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San Martin de Porres (Fundacion SASEL)
Latin America & the Caribbean
San Martin de Porres (Fundacion SASEL)
Project Coordinator:
William Aragon
Project Overview:
San Martin De Porres (Zaragoza, EL SALVADOR) is a school for children in the El Zaite community of Zaragoza. Many of the youth of El Zaite are children of gang members of the neighborhood, an escalating social problem in El Zaite since the 1980s. Because the children come from families who are often at war with one another in the neighborhood, the teachers and staff of San Martin De Porres are committed to teaching peace and reconciliation, along with the standard curriculum. The youth who attend San Martin De Porres often come from low-income families, and therefore cannot afford to attend other primary schools in the community. Despite these difficult circumstances, the school has many assets, including a computer lab with internet access that allows the students to explore the world outside their own neighborhood, and most importantly a committed staff who is dedicated to seeing the youth succeed.
Recent Accomplishments:
• 17 students graduated and 7 are currently attending university
• Started Scout Group to provide alternative to street gangs
Number of People Directly Served by Project:
200 students per year
Goals for 2010:
• Exploring possibility of beginning a technical school to fill gap in this type of educational opportunity in El Salvador.
• To grow and expand the Scout group to 80 members
• To offer the students a personalized education where their maximum potential, abilities, and aptitudes are developed and recognized.
• To raise consciousness of responsible participation and efficacy as being generators of social change through scientific understanding.
• To educate from the faith in God and the Universe within an ecological vision that gives a transcendent sense to one’s life, making good use of nature.
IPM Funding Goal for 2010:
$3500