Salvadorans in Washington D.C. Generate Jobs in their Country
Washington Hispanic
August 8, 2003
Mitzi Maci

Translation by PADF

The growth, processing, and commercialization of products, such as loroco, maracuya, green chili, and red chili, in the municipality of San Pedro Masahuat in the department of La Paz, have become a formula to generate employment in El Salvador, with the help of remittances from the Salvadoran community living in the metropolitan area.

This initiative is the result of a pilot project by the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), financed by the United States International Agency for Development (USAID).

The project, named First Productive Project in El Salvador, has as an objective to channel community remittances to specific projects that generate employment and increase rural family income in the Central American country.

“We, the Salvadoran community abroad, have sent help to our country for infrastructure and social services, but now we must fight poverty by creating jobs,” expressed to the Washington Hispanic, Elmer Arias, president of the Salvadoran Civic Committee.

Dale Crowell, manager of remittances programs for PADF, mentioned that the same project is being implemented in Mexico and Haiti.

“this initiative came about after acknowledging that remittances in the entire Central American, South American, and Caribbean region were over $32 million in 2002 and we started to think of ways in which these could be made into a more productive contribution,” said Crowell.

To make these projects come true, PADF had to seek partners who in all cases were immigrant groups.  To execute the project in El Salvador, it is working with the Salvadoran Civic Committee, which will have to do activities to raise funds to help implement the pilot project.

“The Salvadoran community must contribute a total of $25,000 and PADF will contribute $50,000.  Additionally, we will have private enterprise contributions which will add up to a total of $90,000 which will be used for the project,” explained Crowell.

The agricultural activities were started this February, and a few weeks ago the processing plant was inaugurated.  Contacts and negotiations are being made to be able to export the products.

“We are two and a half million Salvadorans living in the United States, which means that all the products cultivated will have great demand.  This is a sustainable program which is employing 50 families in our country,” said Arias.

The first fundraising event will be held on Saturday in the Rio Grande Restaurants during which 100% of the funds raised will be destined to the project.

“The Salvadoran community thinks positively of these projects and many organizations want to start similar programs in their towns of origin.  This is a great first step,” said Arias.

At the same time, PADF’s plan is to create a Transnational Development Fund, for which it is currently undergoing negotiations with private enterprises, so as to be able to work in smaller projects with other immigrant communities in the country.