In August, a group of Wheeler Machinery Co. employees journeyed to Ecuador to serve the people of the Intag region, located in the mist-shrouded Andes Mountains. During the week-long expedition, the Wheeler team worked alongside villagers in building the Inta Kara vocational center. A multi-year project with three buildings planned, Wheeler’s funds and labor helped accelerate construction. Volunteers helped mix, transport and place concrete to form columns and floors. Drainage systems were buried, and soil was leveled.
More than three-quarters of Intag’s population lives at or below the poverty line, and 25% survive on less than $1.90 a day. Only 5% of young people have access to higher education. Poor graduation rates, high illiteracy and a struggling economy cause many young people to flee their rural communities for urban slums.