by Kim Frederick
Lucia with her niece, Maria Isidora, in front of their old house.After a lifetime of hard work and service to others, last month Maria Lucia received a blessing that she had never dreamed she would have: a place to call home. Before, Maria was one of the 35 percent of Salvadorans who live in extreme poverty and do not have a safe home. She spent years moving from house to house, struggling to pay rent for herself and other dependents. Now, she and her family represent one of the 25 families in El Ranchador who are benefitting from a housing initiative led by the New Jerusalem Church in Comecayo.
Community and church members provide skilled labor to the project.ENLACE aims to encourage, equip and accompany churches through the process of becoming effective agents of change in their communities. The Principe de Paz church in San Martin is one of many churches paving the way to transformed communities in El Salvador.
Then sings my soul, my savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art.
ENLACE "equips churches to transform communities." The concept of community transformation is often vague and difficult to grasp. However, the story of one life transformed is much more tangible. With this in mind we want to share with you Alex's story.
By Kim Frederick
ENLACE "equips churches to transform communities." The concept of community transformation is often vague and difficult to grasp. However, the story of one life transformed is much more tangible. With this in mind we want to share with you Douglas' story.
Pastor Rafael with the Willow Creek team outside the christian school in Comecayo.
Kim digging away inside the latrine hole.Reflections from ENLACE volunteer, Kim Frederick, on a week spent digging a hole in the rain.
Take a moment to read our Summer Newsletter highlighting ENLACE's Economic Development Program.
by Martha Granados de Mancia, ENLACE Communications Coordinator
Storm causes Road Damage, Flash Floods and Landslides El Salvador’s vulnerability to natural disasters was made apparent once again as Tropical Storm Alex battered the country over the weekend. Flash flooding and landslides caused schools and businesses to close. At least three people died, and more than 1,200 people were forced from their homes.
The semi-rural area just outside of San Salvador called Las Delicias, or The Delights in English, is a major thoroughfare for thousands of people who live in the various villages and hamlets just beyond the city. The highway that leads you through Delight is framed by broken-down factories, chicken processing plants, dusty tire repair shops and lean-to eateries. Windy paved roads like tributaries lead you away from the highway through rows of low-income housing where factory laborers work 15-hour days and come home to two rooms, occasional running water and a flickering TV.
Dozens of people were forced to leave their homes in San Miguel this week. Photo courtesy of El Diario de HoyEl Salvador is being drenched by Tropical Storm Agatha which has dumped more than 16 inches of rain on the country in the past few days. The government has declared a state of emergency throughout the country with at least nine people dead and more than eight thousands forced from their homes. Thousands of Salvadorans suffer loss of property and life due to lack of adequate infrastructure to protect them from the six months of torrential storms experienced each year.
