The community of El Bario
( see photos of the school, students
and community )
The community of El Bario is located in canton Platanares within the municipal
jurisdiction of Suchitoto in the department of Cuscatlan. Suchitoto was
one of the three areas that was most affected by the civil war in El Salvador.
Much of the unincorporated area of Suchitoto is located on the skirts
of the famous Cerro Guazapa a guerilla stronghold only some 30 miles from
San Salvador. The repopulation of El Bario in July of 1986, was one of
the first organized during the civil war at which time the area was still
considered an active war zone. Despite this the people of El Bario returned
to their lands and lived under constant attacks and abuse by the government
forces from 1986 until the end of the conflict in 1991.
Carmen Broz our project founder accompanied the repopulation
as one of the many members of a SHARE Foundation caravan. The delegation
was detained by the Salvadoran armed forces in Aguacayo about 3 miles
from El Bario. After 3 days of negotiating only one member of the delegation
was allowed to accompany the 64 returning families and the donated building
and food supplies. The rest of the delegation was detained another 3 days
and then taken to the Guatemalan border where their passports were stamped
“Persona non Grata” making it impossible for them to return
to El Salvador.
After her passport was lost, Carmen applied for a new
one so as to be able to return to El Salvador. Carmen returned to El Salvador
in 1989 and contacted the leaders of El Bario to see where aid was most
needed. At that time malnutrition especially in the children was a priority.
Our first support included paying a pediatrician and gynecologist to provide
monthly check ups, training in the use and production of soy beans, helping
to start a day care center and support to the small school at which time
only was for 1st-3rd grades.
El Bario is the largest and one of the most organized
communities in the area and is considered by the city to be a center of
the zone. The community now consists of more than 190 families and has
a population of about 900. Since 1995 our support has been directed specifically
in the area of education. Over the years we have paid teachers salaries,
provided vocational training in sewing, baking, cooking, computers and
electrical installations. We have also provided school materials and books
for the library. One of our largest expenses for many years was paying
the salaries of middle and high school teachers, now most of these costs
our covered by the ministry of education. The school in El Bario now provides
K-12 education and receives students from 7 surrounding communities, the
alumni population in 2007 is close to 500.
In 1999 when the first students from El Bario graduated
from high school and came to Carmen to thank her for supporting them,
a question was brought up. What now? Carmen knew that without financial
aid it would be virtually impossible for these 9 young and bright students
to continue studying. This same year we began our university student loan
program, providing no interest loans to students that had attended the
school in El Bario. Student may repay their loans through social or communal
work, paying the costs of higher education for a younger sibling or repaying
the amount they received in small monthly payments.
Needs in El Bario: funds to buy text books for the school
library, equipment for the new science lab, laptop computers for the computer
lab and a fund for teacher’s supplies. They welcome volunteers for
teaching English, individual tutoring in math, science and language and
for the detection of learning disabilities in K-6th .
Morazan, The agricultural cooperatives
of El Gigante (see
photos) and Sueños en Jocoaitique
(see photos)
In 1991 some of the future founders of the Cooperative El Gigante heard
news of woman (Carmen Broz) who was providing support in other parts of
El Salvador. Among these men and women were many who had recently returned
from refugee camps in Honduras and at this time were living in the northern
part of Morazan were seeking aid. In the first meeting, close to Perquin
another stronghold of the left wing guerilla, Carmen was scared at first
as some of the men were still armed. Slowly she told them that she worked
only with organized groups because the needs in El Salvador at that time
were so great. The men and women not at all worried said "OK we'll
in touch once we have organized."
Carmen did not hear from Morazan until early in 1993 when some of the
same men came to visit her in San Salvador and now legally organized as
the Agricultural Cooperative of El Gigante. The cooperative formed by
some 60 members and their families is located only 1 mile from Perquin
in the poorest department of El Salvador, Morazan. Because members of
the cooperative El Gigante obtained agricultural lands under the peace
agreements in two different cities, they were forced to form another cooperative
in Jocoaitique some 15 miles from Perquin. So by 1995 the two cooperatives
“El Gigante” and “Sueños en Jocoaitique”
were now operating each as its own legal entity.
Since our support started in Morazan we have provided medical exams to
women and children, books and furniture to the libraries and day care
centers and scholarships to 3rd-12th grade students.
In 2001 our first eligible university students entered our student loan
program and in 2007 we are supporting 6 students from the two cooperatives.
We now have a student house in San Miguel where most of our students from
this area are studying.
In 2006 project AGE was started providing reading glasses to seniors,
the project combines training in the making of local handicrafts and social
activities with our high school and university students.
Christian based women's association
in Apulo (see photos)
In 1998 Carmen was contacted by Sister Monica Thieblin, who had been working
in marginal communities in the area of Apulo for many years. Apulo is
an urban community only 20 minutes from San Salvador, and is located in
what could be called a tourist area for Salvadorans. In their first meeting
Monica asked for financial aid for 4 high school students from very poor
but socially active families. Carmen asked the question of why should
we invest in these particular students and was answered by one of the
more active local leaders, Marta. Marta explained to Carmen that the only
future for most of the young women of this area is prostitution, still
legal in many parts of El Salvador. She continued to explain that what
they wanted was to train future community leaders not professionals. Well
it was these words that convinced Carmen to take on Apulo. Since that
time Marta has passed away and 3 years ago Sister Monica turned over her
supervision of our support to a newly formed women's association. Two
members of the association Fran and Diana are now active members of our
local committee. The Communal Association for the Poor Lake Water Area
(Asociacion Comunitaria para los Pobres de la Cuenca del Lago) now not
only supervises our funds for high school scholarships but also manages
funds from other donations in a K-9th grade scholarship program for some
45 children, sons and daughters of their members. They also now have 2
barter stores in the area where anything from shoes, CDs and beans to
services in computer repair and baby sitting are exchanged by men and
women in Apulo.
Since Palo Alto Friends Meeting El Salvador Projects started supporting
this Christian based community in Apulo we have helped 12 high school
students to finish their schooling. Also we have also supported at a higher
level 1 nurses aid and 1 registered nurse to finish their advanced studies.
In 2007 we are supporting 8 high school students, of which we hope to
have 3 new candidates for the university in 2008.
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