Dear Customers,
After an amazing and inspirational trip to Chiltiupán, I would like to share some of my stories with you! We spent time in the village attending mass, talking to the people, and visiting a farm and nine schools. As this trip was focused on the educational development in Chiltiupán we met with the principals and teachers of the schools to discover what they need. This included bathrooms for the little kids, kitchens, computers, libraries, and improved infrastructure like windows and chalkboards. Many of the teachers work hard to educate the students, but it is difficult when they do not have the essential materials.
On Saturday morning, we met with the college students who are on scholarship to attend the universities in San Salvador. Generous parishioners at St. Dominic financially support these hardworking students. In order to get into the program, each person must submit their grades and essays to a panel who decide which students are most suitable to attend college.
We asked the scholarship students questions about their lives. Many wake up everyday around 4 AM to catch a bus into the city. It is difficult to adjust as they leave a small village in the mountains and enter into one of the most dangerous cities in the world (with 13 murders a day). When we asked what they would do if they couldn’t go to college, the boys said they would be farmers or day laborers and the girls said they would be housemaids. They expressed their gratitude for their sponsors because they could not attend college without the financial help. After hearing their stories my brother and I are considering sponsoring a student to attend college next year!
It was inspiring to hear that many of these college students want to come back to Chiltiupán to help in some way. We met several teachers in the schools who were part of the scholarship program and our friend Herbert who is studying English hopes to start an English academy in the village.
Enclosed are three pictures. The first is of a little girl I met at the school. She followed me around and even pulled up a chair next to my dad and me at a meeting. Every time I took a picture of her, she would strike a pose. The second picture is of a school we visited where the kids greeted us by singing “Love Me Do” by the Beatles! And the third shows what most schools look like in the countryside. Interestingly, every school is painted blue and white and every student wears a uniform.
Fun Facts: Education in El Salvador
• Education is free through the ninth grade, but only 82% of children make it this far.
• 6% of Salvadoran children never attend any school.
• Only 33% of the children attend secondary school.
Thanks,
Lauren and Harry Hawkes
