The community of Montelimar is south of San Salvador, near a town named Olocuilta. The road near Montelimar, which leads to the airport, takes you past a scene that appears desolate. Even though the community has brick houses, electricity and potable water, the desolation of the surroundings and the distance from every other community make it feel almost like a batey or a slum.

The community holds about 2,500 homes, with an average of five people per home, according to the last census Rosario’s church conducted. (Rosario is a Compassion-assisted child in this community.) Most of the families rent space as they cannot afford to pay between $8,000 and $10,000 for a home. Most of them work at factories called maquilas, earning the minimum salary – about $170 per month.

Rent goes between $40 and $50, depending on the condition of the home. For some families, who earn their income as street vendors or have large families, their income barely covers the basic staples, and their option is to inhabit an unoccupied home, with the risk that someday an owner will appear and kick them out.

Sometimes a house will suddenly be empty. The reason lays in the comunity’s biggest problem – gangs.

In poor communities like Montelimar, gangs are a constant threat. Nobody comes in or out without them noticing. In fact, the commercial activity in the community has gone down, and small businesses such as pupuserias (little and simple dining places where they sell a local dish called pupusas) or convenience and staples stores are gone because the gangs ask them for “rent,” which means business owners have to pay a weekly amount of hundreds of dollars to receive “protection.” Otherwise, the gangs will do as they wish with the store and the owners.

In Rosario’s case, her family rents and her father, who sells sandwiches on a little cart on the streets of San Salvador and earns the minimum salary, supports the family.

Rosario is a quiet 12-year-old girl, very shy and organized. She is the oldest of four siblings. Even though she is very quiet, Rosario has many friends at school and at the child development center she attends.

(more…)

Roberto Medrano has worked for Compassion for seven years and now serves as a Learning and Support Specialist for communication and tours in the Central America and Caribbean region.

Read our Sep. 2008 interview with Roberto.

On October 1, the Chamber of Agricultural and Agro-industrial Affairs in El Salvador published in a local newspaper that about 8 million quintals (1 quintal = 220 pounds) of maize were lost during the harvesting season last August.

Prices in general have increased, reducing the buying power of the average Salvadoran. On average, people are spending twice as much money on staples for the same amount of goods.

But Juan Carlos looks at his crops that extend over the mountains of the El Capulin community about 45 minutes north of San Salvador and says, “What crisis?”

He explains that he has received help with his crops from Compassion through the child development center his children attend. The help came through a Complementary Intervention (CIV) developed by Salem Bible Church with the advice from Compassion El Salvador.

Complementary Interventions are additional funds that are obtained through proposals written by the Compassion country office as a team with the implementing church partners.

Since sponsorship funds are strictly used to run the day-to-day operations at the child development centers – to meet the basic four components of child development (spiritual, physical, educational and socio-emotional areas) – additional funds obtained through CIV are necessary to implement additional benefits, such as entrepreneurship workshops, or to provide equipment for the centers (computers, water sanitation units, etc), or to offer crisis response and relief.

The CIV proposal Juan Carlos benefited from is called “Fertile Soil.” It has blessed a total of 19 families who had no resources to plant and who depend on agriculture for a living. (more…)

December is a magical time in El Salvador. Right after the last September rains and the windy days of October and November, a cool breeze and fresh spring-like days fill the atmosphere, announcing that the dry season (usually called “summer”) is here, and suddenly everything is green, red and full of lights. It is Christmastime.

For Compassion El Salvador and for our partner churches, Christmas is more than just an evening service on the 24th. (That is right, in El Salvador, if you ask anyone about Christmas, they will answer without hesitation “December 24th.”)

For our church partners, it is an opportunity to remember the birth of Jesus, but also why He was born on Earth. It is a great opportunity to bring families together, and share the love of God with the children and their families. It is a time for blessing, spiritually and materially.

In the towns, bright, conspicuous winter sale banners contrast with the green and red decorations and the white paint that imitates snow on the showcase at the local mall. (It does not snow in El Salvador, but since the culture is so Americanized, there cannot be Christmas without snow.)

The aisles of the supermarkets and department stores are filled with pine scent and artificial trees on sale. If you ever come and visit El Salvador in December, it does not matter if you are from the United States, Canada, France or Australia, you will know … it is Christmastime.

Children in other countries and conditions might dream about the latest action hero or the most beautiful and fashionable doll. The children at our centers think a little bit differently. Not because they do not like toys, but because there are other needs to be fulfilled. (more…)

Many of you have asked about the impact Hurricane Ida had on your children as it moved through El Salvador. As we receive specific details from the El Salvador office about they’ve been affected we will contact you.

The good news is that no children were physically hurt. But we understand that you want more information.

Here’s an “on the ground” perspective from Shaun Groves and the Compassion Bloggers.

What happens when a hurricane hits the U.S.?

Telethons. Thousands donated.

FEMA. Thousands housed.

Hospitals. Thousands healed.

Insurance. Thousands rebuild.

What happens when a hurricane hits a house made of mud?

When earth by the ton gives way and slides through a neighborhood?

When beds, clothes, and families are swallowed up by flood waters and mud?

What happens when all this happens in a small village in the smallest nation in Central America? With almost no government resources? Without insurance and a hospital nearby or a car to visit it? What happens then?

The Church happens.

Read what that means on Shaun’s blog. And watch the video he included in the post.

Apparently, a singing bunny has made its way into our child sponsorship program in El Salvador. The Compassion Bloggers saw it.

Sponsor a singing bunny in El Salvador.

Thanks for the video Patricia.

Straight from El Salvador, courtesy of Whittaker Woman.

Meet Maricella. She was in a gang, XVIII, the 18th Street Gang.

Our translator was asking her questions about her life: who she lives with, her children, how Compassion has changed their family. With each answer she had a modest smile and giggle. She was nervous. Then the translator asked about the elephant that was in the room. Her tattoo.

Read the entire post at whittakerwoman.com

You’re invited to a live video chat from El Salvador with the Compassion Bloggers.

It’s taking place on Wed., Nov. 11 at 9 p.m. CST at www.livestream.com/compassion.

See you there.