
Tzu Chi’s initial round of Cash for Relief program was implemented in two cities in the province of Manabi, the two cities being Porto Viejo and Manta. The program which started on May 6, a total of 121 individuals participated and volunteered in the program, engaging in various recovery activities such as street cleaning.
“We help and at the same time we get helped. We are able to make some money to pay our expenses, pay for our children's medicine, put food on our table, and everything” Luis Escobar, one of the Cash for Relief program participants.
The Cash for Relief program which consisted of mainly city cleanings continued for 2 more days, totaling three days. Although the first day saw only 121 volunteers, the second had a total of 688, and the third day increased to a total of 899 individuals. For three consecutive days, every participant received 15 USD a day to clean up their damaged communities.

In areas such as Canoa, another location where Tzu Chi’s assessment team visited and will hold future program projects in, tourism is the main source of income, making up for 80% of Canoa’s economy, making it even more crucial for cleanings and infrastructure repair.
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