A Place for Joy, Integration, and Protection in Manta
UNICEF's Comprehensive Support Space in Manta provides information, services, and workshops for children, adolescents, and their families.
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Each morning, the sound of laughter, voices, and a variety of accents rises like a wave of joy at UNICEF’s Comprehensive Support Space in Manta. People of all ages arrive seeking information, accessing services, and participating in various workshops, primarily designed for the children and adolescents of this port city on Ecuador’s central coast.
The Comprehensive Support Space welcomes a great diversity of people under one roof. In one room, babies aged 0 to 2 years receive early stimulation with the help of specialists. This activity, one of the most popular, enhances their psychomotor development. The laughter and cries of these children fill the space.
In the reading room, the chess club gathers with dozens of young players, including Sasha and Adasha, six-year-old twins learning to place the pieces with the help of their teacher, Maydelín Cárdenas.
Further ahead, organizations provide legal counseling to families that migrated. While the adults receive information or services, they watch their children play safely in the open room.
Walking through the halls of the Comprehensive Support Space awakens the senses. The scent of the sea breeze drifts in from outside, cheerful voices fill the air, and the vibrant colors of the painting workshop catch the eye. Children heading to English class pass by singing students. On one side, a group of children knocks down a tower of blocks and eagerly rebuilds it. By midday, the intensity of the noise and aromas begins to fade.
Since opening its doors in September 2021, Manta’s Comprehensive Support Space has served more than 48,000 Ecuadorian and foreign visitors—a number that will continue to grow thanks to its flexible and inclusive approach.
This space offers activities focused on the care and protection of children and adolescents, as well as support for families migrating. Inclusion is the hallmark of this center, driven by UNICEF and implemented by various organizations.
“It’s a space open to everyone. I love the idea of welcoming foreign people because adapting to a new city is difficult, regardless of nationality, gender, or ethnicity. This place will always remain open because here, we all deserve a chance,” says Emily, a 17-year-old who recently finished high school and is preparing for a career in health sciences.
Ecuador, with a population of nearly 17 million people, is home to approximately 443,000 Venezuelan citizens. Manta is one of the most welcoming cities for this population, thanks to its warm climate and the kindness of its people. Luis Álvaro, a 16-year-old from Táchira, Venezuela, experienced this firsthand when he arrived in Manta with his family five years ago. “I was welcomed very well; there were no complications or discrimination. It was actually quite pleasant. My grades improved a lot,” says the aspiring psychologist.
The city’s diversity is also reflected in Manta’s Comprehensive Support Space, where different cultures and realities come together. Cuban teacher Maydelín Cárdenas, who arrived in Ecuador in 2015, teaches chess to about 80 children at the center. “It’s a large and free space. We welcome all children, including those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or learning difficulties,” says the teacher, who has trained hundreds of young chess players, including some champions.
The welcoming environment has allowed teenagers to find a space where they can freely express themselves. “I consider it a safe place because we are all together,” says Raily, a 17-year-old high school senior. “I feel like it’s a small and beautiful little home. I feel comfortable, without fear of saying something wrong,” she adds.
The Path to Integration
Nohemí Arboleda, a Colombian national, is UNICEF’s focal point in Manta. She greets everyone who arrives at the Comprehensive Support Space with a broad smile, whether they are coming to receive a service or to offer one. She explains that, with this project, UNICEF aimed to bring together civil society, local institutions, and the State with a shared goal: the protection of children and adolescents. Currently, the EAI in Manta brings together around 80 organizations that provide services for children, adolescents, and their families.
The key to achieving this integration has been flexibility in adapting to the community’s needs. “This has led to initiatives for educational inclusion, pedagogical support, art workshops, and we are developing services to address specific needs related to disability,” adds Arboleda.
A Place Where the Voices of Young People Are Heard
"Education, safety, and mental health" are the main concerns of the young people in Manta, according to Damaris, a 17-year-old adolescent who is part of VOZES, a group of young people who have found a safe space at the Comprehensive Support Space to openly discuss these concerns and empower themselves with their rights.
It is 2 PM. Other boys and girls start arriving for their English classes, while those in the choir warm up their voices. In the psychosocial support room, psychologist Carlos Mazón invites parents to share experiences and reflect on respectful parenting.
Behind a glass partition is Emily, alongside a dozen adolescents attending a biology class as preparation for university entrance exams. “I’ll be the first doctor in my family,” she says with excitement. However, due to her leadership and eloquence within the youth group, some envision her in politics. At this Comprehensive Support Space, young people also receive vocational guidance.
As night falls, the noise in the peaceful space in Manta quiets down. First, the younger children leave, proudly displaying their artistic creations. Then, the choir members depart in silence. The last to leave are the young people. Emily walks alongside Álvaro, Raily, Damaris, Ariel, Edu, and many others. She laughs, gestures with her hands, and talks a lot while adjusting her glasses. The Comprehensive Support Space has allowed them to experience different realities, become more empathetic, and make friends.
Those who remain at the door say their goodbyes quickly. They know that, like the waves of the sea, they will return again and again to the Comprehensive Support Space that has become their refuge, their safe place. Tomorrow, the facilitators will return as well to welcome the next wave of joy and diversity.
In Ecuador, UNICEF has three Integral Support Spaces in Tulcán, Esmeraldas and Manta. The latter is managed in coordination with the Municipality of Manta and is possible thanks to the support of donors in Ecuador, the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the U.S. State Department (BPRM), the European Commission's Directorate General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and the Government of Canada.
1Fuente: Censo de Ecuador