Board of Directors

Saarhy Betancourt

Doctor in Jurisprudence from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Official of the Italian Embassy, Quito from 1999 to 2019 Researcher for the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador - PUCE in the Specialized Studies Program within the Project "Civil-Military Relations", of PUCE - ILDIS (Latin American Institute of Social Research) - NED (National Endowment for Democracy) And within the Inter-American Studies Program in the topics "Social and Strategic Aspects of the Military Reconversion in Ecuador" and "Civil-Military Dialogue for the Construction of Democracy in Ecuador". Collaborator in the following Foundations: -"O.P.A.M.", organization and programming of workshops in the city of Quito on the influence of the media on community education. Drafting of newsletters - Combonians Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, design of Social Development Projects for young people in marginal urban areas of the city of Quito. Spokeswoman for Grupo América Misionera. - "Our Youth Foundation" Trustee from 2015 to date. - Member of the Fundación Ecuatoriana Sembrando Esperanza, legal advisor and Secretary of the Board of Directors since 2017

María Belén Ribadeneira Cervantes

Graduate in Biological Sciences with a Master in Environmental Education Highly motivated and very committed to sustainable participatory management and natural resource conservation, from capacity building and knowledge development through holistic, systemic and results-based methodologies; she has worked, with different national and international foundations as director, technician and consultant in natural resource management activities (including agrobiodiversity), conservation, training and education. She recognizes the value of education and environmental education as a fundamental tool to strengthen knowledge and skills, which allow human beings an adequate development and insertion in society; expanding their awareness in terms of sustainable development. During the professional work it has registered the importance of the formulation of programs and projects of development in a participative way with and from the local, from the daily things, integrating needs and interests, visualizing cause and problems and building integral solutions from an approach of development, gender, inclusive, generational, intercultural and socio-environmental; using recognized methodologies by its effectiveness. As executive director and coordinator of national and international projects, she knows the importance of planning by results and the monitoring and evaluation of programs, processes and projects, from an efficiency approach, analyzing the social, economic and environmental impact, relating goals - resources and time.