Friday Morning Mavericks
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE
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Mary Chigos, Chair
ABOUT US
PAUR has a history of service in El Salvador dating back to 2004. Members of PAUR researched the needs of the area and determined with the community, the areas in which PAUR could provide support in education, health and economic development. Our work is in and around the canton of Las Trincheras, part of Caluco.
WHAT WE DO
In education: Working with El Salvador North America -ESNA we have funded class rooms now up to the 10th grade with the 11th grade being built this year. With our partners we have built new toilet facilities and kitchens for the children at the school. We helped fund an Early Childhood Development center in Las Trincheras.
In health we have funded the training of 25 community leaders and 12 health promoters. There is currently one health promoter in each of the cantons which makes access to the healthcare viable. We also fund weekend health clinics through FUDECOM. In 2015 we raised money to build a maternal health clinic in Caluco collaborating with ESNA Village Network to complete the project. In 2018 we were informed by the Women’s Health Care Clinic that the mothers receiving care at the maternal health clink had all live births and no maternal complications in the first year of operation. We participated in a project to drill a well to bring fresh water to the village of Las Trincheras. We participated in a Global Grant in 2019 for wash stations and hygiene education that directly helped 183 students and their families. We continue to support health clinics conducted by FUDECOM in rural areas of EL Salvador with limited access to medical and dental care.
In Economic Development we helped a local think tank fund a micro-credit for farmers supplying supermarkets; invested in local shrimp farm operations and a drip irrigation projects; helped build a wash and pack station for farmers.
WHO BENEFITS
PAUR’s involvement in El Salvador benefits the Canton of Las Trincheras, the Municipio de Caluco (county), and Sonsonate. Because of PAUR’s participation children are able to receive routine education versus in the past only a few hours a day to limited space, they are receiving nutrition from the kitchens where women from the community are preparing daily meals, they are provided with clean toilet facilities and education that emphasize health and hygiene.
WHY IS THERE A NEED
Las Trincheras, part of Caluco, is a village in one of the poorest areas of El Salvador where the residents live on $1 a day. During our time in Caluco, we have raised their poverty ranking in-country from 240/246 to 206/246! The community members have blossomed into confident leaders with a vision for their future. Since our involvement, several children have started their university education in the areas of law and medicine.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Join the International Committee to hear about the ongoing needs in Las Trincheras. Bill Fisher from ESNA is a resource as he shares of needs the community has prioritized. The International Committee determines which projects to fund from our allocation. When we are able to travel again “post Covid” the International Committee will continue our trips to El Salvador annually to meet with our ESNA partners and visits the sites that we have supported, along with meeting with the leaders in the village.
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