July/November 1999

September Board Meeting Convened by the Hardest

A last minute consulting job in Guatemala in September allowed Archer to make a quick trip to El Salvador to catch up on La Nueva Esperanza. Lacking prior notice made convening a meeting of ten telephoneless individuals from five distant communities a real challenge. Salvadoran coordinators, Gloria and Rosa Irma, and Archer went to Ilobasco early the day before a hoped for meeting. They wrote notes to each board member, then went in search of the five different locations where pick-up trucks, serving rural communities wait for passengers. At each stop they asked either a driver or a passenger to take "urgent" letters to the Esperanza board members. These were not insignificant requests. Even after arriving in a community, reaching the women would involve long walks, sometimes up steep hills. One humble woman asked for compensation of ten colones (about $1.15) to deliver three letters. A man requested five colones to deliver a letter that involved a long hike up and down a hill. Three other individuals took the letters as favors.

To wait for the meeting we needed to spend the night in Ilobasco, a town short on hotels. We were taken in by an old folk’s "asylum." The lodging was friendly and free, but with the disadvantage of a 6 p.m. curfew!

Soon after nine a.m. the following morning the success of the notification strategy became clear. Five couriers had delivered ten letters as promised. The board members had sufficient notice to arrange for their absences, catch the six a.m. pick-up truck, and arrive on time. All ten women made it. The reliability of this informal special delivery system is a moving testimony to the solidarity of community life in the area.

Esperanza Board Meeting

Esperanza Classes Key in Increased Income for Members

An informal evaluation of the Esperanza program and a planning session for the coming year were conducted in the impromptu board meeting.

Getting accurate data on income is difficult; therefore development workers often rely on observation of increased material possessions as indicators of improved economic status. Such an indicator was immediately apparent in one board member. A woman who had previously lacked any front teeth now sported a new set of dentures. She looked great! Other highlights:

Rosa Flores is producing and selling soap that she learned to make in classes on herbal remedies. (Members requested and received a series of classes on herbal medicine. The request for this training was based on lack of access to medical care and limited funds to purchase medicine.)

Evelia Sanchez learned to sew men’s clothing in an Esperanza class. She finds she can earn more sewing pants and shirts than sewing women’s clothing. Julia Andrade‘s skill in embroidery, perfected in Esperanza classes, brings as many orders for tablecloths as she can produce.

Evelia's New Smile

Activities like these have not lifted the women and their families out of poverty, but the skills contribute to a slow, steady, and gradual improvement that over time will make a difference in family health, nutrition, and education.

La Nueva Esperanza Members Assume Additional Organizational Responsibility

Not all benefits of membership in La Nueva Esperanza are tangible. The intangible ones, though much harder to measure, are probably more important. During the five years since the organization’s founding, members have assumed almost complete responsibility for planning, organizing and directing activities. They manage a bank account and a petty cash fund. Five years ago they were without any organizational experience. Today they independently perform almost all organizational functions. With this personal development their self confidence has mushroomed. You can see it when they speak in meetings, when they propose ideas they would have, not so long ago, been reluctant to express. Adult members are clear about their satisfaction with what they’ve accomplished. And what wonderful models they provide for their daughters!

Notable Accomplishments in 1999

Fifteen scholarships funded by a Salvadoran organization. Using the experience of the 1998 scholarship program funded by Co-partners, Salvadoran coordinator Gloria Martel was able to get a Salvadoran organization to fund the fifteen scholarships for 1999. This is truly an example of successful development programming when a national organization picks up a program started by an international donor.

Fifteen scholarship recipients successfully completed the academic year.

Our high school scholarship student, in her last year of studies, has begun investigating higher education. Co-partners has committed to continue her scholarship for three years of teacher training.

Preliminary preparations have been made for the distribution of 125 packages of school supplies at the beginning of the school year in January.

Note: The intention is to publish two newsletters each year. This was possible in ’98, but not feasible this year due to the time lapse between visits. We intend to keep contributors better informed next year.

Co-partners of Campesinas Board of Directors

Chairperson: Archer Heinzen, Alexandria, VA

Secretary/Treas.: Julia Gonzalez, Gaithersburg, MD

Board Members:

Phoebe Lansdale, Silver Spring, MD

Glynne Leonard, Falls Church, VA

Pilar Lecarios, Lima , Peru

Gloria Martel, San Salvador, El Salvador

Rosa Irma Mendoza, San Salvador, El Salvador

Teresa Rodriguez de Sarroca, Rome, Italy