Today the group headed to western El Salvador to visit a child development center (ES750). These are church based projects that children in the sponsorship program attend after school. While there they receive tutoring, spiritual lessons, nutritious meals, and vocational training.
We stopped by the project to meet the people in charge there (and were greeted by curious faces peeking out of classes)
Then the big group split up into 5 smaller groups to travel to the homes of five sponsored children. My group went to the home of 13 year old Brandon. Brandon lives with his parents and has two older brothers (17 and 19) who live with them on the weekends and with the grandparents during the week to go to school. Brandon's father works 24 hour shifts as a security guard (he gets every other day off to rest). His mother makes and sells corn tortillas out of their home (by selling them for 5 cents a piece, she usually makes $6 a day. Brandon was at school when we arrived but his parents were very willing to brag about their son. His soccer and pingpong medals hung on the wall and his mother gushed about what a good boy he was. When Brandon got home he smiled shyly at the group of American strangers in his house then ran to get a letter from his sponsor. He told us that this is his second sponsor (a college student in Switzerland) and he was very excited because this sponsor wrote to him and his previous sponsor did not. We then went with Brandon's mother to the corn mill down the road to grind the corn she had boiled that morning to make tortillas. While we were gone, his dad went to but wood to stoke the fire in the stove she had made. She showed us how to make the tortillas and let us try our hand at it (not as easy as she made it look). We then went out back and helped Brandon and his dad plant corn seeds so that they would have their own corn for tortillas and would not have to buy it from someone else. We then ate Pollo Camperos (basically the Latin American version of KFC for those of you who haven't tried it) for lunch then headed back to the project. This family lived very modestly (especially according to American standards) but they were very humble and thankful and had no real complaints about the way that they lived. Americans could learn a lot from them.
Me with Brandon's parents
Brandon's mother grinding corn
The art of making corn tortillas
Brandon showing us how to plant corn
One of several family chickens (Brandon's mom tried to get us to take some with us- she said they had too many)
After leaving Brandon's house, we went back to the project and were greeted by a great fanfare.
The gate and door to the church were surrounded by balloons and were were sent through a tunnel of balloon-weilding children as we made our way into the building.
Once inside a whole show was planned for us. The little kids (3-5) dressed up as faeries and animals and danced for us. A groups of 8-10 year olds performed a skit for us. Then the youth band led worship, including the American national anthem. We were then invited on stage to introduce ourselves and were given gifts that had been made by some of the older students at the project. We then split into groups again to take a tour. We were shown a classroom of young students learning about money, a group using the new computer lab, high school students learning English, and students studying cosmetology. After a short (but strong) rain shower, we said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel for dinner.
Some of the young performers getting ready to go in
A little flower dancer
A cute fairy dancer
I believe he was a dog
A class of 6-8 year old students
My new friend Alexa who sat next to me in the performance
Alexa and her friend with me after they brought me a 'surprise' (a handful of confetti poured in my hair)
The sun setting over San Salvador
Sorry this is sideways but I thought I'd end on a fun note. All of the trees here are painted white on the lower halves. Not sure why but it's kind of funny to see.
I meet Marlen tomorrow so it's off to bed now to hopefully rest up!
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