In many of the communities where Catholic Nuns live and work in El Salvador, gang violence has paralyzed communities. But in La Chacra, a neighborhood in San Salvador, the Sisters are working hard to bring the resources and opportunities they so need. One among many services that the Sisters offer is primary healthcare. There are a couple of other clinics in the area, but theirs stands out in the community. "People come here because were offer a more humanistic service,” said Matteo, the clinic’s doctor. “They're treated with more dignity, and we have quality medicine. Here we treat people kindly and respectfully." The cost of a consultation at the clinic is very low, but there are still some patients that can’t afford the medications in particular. Matteo and his team have dreamed of finding ways to support those patients, in helping them get access to the right care they need. One idea they have is to start a revolving emergency fund - just for patients who need a … [Read more...] about Helping to Heal

Most of us don’t question where we’ll lay our heads at night. Home is home. But for the people that Father Mauro and his colleague Edgar serve, that just simply isn’t the case. For the past 130 years, the priests from Father Mauro’s congregation have provided shelters and advocacy for victims of human trafficking, displaced people, and others in desperate need – the most marginalized among us. For them, faith is action. “It’s not just singing,” said Father Mauro. “It’s living with people and working with people.” Over the past few months, this dynamic duo have been leading the construction process on the congregation’s 33rd shelter. They’re almost ready to open – they just need to check off a few more key things off their list. One of those things is cleaning supplies. It may seem a little boring, but actually, it’s a key part to what they do there. Father Mauro and Edgar think a lot about creating a dignified place for the people they shelter, who have been through … [Read more...] about Getting Ready for Home

Some of our fondest memories growing are times spent with friends – maybe a quick pickup game of basketball, or riding our bikes around the neighborhood. But for kids in Apopa, El Salvador, finding a place to just hang out is no easy thing. With gang violence ever-present, kids in the neighborhood can’t use the nearby soccer fields. Or basketball courts. Or even walk down the street with ease. That’s why the Youth Center, run by Catholic Sisters, is so vital. It’s one of the only places young people can go to just simply be young – to do the things that childhood is made of. The Sisters at the center are always looking for ways to make their space better, more inviting. But they’re missing some things. “The other day the girls and boys were asking to play softball,” said Sister Conchi. “But we didn’t have the equipment.” So for Day 152, we’re doing something about it. We got the center gear for softball, basketball, soccer, and more! Enough to get the kids up … [Read more...] about Love of the Game

It’s funny how you don’t notice how much you use something until it's gone. Or it’s broken. For the Catholic Sisters at the Apopa Youth Center, that thing is a printer. A printer is an incredibly useful tool to the Sisters. But it’s not only useful – sometimes, it can mean keeping kids safe. “When we print things, we have to search for different places in town,” said Sister Conchi, lamenting the fact that their office printer is currently defunct. “And we can’t send our youth coordinators to go print because it could be dangerous for them.” Apopa sits at the center of three rival gangs, making it treacherous for people to walk around freely. We saw an easy way we could help everyone stay out of the violence. We went out and purchased a printer for the Sisters, and voila! They could get printed materials safely again. “This is also going to be helpful for them to do homework,” said Sister Conchi. “They won’t have to go anywhere else.” Having access to things like a … [Read more...] about Under One Roof

All teachers know that different kids learn in different ways. And at the Youth Center in Apopa, El Salvador, the Catholic Sisters know that as many different kinds of lessons they can offer, the better. That’s why they really wanted a TV and DVD player for their kindergarten classes. “We’d use educational movies to help teach them the ABCs, numbers, and colors,” said Dorita, one of the youth coordinators. “We would take the best possible advantage of it.” For Day 149, the fix was an easy one – we bought the TV and DVD player and brought it over to the center! “This is so great,” said Dorita. “I’m grateful because you’ve brought many smiles and motivation for youth.” These kids don’t have a lot of access to educational resources, so watching DVDs is a way to bring the outside world to them. “It may seem small,” said Sister Conchi, “but for them it’s a lot.” … [Read more...] about Different Ways to Learn

Little kids have so much energy. But sometimes, they wear themselves out. Those times call for a nap. The Catholic Sisters who run the preschool and kindergarten programs at their Youth Center really wanted a space where the kids could take a break. A comfy spot where, if they needed to, the little ones could wind down and dream for just a few minutes. “Sometimes the teachers bring towels for the kids to use during naptimes,” said Dorita, a coordinator at the center who works with the littlest kids. We thought we could help them do better than that. Today, we created a nap area for the kids at the Youth Center, complete with pillows, light blankets, and kid-sized mattresses. Right away, the kids hugged their pillows tight and laid on the mattresses to practice napping. There was a bit more squirming and laughing than what normally happens during naptime, but the teachers were thrilled. “I felt really happy when I found out about this!” said Dorita. “I saw the … [Read more...] about A Little Rest

As one of the only places where young people can relax and be free of worry from the gang violence that surrounds them, the Youth Center run by the Sisters in Apopa, El Savlador is vital to inspiring hope and joy in their community. The Sisters try to offer a variety of activities at the center – they’re always looking for ways to keep kids interested and having fun. And one of those ways is through breakdancing and Tae Kwon Do! Javier, now a coordinator at the center, stuck around at first because he discovered a love of breakdancing. “I started here when I was 15 years old,” he said. “It’s been three years. First, I came for computer classes but then I saw some kids dancing…and that’s what motivated me.” The problem is, the floors of the youth center are all tile and cement. Which, as you can imagine, make for a pretty tough surface for things like breakdancing and Tae Kwon Do. So the kids and the Sisters had a request – and we had an easy fix. “With some soft … [Read more...] about A Spot to Land

Today, we’re heading across the ocean from our Youth Center in Za’atari Refugee Camp to another center, a safe space just as full of joy, healing, and friendship. Welcome to El Salvador. The Youth Center - run by Catholic Nuns - is in the town of Apopa. It's an oasis of comfort in an otherwise difficult neighborhood. At the crossroads of three violent and rival gangs, the center is that rare spot where young people and their families can go to simply be themselves. One of the programs run by the Sisters is a kindergarten. Every single morning, young ones from town come to learn and socialize. And their mothers can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that even for only a few hours, their kids are safe with the Sisters. If they could, the Sisters would have every child in the community at the Youth Center’s kindergarten class. But they simply don’t have enough resources to go around. But one of the things they’re lacking was so simple – more tables and chairs. “Our dream … [Read more...] about Welcome to El Salvador!