For One Another Happenings

A boy enjoys the attention from the
onlookers as he rides in the parade.

Walking to the school with about
380 at-risk children in San Salvador

Today we visited a school where over 300 children attend classes’ everyday.  But today was a special for them because it was the one time a year that they are part of a soccer tournament.  Our contact, Nancy, has a group of 17 people here for the week with her organization and they are going to play soccer with the kids and it's all set to start with a big parade.

A young boy named Diego plays with 

a broken toy gun as he shyly tells 

me he doesn't play soccer.

Carrie and I are along for another reason.  This is a school whose staff goes out into the surrounding areas looking for high-risk children, meaning they are at great risk of being recruited into the gang if they go to a normal school. 

My sunglasses are 
a fun toy.

Young children here are recruited right out of middle school and if they resist their lives are at risk.  Once initiated its almost impossible to undo the decision.  Among other occurrences that make it hard to reverse the process, the required tattoos mark them as members for life.  After that it’s a dark future of violence on the streets.


The children walk to the school by themselves grouped together and arrive by 7:00am.  They are given a snack for breakfast and a meal for lunch.  Some are only 6 or 7 years old and still manage to get themselves ready in the morning for class.  Sometimes the parents drop them off, even some fathers who are in the gang themselves.  They say they want anything else for their child’s future.  Many of these children are also orphans living with different family members.

Water comes for 2 hours per day and is not safe but
the children drink it anyway for lack of another option.

The school has one sink with filtered water in a locked kitchen.  The other water taps available for the 380 children are not safe.  They are told not to drink it but they get thirsty and do anyway.  Compassion International helps run this school and the people are very thankful for that.  The children come because they want to learn.  The staff of 26 people is happy to let us test the water to see if the filters we brought are needed and will be of benefit to them.  This is just one of many, many places we will visit this week in an attempt to place ourselves where we are most needed.


~Stephanie

1 COMMENTS:

Priscilla said...

Thanks for the update! So great being able to follow you as you help others!

JUNE 6, 2011 8:51 PM