Blog
Las Trincheras Story
Las Trincheras Story (Autor of Post) (Position of Person) The story of Las Trincheras is a love story. It is the love of family, neighbor
VIOLENCE IN EL SALVADOR?
VIOLENCE IN EL SALVADOR? Guillermo Fernando Sensente. ESNA’s Project Director. El Salvador is no different than the rest of the countries in the World as
A WHOLE NEW WORLD OPENS UP!
A WHOLE NEW WORLD OPENS UP! By John Poole Two years ago, our group from Sonoma County in California had a wonderful experience with
HOSPITALITY!
HOSPITALITY! By Susan Barton. (revsusanbarton@gmail.com) Hospitality is the heart of what I learned when I traveled to El Salvador with ESNA. I’ve been on
El Salvador Has Stolen My Heart
El Salvador Has Stolen My Heart By Janie White 11 years ago, I traveled to El Salvador with a group mostly from my church. We
ESNA Makes a Remarkable Impact For The Children of Las Trincheras
ESNA makes a remarkable impact for the children of Las Trincheras Building and furnishing an impressive Children’s Center for children ages 2 to 6! By
Empowering Women to Empower the Community
By Cecily O'Regan
We first started partnering on projects in Caluco, El Salvador in 2008. Part of the draw of Caluco was the dynamic mayor. It was a big job, but you sensed she planned to make things happen in the community.
In 2013, we transitioned from Caluco generally to one of the poorest cantons in Caluco: Las Trincheras. That was when I first met their counse lwoman: Haydee. I remember that meeting like it was yesterday. As you looked into Haydee’s eyes you could see that she was a caring and sensitive soul. But there was something more. You also sensed that she carried the weight of her community on her shoulders: the hopes and fears for the next generation with no beacon of hope for how to improve their lives. Haydee was quiet and shy and perhaps not quite sure what to do with the American visitors. We were there with our trusted guides at ESNA to assess the needs of Las Trincheras and to determine whether we could develop a multi-year relationship with projects focused on health, education and economic development. We left that first year knowing we wanted to work with this community and we wanted to collaborate with others to bring resources to a wonderful group of people in need.
Over the past four years we’ve made an annual visit to Las Trincheras to check on projects and to maintain our relationships with the community. We have been fortunate to access tangible data on the overall economic improvement of the community. But it has been the intangible change that has been the most heartwarming. You see, during those four years we have watched Haydee blossom from a quiet woman with the weight of the community on her shoulders to a confident vivacious leader who commands respect from her community.
Developing a relationship with a community and watching them grow has many benefits. We know that women empowerment reduces poverty, leads to stronger families and provides stability to the community. But the one benefit that cannot be understated is watching a woman like Haydee blossom before your eyes. That has been a real privilege and a joy for us.
