Ecuador

 Ecuador is the second hardest hit economy by COVID-19 in the region after Venezuela. Ecuador’s GDP is expected to decrease 6.5% in 2020 in the context of global recession due to COVID-19 and the fall in price of crude oil. The unemployment rate is expected to increase 8% between 2020 and 2022, and the population in extreme poverty will increase by 66% in 2020, based on World Bank projections. Many supply chains have been disrupted due to confinement and steep reductions in price, with PoCs being most affected. 

  During the emergency, all participants benefited from personalised support with regard to wage employment and self-employment through economic reactivation plans tailored to their particular needs. The participants have adapted their businesses and income-generating strategies to account for current market demands. The strategy includes access to training opportunities with special emphasis on online platforms. They also participated in several virtual workshops held with the support of private companies, such as WIX and TATA Consultancy Services, and government institutions such as the Ecuadorian Internal Revenue Service, focusing on digital marketing, taxation, customer service, among others.