Sunday, June 22, 2008

The People You Meet



You often meet many people on the road while traveling off the beaten path. Perquin is certainly off the beaten path. It is a wonderful crossroads of people and culture. After visiting other places that see very few foreigners and have no NGO presence, we were very surprised to see the high number of aid workers from all over the world here to help out this region.

The Peace Corps for example has had a very long history in this area and still has over 100 volunteers throughout El Salvador. In the short week that we were here, we ran into 5 different Peace Corps workers stationed in the surrounding villages. Lindsey (or leela as she is called by the children who can't pronounce her name yet) is working right here in Perquin. She has been here for about a month of her 2 year commitment and already seems well situated in the community. She helped us immensely while we were here and could not have taught the classes without her.

We met Marie, a newly graduated political scientist from Sweden here to study the role of woman in El Salvadoran politics. Sara (seen above), a teacher from New Mexico has volunteered throughout Central America. Our Paths crossed while she was making her way from Nicaragua to Guatemala. She sat in to observe classes at Amun Shea and helped us teach the photography workshop.

There were 2 grad students here from Harvard and Columbia conducting research for microfinance programs, a woman from San Francisco here to implement arts programs, and a man from England who is the only man on earth who has seen and evidenced the white breasted hawk, which he spotted in the mountains of Morazan (this last one is not a charity worker, but it is a fascinating story).

El Salvador is in a very precarious place right now. Their classification as a "developing nation in need" is changing very soon, and their largest source of foreign aid, the Millenium Project, is about to cut off their funding for El Salvador. There will soon be little money for things like infrastructure, education and medical care. With so many people out of work, the only source of income for some families is sent from a father or sister sending back their salary from abroad. These remitants make up a staggering 20% of the GNP. If foreign aid is suddenly cut off, it will become even more difficult for people to survive.

Help from charities like FocalPointAid or programs like many we have seen this week from outside organizations may be that little extra push that people here need.
The people of Perquin are strong, proud and hard-working. If we can do something as simple as help build them a school building for their children, we are happy to help.

As for all the wonderful people we have met: Keep up all the good work, we will see you soon.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Last Day of School



After a week of teaching dance and photography it is time to say goodbye. Heather's students were very disappointed to hear she had to go back to Nuevo York. Children from all classes lined up to hug her goodbye with many trying to convince their new teacher to stay.

We ended the week, on Saturday, with a performance to honor the family. In El Salvador, unlike the USA, Mothers and Fathers are honored on the same day, Familia Dias. The children of Amun Shea performed many traditional songs and dances for their families. One song in particular had a great deal of importance to the children. It was explained to us that the lyrics sang by the children were asking "when their father will come home". Refrain after refrain asked where is our father, when will he come home. This was incredible moving and relevant with the current influx of immigrants to America.

Hearing the songs and meeting with the parents or guardians of these children make the mission of Amun Shea even ore important. This school was built with the hope that children of this region reach for a life beyond their current means. The unfortunately trend for youth here is the to become laborers that have to travel outside of El Salvador to find work. It has broken up families and crippled an economy. The wish at Amun Shea is to create leaders and inspirational figures of their community.

During today's family day, Amun Shea incorporated two of Heather's dances into the celebration. The children performed these new dances with exuberance and even added a great deal of their own personal touches. Families applauded throughout the numbers and greatly appreciated what had been introduced to their children.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Children are Gifted

As we mentioned here yesterday, many of the students that were invited to our Photography workshop were remarkably gifted at an art form they have had little to no experience at. They each had a very unique sense of beauty in their surroundings and showed a level of creativity well beyond their education. We were extremely impressed with the level of excitement and the quality of work that these students brought to their projects.

The picture above is just one example of their photos. It was shot by Jeovana, a second grader.

Lending a Helping Hand



We are very proud of our relationship with the Amun Shea school here in Perquin. Although new and experimental in many ways, it is already operating at a high level and holds true to all the ideals of learning and child development that make education paramount in building a strong community. When members of FocalPointAid first visited El Salvador and Amun Shea in February, we knew that we wanted to help this school in any way that we could. That is why on this trip, meant for research and observation, we wanted to roll up our sleeves and lend a hand.

Each day this week, we have visited Amun Shea,spoken with the teachers, seen the students, photographed the school in progress and even taught some classes. That's right...we taught some classes. We have helped the school run classes in photography and dance. At first, these might seem like "non-essential" subjects to teach in such a place as Perquin, but on the contrary, teaching students anything that can excite imagination and create a culture of new ideas is exactly what can help young people grow into positive community leaders.

Joe created a program to teach the students in 2nd and 3rd grade how to take photographs. We brought with us a handful of digital cameras, a photo printer (all to be donated to the school upon our departure) and a laptop computer. On the first day, the students were shown about a dozen prints of our photos, some taken at Amun Shea during the last visit. They learned basic photography skills like lighting, focus, composition and subject matter. At the end of each day, a few students were given the cameras and a homework assignment to take pictures of whatever they found interesting. The next day, Joe uploaded their artwork to the computer and picked a dozen pictures to compliment and critique. We expected this excersize to be fun, but did not expect the results to be as interesting as they came out. Each student showed individuality and personality in their experiments that you may not find even in a college photography course. I guess when you give children who grow up in this kind of environment a chance to express themselves, they do just that. It was amazing to see. We hope to be able to expand on this trial run on our next visit.

At the same time, Heather has run a very ambitious dance program, teaching 4 classes a day to children from K-3rd grades. As with most art-forms these children learn, this was a whole new experience for them. They were shown video of ballet and exposed to dance music of many genres. Over the last few days, the children went from reticent and giggly to talented, budding dancers able to recite and demonstrate the 5 positions of ballet and together perform a dance piece fully equipped with tutus and ribbons. Every time Heather demonstrated a new kick or turn or split, all their eyes lit up with wonder and a few seconds later were anxiously trying to duplicate what they saw. Whether or not this great group of students will produce the next Nuriev is unclear and inconsequential. What they have learned is that their is a whole world outside of what they have seen that is full of excitement and wonder. Isn't that what education is supposed to strive for?

Both the dance and photography classes were just a taste of what education can offer these students. We are happy to be invited to be a part of a school willing to allow teachers to visit and interrupt their day-to-day curriculum. We are proud to support such a place. We hope that this year, we will be able to help the students and educators at Amun Shea in a more tangible way by helping to fund new classrooms for their growing success. As great as the school here is, it only teaches through the 3rd grade. Without help, students graduating will have to return to the El Salvador education system which is among the poorest in Central America.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

El Mazote



As we have already written here, Morazan is know for its beauty, quiet way of life and its significance during the war. Over the past few days, we have seen the beauty of the landscape and seen the lives of people in this community. Today, we went out to see the effects of the recent armed activity that has shaped the way many have lived over the last quarter century.

The beginning of the conflict in El Salvador began well before all-out warfare spread in the early eighties. In the 70s, a very unstable government switched hands several times making for a very dangerous situation. This instability and extreme poverty helped pave the way for a guerilla movement that in turn forced a strong military response. After a series of "civil wars" erupted into Cold War disasters in Cuba and Nicaragua, the world superpowers were getting nervous about any conflict in central american. Many international forces were quietly or overtly taking sides in El Salvador with the guerillas, the military or both. The war raged on in brutal fashion until a peace accord was reached in 1992. The details and significance of this war is something that we encourage everyone to learn more about, but there is not enough time or space to tell the entire story here.

If there was a defining moment from this war it is the massacre at El Mazote. Over 800 civilians (estimates vary) were murdered on December 11th, 1981 by a U.S. trained military unit called the Infantry Batalion Atacatl BIRI (rapid reaction unit). Today we visited the town and memorial sites to take note of a disaster that too many people around the world have forgotten. Driving to El Mazote we learn a little about the region from our guide and host, Ron. We drive through the quiet town of Arambala while passing buildings with Guerilla grafitti still visiable. Time has definately passed this area by, or maybe it is just opportunity that they have missed, but there is nothing like it anywhere I have seen to compare it to. The streets are cobblestone, the adobe brick buildings are quaint but perfectly adapted to the weather, and men walk around everywhere carrying machetes in their hand. We have not gotten a real reason why machetes are still carried around. It may be for protection, it may be for its use as a tool, but it is just something that we will have to get used to.

The center of El Mazote has an eerie quiet and the town seems to have more dogs than people. The massacre of the village left only 3 known survivors. The few people who have since repopulated the village are very much aware of the brutal history of this place and many will answer any question you have. With over 300,000 people displaced by the war, there is no end to the personal stories that exist for those who might listen. There is a memorial built in the center of town with all the names of the victims that have been recovered. We may never know the full list. Next to the memorial is the church of El Mazote, rebuilt after it was burned down during the massacre. It is a simple structure but stunning in its significance. The "walls of peace" as the murals painted on the churches facade are called, tell a sad and great story. On one side the disaster is given its due. You can stand in the "Jardin De Reflextion" that is built on the site of the old rectory of the church and look at a beautifully realized mural and mosaic while praying or relecting on the memories of the victims. Along the base of the wall is a list of all those who died with their ages. 146 of these names are under 12, and some of them are as young as 3 days old.

On the opposite side of the church is a painted mural representing hope through time and education. There are many different opinions on how to go about life after the war, but one slogan struck the public then and still is spoken today: "NUNCA MAS" (never again).

After a very sobering and emotional trip to El Mazote, we came back to Perquin to visit the Museo De La Revolucion Salvadorena. Perquin was the headquarters of the FMLN and some of the museum guides fought in the war as guerillas. They were surprisingly matter of fact in their descriptons of the war and gave very non-biased viewpoints on the details represented in their showrooms. We saw pictures, mortars, weapons, and many artifacts that helped us imagine what soldiers from either side may have gone through. Walking through the rooms line with recovered guns was very eerie. So was the fact that most of the weapons used in the war were supplied either directly or indirectly by the U.S.

The two most amazing parts of our tour were the large crater left untouched that was created by a 500 lb bomb, and the remains of a downed helicopter. The crater represents many that still scar the countryside. The helicopter is from a story that will certainly stick with us for a while. The man behind the massacre at El Mazote was Lieutenant Coronel Domingo Monterossa Barrios. He was known as a brutal war machine, and many attempts on his life had failed throughout most of the war. His desire to collect war "trophies" was well known and the FMLN set a trap for him that ended with him carrying a sabatoged war prize on his helicopter that exploded seconds after takeoff. The story of his death and the memory of his brutal legacy live on in the minds of the those effected by this war and in the remnants of his helicopter at the museum here in Perquin.

We have certainly had a memorable day. It is easy, too easy to forget what some communities have had to go through just to survive. As sad as the history is in El Salvador, it is their history and important to learn about and understand as they move foward. NUNCA MAS

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Little School That Could

The picture above was taken today after a visit to a local school.  He holds a picture of himself that was taken on our first trip here in February.  As he saw the picture and recognized himself, he giggled with a happy nervousness that made everyone who saw it smile.  But when he learned that the picture was a gift and he should go home to show his mom and dad, he glowed with an exuberant pride and skipped away to show off his prize.


Amun Shea (land of seads) is a small school in Perquin, built and run by a  international aid worker from the U.S., and staffed by a handful of dedicated teachers.  It is a ray of hope in a region of the world that needs just that.

We visited the school today to say hello, see how the school has progressed and maybe help teach a class or two (more about that later this week).  The school teaches 52 students from pre-K to third grade.  Unlike the public schools in El Salvador, Amun Shea teaches a full-day curriculum.  The school was created by our  new friend Ron Brennenman.  He was in the country to help build shelters for those displaced by the war and he never left.  Now with a family and strong roots in this community he built a school to fill the need a solid education for his children and those of the surrounding villages.  

The first semester started just this winter and has already received recognition for academic achievement. After only one semester it is amazing how well the school runs, how successful the program is and how happy and eager all the children are.  The school itself is a humble but well built structure at the end of a dirt road.  It has all the facilities that a school requires but not much  more.  As with many of the schools that we have seen and heard about, they need more materials, more rooms and more teachers.  

As we have mentioned, the school only reaches the 3rd grade.  As their current students get older, they will need help building more buildings to expand.   

Stay tuned for more details of the school, but for now check out this video of Amun Shea.  http://www.youtube.com/watch\?v=ahYRUDt0y68

Traveling Far


Another season, another country and another long travel day by Focal Point Aid. After 10 hours of travel (half the time it took us to complete our first plane ride to South Africa) we are sitting comfortably in the Perkin Lenca Hotel De Montana tucked away in the mountains of Perquin somewhere near the El Salvador-Honduras Border. The first sign that El Salvador is not exactly a hot spot for vacation travel was while we were riding on the airplane...it was less than half filled and we were the only native english speakers on the flight. We found amusement watching the airline staff dilligently call out each row for boarding even though though their were only a dozen people waiting to get on. It certainly made for a pleasant flight. The flight went smoothly, Immigration went smoothly, Customs went smoothly, then we tried to pick up our rental car. Start with a language barrier plus the standard rigamorole of rental companies, then add 100 degrees in the shade and our good mood was put to the test. But we were finally here and we left San Salvador with our air conditioned car, malaria pills and a large stock of bottled water.

The impressions of El Salvador change with each town and village we pass on The Pan Americana highway. It has been 16 years since the 1992 peace accords officially marked the end of the war here, but you can't avoid the remnants of the damage that the war has left behind. There is a permanent feel of temporary in most of the areas we pass. In the last 15 years, El Salvador has had many setbacks in their post war developement. Mudslides, hurricanes and earthquakes have left much of the region moving from temporary home to temporary home. El Salvador has more seismic activity than any country in the region (because of this fact, the area around San Salvador has been called the "Valle de la hamaca" , the Valley of the Hammock). Some are just tremors, but some are large and dibilitating disasters like the ones in 1986 or 2001. Now former aid camps and refugee villages have been turned into towns of run-down huts or alluminum sheets propped up to make shelters and endless piles of wood that used to be somebody's home.

Along the way, we passed a few urban centers with storefronts and market places. The road between was packed with roadside stands selling papayas or plantains. One unfortunate trend we witnessed was the trash. The infrastructure of El Salvador still hasn't figured out how to dispose of garbage. It has ended up in piles on front lawns or lining the roadside. Development has made its mark however and there is a strong workforce, something of a transportation system and the endless advertisements painted every few feet along the highway.

As we expected, the feel of El Salvador changes drastically as you get into the mountains. The province of Morazan is in the northeast corner of the country and is known for its beauty, agriculture and its place as a guerilla stronghold during the war. Many people have first hand stories about their recent history and we look forward this week to learning as much as we can about the cultures that have repopulated the region.

One final note about our trip here before we begin. It is the rainy season here and as we drive into the hotel and meet up with our hosts, it is pouring down buckets of rain. We expect rain every day while we are here, but usually only at night. Thanks to Ron Brenneman, his family and his staff at the hotel and his school for their welcoming us into their world. We expect a productive week here and hope you all back home enjoy our dispatches.

Monday, June 16, 2008

El Salvador

We leave tomorrow for El Salvador. We will be blogging daily about our trip, so please stay tuned.

Our project in El Salvador will once again focus on children and education. In the small municipality of Perquin, near the border of Honduras there is a small school called Amun Shea (Land of Seeds). In a region where you can hardly avoid the markings of a brutal civil war, the school and surrounding community is a reminder that big change can happen in small ways. It is a school opened to rebuild a proud community, that is after just a few years, helping to build a bright future for over 50 students.

The community is made up of former refugees displaced by war. It is twenty-five years later and many have never returned to their former homes. As the country has undergone a slow rebuilding process, some areas such as Perquin have been forgotten. Amun Shea was built by a few caring individuals who wanted a safe place to educate their own children. Now, it is the pride of the region and teaches classes up to the third grade.

We hope to keep an ongoing relationship with Amun Shea and the Peqiun community. With your help, we can assist them in building new classrooms to hold future classes as they grow.