE WILL ALL CAME TOGETHER FOR A CELEBRATION ON FEBRUARY 3RD 2009. SEVERAL KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, THE BONGO, THE KUNUNU, ETC. WE ALSO HAVE A CHILDRENS GROUP AND SOME OF THEM ARE LEARNING TO PLAY THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. THE VERONA FATHERS(COMBONI) HAVE A AFROECUADOREAN CENTRE IN GUAYAQUIL WHICH CATERS FOR ALL THE AFRO GROUPS FROM ALL THE SLUMS OF GUAYAQUIL. BROTHER ALBERTO(ITALIAN) AND DON FRANCISCO GIVE TALKS ON THE HISTORY OF THE BLACKS IN ECUADOR, THEY GIVE BIBLE COURSES.,AND RETREATS. THEY HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN BUILDING UP THE SELF ESTEEM OF THE AFROS AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO GET JOBS. THERE ARE THREE AFRO SEMINARIANS TRAINING TO BE PRIESTS. THERE IS ONLY ONE AFRO ECUADOREAN PRIEST FATHER CARLOS VALENCIA PEREA WHO WAS ORDAINED IN 2004. WE WERE DELIGHTED WHEN A NEW AUXILIARY BISHOP OF GUAYAQUIL WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED. HE IS BLACK AND HIS NAME IS MONSEÑOR IVAN MINDA. THE ISLA TRINITARIA IS NOW UNDER HIS JURIDICTION.-
HERE ARE SOME MORE PHOTOS OF THE AFROECUADOREANS.
SOME ARE VERY TALL AND MAJESTIC SO THEY MAY HAVE BELONGED TO THE MASAI TRIBE. IT IS A SAD PART OF THE HISTORY OF ECUADOR AND SPAIN, AS IS ALSO THE HISTORY OF BRAZIL AND PORTUGAL..IT WAS TOUGH FOR THE BLACKS BUT IT IS GREAT CREDIT TO THEM THAT THEY SURVIVED. THEY EVENTUALLY MIXED WELL WITH THE INDIANS, THE NAMES GIVEN TO THEM THEN STILL ARE USED TODAY, ANGULO,LASTRA,GUAGUA,QUIÑONEZ,QUINTERO,MINA, CORTEZ, ALL THE SLUMS OF GUAYAQUIL HAVE BLACKS,LIKE IN THE SLUMS OF SALVADOR AND RIO DE JANEIRO ,BRAZIL,AND NEW ORLEANS USA..THE SITUATION HAS IMPROVED AND IS IMPROVING. MOST OF ECUADORS WORLD CUP FOOTBALL TEAM ARE BLACKS. TWO AFROECUADOREANS PLAY IN THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE,ANTONIO VALENCIA FOR MANCHESTER UNITED AND FELIPE CAICEDO FOR MANCHESTER CITY. SEVERAL POLITICIANS ARE BLACK..MANY TEACHERS ARE BLACK. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN MARIMBA AND DANZA MUSIC WHICH IS FASCINATING..SOME ARE CATHOLIC AND OTHERS ARE EVANGELICALS.OUR PARISHES IN THE ISLA TRINITARIA HAVE A GOOD PROPORTION OF BLACKS,.THEY HAVE FORMED GROUPS AND WE HAVE AFROECUADOREAN LITURGIES AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS. YOU WILL SEE THE GROUPS ON THE PHOTOS. OUR AFRO GROUP HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE AFRO MASSES IN THE CATHEDRAL OF GUAYAQUIL AND HAVE MET OUR ARCHBISHOP MONSEÑOR ANTONIO ARREGUI. THERE IS A PHOTO OF THE GROUP AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CATHEDRAL.AT FIRST WE HAD NO SUCCESS WITH THE BOYS WHO PREFERRED TO ROAM THE STREETS,BUT RECENTLY JANUARY 2009- MARIELA TELLO FROM OUR GIRLS GROUP FORMED THREE GROUPS OF AFROECUADOREAN BOYS.YOU CAN SEE THEM IN THE PHOTOS.
WE WILL ALL CAME TOGETHER FOR A CELEBRATION ON FEBRUARY 3RD 2009. SEVERAL KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, THE BONGO, THE KUNUNU, ETC. WE ALSO HAVE A CHILDRENS GROUP AND SOME OF THEM ARE LEARNING TO PLAY THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. THE VERONA FATHERS(COMBONI) HAVE A AFROECUADOREAN CENTRE IN GUAYAQUIL WHICH CATERS FOR ALL THE AFRO GROUPS FROM ALL THE SLUMS OF GUAYAQUIL. BROTHER ALBERTO(ITALIAN) AND DON FRANCISCO GIVE TALKS ON THE HISTORY OF THE BLACKS IN ECUADOR, THEY GIVE BIBLE COURSES.,AND RETREATS. THEY HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN BUILDING UP THE SELF ESTEEM OF THE AFROS AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO GET JOBS. THERE ARE THREE AFRO SEMINARIANS TRAINING TO BE PRIESTS. THERE IS ONLY ONE AFRO ECUADOREAN PRIEST FATHER CARLOS VALENCIA PEREA WHO WAS ORDAINED IN 2004. WE WERE DELIGHTED WHEN A NEW AUXILIARY BISHOP OF GUAYAQUIL WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED. HE IS BLACK AND HIS NAME IS MONSEÑOR IVAN MINDA. THE ISLA TRINITARIA IS NOW UNDER HIS JURIDICTION.-
HERE ARE SOME MORE PHOTOS OF THE AFROECUADOREANS.
Catechism children
Catechism children
Kerly Guagua
Catechism children.
Digna Caicedo schoolteacher
Frank Smith and Pachito Parish Council
Britany and Carlitos
A friendly visit.
A poor single mother
Maria born with Syphilis.2007
Elizabeth Cortez and her two sick children.
Saying hello in the street
Maria,s mother comes to us for help.
Some of the children
Gathering of parish community
Afro Mass with Father Jac Hetsen and Father Francisco(South Africa)
Frank Smith mhm with some of the church workers.
San Camilo Sunday Mass with altar girls.
Baptisms St.Rose of Lima
St Rose of Lima
First Communions
Maria Nieves with Noemi and the parish priest.
