EL SALVADOR - BASE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES
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Together in Hope is working with Dr. Harold Recinos, Dr. Hector Rivera, and The Center for Child and Community Development at Southern Methodist University to assist multiple communities struggling to create a better future for their children in post-war El Salvador. The project works collaboratively with grass-root organizations and one institution of higher learning in El Salvador that are focused on addressing some of the most pressing needs of the Salvadoran people. These organizations include: (1) Las Dignas: a non-profit women organization working on addressing women’s rights through the development of early childhood curriculum currently adopted by the ministry of education in El Salvador, (2) Equipo Maiz: an organization focused on the literacy and education of Salvadorans on issues of ecology, sexuality, and economic development, (3) Christian Base Communities of El Salvador: an organization working with poor marginalized communities in the area of human development, education, and self-sustainability projects, (4) Center for Intercultural Education: an organization working to build leadership skills to enhance the capacity of individuals in order to address local and global challenges for Salvadoran communities, as well as (5) University of Central America.
Key components of the three-year project are: (1) development and provision of psychological services for post-war trauma, (2) a higher education scholarship program in order to build the infrastructure for future mental health service providers in El Salvador. (3) an educational/vocational program designed to provide skills and training for improved economic opportunities for individuals, families and communities, and (4) a family literacy program to address the needs of families in areas such as child rearing practices and parental involvement in their children’s educational development.
The achievement of the goals outlined above exemplifies an interconnected effort that is bound to have a lasting as well as immediate effect on children, families and communities in El Salvador. For example, the goal under psychological services is two-folds: first of all, it addresses the current needs in mental health services in areas such as post-traumatic stress disorders, depression, violence and child abuse in the form of corporal punishment leading to the physical and mental injury of children. Secondly, the Higher Education Scholarship program will provide educational avenues for young Salvadorans interested in making a difference in their communities, at the same time that they better themselves as individuals. This program component will include scholarships for Salvadoran youth who lack the resources to seek a two-year university degree in mental health services. The main requirement under the scholarship program will be for these mental health students to serve their practicum hours with our partner organizations to provide vital support in communities in need of such services. In this way, we begin to address the immediate needs across marginalized communities at the same time that we are also building the capacity of mental health providers for the future of El Salvador. Through collaboration with the University of Central America and SMU, the project will provide training and short courses on mental health, psycholinguistics, education, social justice and other vocational training. This model will be used in all aspects of the project with the goal of developing sustainable programs that build local capacities by providing training and educational avenues currently not available for these young people as well as increasing the opportunities for vocational training of parents and other adults.