Youth Excelling (Juventud en Superación) Program Judged a Success

Last year partner organization La Nueva Esperanza asked Co-partners to take on a special challenge by developing a program that would help rural youth ages 15-21 identify options for an economically satisfactory life in El Salvador. In July, seven Co-partners’ volunteers initiated a five-month program of short-term, apprenticeship-like arrangements with Ilobasco businesses and institutions, paying the cost of transportation and lunch for five months for 19 out-of-school, rural youth to learn a skill. The July orientation program included vocational evaluation, vocational exploration, English classes, recruitment of “facilitators” and a match day for the meeting of youth and “facilitators”.

Four young women worked in health.

Eli Torres worked in auto mechanics

In early November Archer Heinzen traveled to El Salvador to evaluate the program. As anticipated, slightly more than half of the students had stayed in training for the five-month period. The eleven successful trainees were in the fields of health, carpentry, auto mechanics, beauty, administration and restaurant. Several had already found well-paying jobs. Moje, the artisan program for youth that was contracted to supervise Juventud en Superación was intrigued by the vocational assessment process we used and asked Co-partners to give a workshop on vocational evaluation to help them in selecting students well suited for their program.

This workshop was conducted on the evaluation trip and Moje plans to now use a more extended vocational exploration process as part of their admission procedure.

Cecilia Sanchez worked in the Altagracia Beauty Salon

Two New Initiatives

Esteemed La Nueva Esperanza president Rosa Flores worked with a Salvadoran organization to arrange for a pant-making course in her community of Las Huertas. The course, supported by the Salvadoran Institute for Professional Formation (INSAFORP), directed at youth ages 15-18, was scheduled for the November-December school vacation period.

Students working on hand stitches among sewing machines

lent by INSAFORP for the five-week class.

Rosa also negotiated a week-long, jewelry-making class for members of La Nueva Esperanza. Participants learned to make necklaces, bracelets, and earrings out of locally available seeds, wood, and clay beads. Making a living for rural residents usually involves a hodge-podge of numerous income sources. The rustic jewelry will be one more potential source of income.

Participants display their wares on the last day of class.

Guatemala: School Supplies for Kiche children

In many Kiche communities there are 15-20 children who cannot attend school because their parents cannot afford the required notebooks, pencils and other materials. Small school supplies scholarships can often make the difference between whether a child enrolls or stays home. In 2009 Co-partners will continue its support for these scholarships through the Asociación de Desarrollo Comunitario (ASDECO) that works in 16 communities surrounding Chichicastenango, Quiche, Guatemala. Again this year we will support 90 children each of whom will receive a bag containing five dollars of supplies at the beginning of the school year and an additional bag at mid-year.

ASDECO board members inventory donated supplies

Peace Doves and Angels Available for Christmas

If you would like to honor someone through your contribution to Co-partners we will send your designee a hand-painted, Salvadoran, dove or angel wooden tree ornament “peace” gift.

Co-partners of Campesinas, Board of Directors

Archer Heinzen, Chairperson

Rotating, Secretary

Jenny Carroll

Jim Heinzen, Treasurer

Elizabeth Edwards

Marie Keefe

Joanne Murphy

Jeannette Rodriguez

La Nueva Esperanza, Board of Directors

Rosa Flores, President