The Algonquin College delegation began their tour in the capital city of San Salvador where they met with two agencies, and visited the botanical gardens where they enjoyed seeing some rare and ancient species. They went to the public university, the Jesuit university, and to the Chapel where Monseignor Oscar Romero was killed by the death squads 27 years ago while he was saying mass. He had been speaking out for the poor during the civil war. They also saw where the 7 Jesuit priests were killed at the university.
They traveled to a rural area now called Bajo Lempa, near a river that comes through Guatemala and the entire country of El Salvador. They stayed the Eco Tourism Hostel, in cabins along the river. The cabins are located just 800 meters from the Pacific Ocean.
They met with people in the rural communities, seeing livestock and house building projects. One area they visited has a very serious problem with water being contaminated with DDT. In Chalatanango they met with community groups including youth, women, war amputees and communities fighting two Canadian gold mining companies over serious problems with water contamination.
They also visited the CIDEP college which started two years ago in a rural area. They are running short courses on metal fabrication and carpentry.
They met with some seniors and presented financial donations, as well as medicines and arthritis rubs. They also gave eyeglasses that were donated by people in Perth. They have asked us to continue to collect used eye glasses. Everything is so appreciated.
The Algonquin College delegation presented two high school scholarships and the money for the three guitars. They now have 30 scholarships for this year. For every one that is established, there are 80 more kids that could use one.
They discovered that there are 5000 families with 4-6 kids each that need a high school scholarship of $400 Can per year. 66% percent of the kids are not going to high school in this region of the country because of economic conditions. They do not have the money for transportation, books, or uniforms, and if the teenagers don’t work, the families do not eat. It is amazing how far $400 can go here for a year. They will definitely continue to try to raise funds for this cause.
As they continued their visit to the Bajo Lempa Region near the Pacific Ocean, they toured an area that had flooded as a result of hydro electric dams and observed the efforts of the communities. Sandbag programs did not work, and 50 lives were lost two years ago. A series of retaining walls have been built, but they have not yet been tested. The people are very vulnerable and each time there is a flood, as they lose livestock and soil for food production.
The youth representatives in El Salvador are working very hard to support the kids in the rural areas of the province of San Vicente. They are proud of their efforts because there is no problem with youth gangs in that area. This is one of the most serious social problems in other parts of El Salvador complicated by many recent deportations from the U.S.
The delegates also met with two people who received the scholarships from the Algonquin College / SalvAide Project last year. It was very rewarding to see concrete evidence of the work.
They also witnessed a home beside the eco tourism hostel burn to the ground in a matter of minutes.
It was very disturbing because there was no infrastructure, no fire department and although the locals worked
hard to put it out, they were unable to.
While in San Salvador they met with the Social Work students at the University of El Salvador. It was excellent opportunity to hear about their experiences in placements and the social problems affecting Salvadorans. They identified poverty, unemployment, youth gangs, and human rights abuses as the most serious and widespread issues. They also talked about serious problems with access to health care and education.
The delegation also visited the Canadian Embassy where they met to discuss their observations and concerns.
Lisa Shaw-Verhoek, professor, Social Services Worker Program at Algonquin College, met with the Director of the Technical College that they have formed a partnership with and discussed funding for automotive programs, was shared with him what Algonquin College has been doing with car dealerships and car companies.
There was also time for fun and leisure!
The delegation enjoyed some relaxation of the beach
and spent time in the natural surroundings of this beautiful country.
More Pictures!
Article from Diario Co Latino in El Salvador about the delegation's visit (in Spanish)
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