September 24th, 2013: The Children of El Salvador

A week and a half ago I watched a movie called "Voces Inocentes/Innocent Voices".  The movie was made in 2004, 12 years after the civil war in El Salvador ended.  Voces depicts the story of children during the Salvadorian civil war (1979-1992).  During the civil war children, especially young boys, not fully understanding what was going on, had to choose an allegiance - either to the guerrillas or to the government army.  Neither group was free of violence.  To see the depiction of the thought process and emotions of these children stretched my mind.  Prior to becoming a mother I had read about child soldiers in Africa, but for some reason that was a bit intangible for me - both because I had yet to have a child of my own and because I have never been to Africa.  Something about going to El Salvador, understanding its history a little bit more, and being a mother, has given me a deeper understanding of the complexity that still lives in the minds of these children whom now are adults.  I recommend watching this movie if you want to better understand the history of El Salvador.

I am going to share some facts that were shared with me regarding cost of living and a little bit about the social reality in El Salvador.  A family of four, just for food, needs approximately $170/month.  Textile and factory workers make approximately $190/month.  Farm workers make approximately $100/month.  Those with professional degrees make between $600-$700/month.  For a family of four to have a modest living they would need to make about $700/month.  80% of all earnings goes towards commercial buys - such as clothes, food, and rent.  The other 20% goes towards healthcare and education.  Many families are single parent homes.

While in El Salvador I interacted with many children.  On Monday, August 5th our group visited a

Me with a mom of a scholarship student.

community, Las Delicias, a small campo, a semi-rual area, of 600-700 people, with urban problems, 45 minutes outside of San Salvador.  In this community people make about $4-$5/day.  If they can find work in nearby factories they can earn up to $190/month.  In this community there is one elementary school, and it is free.  However, to attend school students must have a pair of shoes and supplies for the academic year, which equates to $60 a year.  Many of the children do not attend school due to financial constraint.  There is no high school in Las Delicias.  For children to attend high school its approximately $400/year, which includes the cost of bus transportation from Las Delicias to the high school in the neighboring area.  For most of the families in the area high school is not an option therefore making college even less attainable.            

Yet there is so much hope in Las Delicias!  Here we visited one of the Maryknoll Lay Missioners sites.  Larry, the missioner works with  FUDESCA: Fundación para el Desarrollo y la Solidaridad Cástulo Antonio (FUDESCA).  This organization works on several projects, some of which include, scholarships for youth attending elementary and high schools  and young adults attending college, soccer teams - where their motto is Dios, Estudios y Deportes, computer classes, a small library is accessible to youth to read and study, jewelry making, art classes, and even a break-dancing team!  I was struck by the diversity of the programs for the youth.  Since gangs infest the streets of El Salvador it is necessary that children have healthy and life-giving alternatives - such as school and activities, like those provided by FUDESCA.  While there are barriers to overcome the poverty I saw in Las Declicas, I truly felt a sense of hope visiting this small community.

With children in La Esperanza.

The day that has had a lasting affect in my heart is Tuesday, August 6th when we visited Maryknoll Lay Missioners, Rick's site, in La Esperanza, a squatter settlement along El Salvador's abandoned railroad, 20 miles East of Cojutepeque.  During the Salvadorian civil war people fled the San Vicente area and basically squatted around these railroad tracks.  This area was probably equivalent to the worst poverty I have seen in my life - most people in this area don't have a title or own the land they live on and basic services are extremely limited - if at all existent.  Walking along side the railroad track down a dirt road one can smell the raw sewage.  We entered a small one room building - a multi-purpose chapel space - built by a base community in the area.  Here catechesis for adults and the ministries of taking care of the sick and distribution of food takes place.  In this same room children play and learn English.  Rick also works closely with the older children in the area helping them become promoters of literacy in their community.  There is no school in La Esperanza - the closest is in Cojutepeque.  Upon seeing the conditions and hearing the reality I gave everything I could to the children that surrounded me - pens, paper, rosary, a cross...everything.  I knew this "stuff" was not going to fix anything.  I knew that our visit was not going to change their reality.  But I attempted to love them in the moment.  And they have created a lasting affect in my heart and soul that cannot be removed (as I type I cry).  Retrospectively looking at the situation I now remember Rick telling us, that they never have visitors, and that our presence showed these children that they are valued and loved.  I hope I loved enough that day.   

I know we all left with heavy hearts because we know that many of these children face terrible odds of overcoming the barriers that hold them back.  This community moved my heart.  These children changed my soul.  One cannot see this reality and come back the same person.  Tonight as I was driving home and was talking to my dad on my cell phone I told him - I am too comfortable.  I said, "Papi, I just drove 60 miles - back and forth to work - how can I be okay with this when the children in El Salvador do not have access to go to a school that is 20 miles away from them?"  While I am unsure of where this experience is going to lead me and my family, I know, in the depths of my heart that I am not the same person I was before I left to El Salvador.              

In 2011 the Universidad de Centro America (UCA), a university run by the Jesuits in El Salvador, did a study asking the question, is El Salvador a country for youth?  The study concluded that due to the gang prevalence and violence, it is not.  I did learn, however, that there has been some strides of success in disarming the violence created by gangs in El Salvador.  Time magazine highlights a truce that has been made between two of the most powerful gangs in El Salvdor in an article written in 2012 (Gang Truce).  The sense that I got was that some people believe the truce is working because homicides in certain regions have lowered.  People are grateful that the truce - not more violence - is actually lowering the number of deaths.  However, some people are very skeptical that the truce is actually working.  They believe that the reports on the numbers of homicides are skewed.

Overall I am left with more questions than answers.  What is my role?  What can I do?  I received an email from Rick a few days ago with two notes from two children in his community asking me to write a letter and send pictures to them.  I knew, without thinking, that I was going to respond to these children.  Besides my long distance love of the children of El Salvador - what else am I called to do?  How am I being called to share the story of the children of El Salvador?