ORC El Salvador
Our goals and methods for uplifting and supporting the people in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador is the smallest of the Spanish-speaking countries in Central America. Civil war, natural disasters, and a lack of economic development have dangerously drained the resources of this small nation. High levels of unemployment and the privatization of many public services, such as health and education, have also contributed to economic hardship. Nearly one-quarter of Salvadorans live on less than $1 per day, and over half live on less than $2 per day. In addition, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports that 80 percent of Salvadoran children suffer from cruelty. ORC has a mission to serve Salvadorans in communities with high rates of domestic abuse and needs for culturally responsive mental health care.
Educational Development
For more than two decades, the Oscar Romero Center for Health and Community Education leaders have worked in the Alta Mira Flores community. This is a community of fifteen thousand families living on the outskirts of San Salvador, El Salvador. The ORC greatly assists the school in providing psychological support, education, and meals for 275 children every year.
Nutritional Support
Every child that attends this school eats at least one nutritional meal a day. This food program is run by local volunteers who buy, prepare, cook and serve the food to the children in the school.
Teacher Training Workshops
Teacher training workshops are being provided to assist teachers with classroom management, teaching, reading, and math for elementary grade children in a creative and culturally responsive way.
Domestic Violence Support Group
Domestic Violence support groups are available to persons who meet the admission criteria regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, religion, or other discriminatory criteria. A basic aspect of our mission involves providing these services within a cultural context that is sensitive to the community.
Individual counseling sessions with children
This support component will focus on current and past problems, experiences, children's feelings, and behavioral problems. During counseling sessions, we help empower children to understand more about their problems and their social environment.
Mothers and children counseling
An important component of the program is to enhance the mother-child relationship, empowering them to work together to address and cope with domestic violence issues. This aspect of the psycho-social counseling service will enable the mothers and children to work together to manage different situations and circumstances, adopting coping strategies and problem-solving skills.
Educational Workshops
Educational workshops are being developed and offered in collaboration with Las Dignas, a women's rights organization in El Salvador working with domestic violence issues.
Sexual Abuse Support
When a child's innocence is stolen through sexual abuse, it affects self-worth, personality development, socialization, and achievement. It can later impact intimacy in their adolescent and adult relationships. We hope to create a safe environment in which we support, empower, and educate survivors, as well as their families and community in general.
