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Francisco Castro, Comunidad Unida de Chinameca, Washington DC
Ernesto Sánchez, FUSAFLOR, Florida
Gilma Castro, Comité Pro-Niñez Salvadoreña, Los Ángeles
Elmer Arias, Centro Latino Cuscatlán, Washington, D.C.
Francisco Castro, Comunidad Unida de Chinameca, Washington DC
Francisco Castro is president of Comunidad Unida de Chinameca, a Salvadoran immigrant organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, whose members come from the municipality of Chinameca in the department of San Miguel. In 2004, the group joined PADF and Banco Agrícola in the Manos Unidas por El Salvador Program, when they proposed and then built an environmental laboratory and a tree nursery in the municipality of Chinameca. A few months later, they joined Program ALCANCE, and through it have been able to improve the level of education for students in the schools Emilia de Callejas and Cantó Cruz Primera.
What motivates you to help your community of origin?
“Making a diference in El Salvador, improving the lives of our brothers and sisters back there. Because Salvadorans don’t even have their basic needs met and we (the Salvadoran immigrant population in the United States), with our work here, we can help them.”
How did you here about PADF? How was it that you or your group first came to the organization?
“The first time I heard about PADF was during the 2001 earthquakes. At that time, PADF helped us send aid, we sent about 20 truck loads of wood.
Later on, I was invited to the inauguration of the processing plant in Cantón Los Novillos, in San Pedro Masahuat and there I became very motivated to help. But at that time we (Comunidad Unida de Chinameca) were working on other projects and we weren’t able to participate with PADF.
But later on, through the media, TV and newspapers, we heard about Manos Unidas and at that time we were able to join PADF. Later, through them we found out that they were starting Programa ALCANCE and we decided to become part of that initiative as well.”
How do you feel after having worked with PADF for some time?
“We feel thankful for the opportunity and I feel that we are doing something for our small town. And we hope that this will be an opportunity that will bring more opportunities to help out in the future.
Our dream is to begin skills training workshops because today all the good Salvadoran workers are living in the United States.”
Do you believe that the projects implemented in partnership with PADF have helped the people of your community of origin?
“Of course! It’s not the same to go barefoot to school, than to have shoes. For parents who have 4 kids, which tend to be the standard in El Salvador, the school supply packets of Program ALCANCE are of big help, we are very, very happy.”
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Ernesto Sánchez, FUSAFLOR, Florida
Ernesto Sánchez is president of the Fundación Salvadoreña de la Florida (FUSAFLOR) which is currently working with PADF in Programa ALCANCE. Under model B of the program, FUSAFLOR works in the school Caserío Casa Blanca, located in the municipality of San Julián, in the department of Sonsonate.
What motivates you to help your community of origin?
“I arrived (in the United States) in 1979, I’ve been here for 26 years and I’ve seen that the circumstances for Salvadoran workers (in El Salvador) have not improved.
I’m from Lourdes, Colón, and life there was hard (while I was living there).
I arrived here following the dream that everyone follows: to try to survive and have a better life.
And after I went back (to El Salvador) and I saw that people continue to be poor, only so me one who is inhumane would not want to help.
And here many of us have excelled and now we can help, and that is what motivates me to continue helping.”
How did you here about PADF? How was it that you or your group first came to the organization?
“I’ve always tried to partner up with organizations.
We are part of an association of Salvadoran organizations and it was through one of those contacts that I had in Washington that I heard about PADF.
Later on, at the “Salvadoreños en el Mundo” Conference I got to know PADF and from then on, we continue to build on the relationship.
And I believe that, with PADF, we can achieve a very strong alliance.”
How do you feel after having worked with PADF for some time?
“I found out late about Programa ALCANCE, but we really wanted PADF’s support because it is sometimes difficult for us to do it on our own.
And we have to give PADF credit because it is not easy to coordinate with all these organizations.
I feel that there is honesty and transparency. And we would like to continue participating.”
Do you believe that the projects implemented in partnership with PADF have helped the people of your community of origin?
“Definitely. In El Salvador, any grain of sand is important, especially for the children. They receive more that the economic benefit, it is the emotional aspect that they get most benefits from.”
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Gilma Castro, Comité Pro-Niñez Salvadoreña, Los Ángeles
Gilma Castro is president of the Society for Salvadoran Children (Comité Pro-Niñez Salvadoreña), an organization in Los Angeles, who implements projects in the department of San Vicente in El Salvador. The Society for Salvadoran Children participated in Manos Unidas por El Salvador in 2004, through which it was able to build classrooms and an English laboratory in a school in the area where the group has been working for a long time.
What motivates you to help your community of origin?
“I was born in Los Angeles, and no member of my organization is from San Vicente. But we were motivated to help Salvadoran children.
We started in San Vicente because we found a parcel of land there (to build the school).
The idea began in 1969.”
How did you here about PADF? How was it that you or your group first came to the organization?
“We went to an event on March 2004, where there were exhibitions from different companies, Banco Agrícola, Almacenes Prado, Super Selectos, and the PADF program manager for Manos Unidas spoke during the event and that is how we first heard about them.
And the nuns (who run the school in San Vicente) had already talked to me about the need for additional classrooms, so I already had the project in mind, so I approached PADF…”
How do you feel after having worked with PADF for some time?
“Very happy, we (the Board of Directors) have liked it because we wouldn’t have been able to do this on our own.
We are satisfied to be working with a serious organization (PADF) and with Banco Agrícola who will also be helping us out.”
Do you believe that the projects implemented in partnership with PADF have helped the people of your community of origin?
“Yes, they prepared a ceremony for us when we visited (the school in San Vicente) and a lot of kids were there and they were very thankful.
They said that they really liked the new classrooms.”
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Elmer Arias, Centro Latino Cuscatlán, Washington, D.C.
Elmer Arias is president of the Centro Latino Cuscatlán, an organization of Salvadoran immigrants living in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Centro Latino Cuscatlán participated in one of PADF’s first transnational projects, in which a food processing plant was built in San Pedro Masahuat, in the department of La Paz. The project was a success which continues to benefit many families in the area and which has become a model for future transnational projects
What motivates you to help your community of origin?
“I believe that the motivation comes from the fact that we have the opportunity to help.
And we know that the people there (in El Salvador) need the help.
And we know that if we don’t do it, nobody will.”
How did you here about PADF? How was it that you or your group first came to the organization?
“When we worked to raise funds for the earthquakes in El Salvador (2001), we asked PADF for help in the transportation of the material.
And they opened their doors to us, and that is how we started working with them.”
How do you feel after having worked with PADF for some time?
“Well, I feel very satisfied because they are doing an excellent job and they have delivered all that was promised in the agreements.
And the projects are being done in the way that we agreed.”
Do you believe that the projects implemented in partnership with PADF have helped the people of your community of origin?
“Oh, yes, of course.
For instance, in San Pedro Masahuat, there are already 50 families who are permanently supporting themselves and these are projects that have a future, and these people will be able to take care of themselves on their own.
These are very effective projects.”
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