Abundant in rivers, lakes and fertile, tropical farmland, El Salvador’s natural beauty traverses a vast central plateau bordered by Pacific coastal plains to the south and rugged mountains to the north. For centuries, several Mesoamerican nations called this land home, including the Lenca, Olmec, Maya and Pipil/Cutcatlec.
“Santa Luisa is blooming. They have added new classrooms for the children. There were new labs for skills training programs, and a small kitchen was built as well,” said Luis.
However, this small and densely populated Central American nation is particularly susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and has been plagued by chronic political and economic instability for more than a century.
High unemployment rates, rising inflation, organized crime and a soaring birthrate leave many Salvadorans living in abject poverty. The border town of Sonsonate — where our affiliated project Escuela Santa Luisa is located — is one of many places affected by these afflictions.
A school to be proud of
Nearly a century ago, Sisters of the Daughters of Charity established Escuela Santa Luisa to provide a safe haven and sound education for the orphaned, abandoned and impoverished children of Sonsonate. The school continues its mission today helping children in need — including the more than 60 children our sponsors support at the project.
A sponsored child at Escuela Santa Luisa
On a recent visit to El Salvador, our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, visited with our volunteer coordinator Sister Marta at the school. Sister Marta took Luis on a tour of the grounds to show him the renovations that had taken place at Escuela Santa Luisa that made her very proud.
“Santa Luisa is blooming. They have added new classrooms for the children. There were new labs for skills training programs, and a small kitchen was built as well,” said Luis.
While on their tour, Sister Marta took the opportunity to mention to Luis some additional improvements she would like to see happen — ones that the school did not currently have funding of their own to complete.
Our Hope in Action Fund to the Rescue
“The school’s biggest need now is to install a roof in the playground of the school, which they want to use to protect the children from rain and excessive sun. It will mean that the playground can be used all year long and that it can double as a place for students, parents and school administrators to hold meetings,” explained Luis.
Luis felt strongly that anything that could be done to improve the school would also help the children be more prepared, focused and active in their learning — all things that can lead to academic success. He made up his mind before their meeting was over that he would propose using donations to our Hope in Action Fund to help Escuela Santa Luisa continue with their important improvements.
A new roof for a special school
Not long ago, Luis received pictures of the new roof build at Escuela Santa Luisa. Luis commented by saying, “The cover is truly large, and will benefit the children during rainy days and very hot sunny days. The school can now also host large assembly activities with parents and students. I am glad Children Incorporated could provide this support for the benefit of so many children at the school.”
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How do I sponsor a child in El Salvador?
You can sponsor a child in El Salvador in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in El Salvador that is available for sponsorship.