Estancia Sister Community

SYRACUSE - LA ESTANCIA
SISTER COMMUNITIES
"Somos Uno en la Solidaridad" ~ "We are One in Solidarity"

Index
History
Program goals
Projects
Liaisons
Material Aid Donations
Sales of Products
Contact Info
Ways to Donate
Emergency Fund in La Estancia
Education in La Estancia
Links
Maps
Photos

History
In 1993 a Sister Community was established between rural La Estancia in the department of Morazán, El Salvador and Syracuse, NY. Through annual visits and monthly communication, meaningful, life-changing experiences have been shared. The people of Estancia continue to work hard to develop their community and livelihood after a 12-year civil war (1980-1992). Support is still needed from internationals because the Salvadoran government continues to largely ignore this community, providing almost no services or assistance.

Program goals:
- develop Syracuse-Estancia Sister Community
- coordinate delegations to and from Sister Community
- educate US public about the reality in El Salvador and US foreign policy towards Latin America
- respond to urgent action requests (alerts) from Salvadoran partners
- support education and lobbying efforts with the US Congress and Administration

Projects
The Sister Community has raised thousands of dollars to complete projects that were submitted by the Estancia community.
They include:
- re-building a church
- building a community library
- establishing community vegetable gardens, chicken and rabbit cooperatives
- purchasing a cable to cross the river
- bringing water supply lines and pilas closer to houses
- funding smaller handcraft and animal projects to benefit the community at large
- establishing an emergency fund to help cover medical and other essential needs for which individuals cannot pay
- establishing a high school scholarship program in 2003 in response to a plea from community leaders, teachers, youth and parents

Liaisons
Together with Estancia's NGO, Asociación de Campesinos para el Desarrollo Humano (C.D.H. - Peasant Association for Human Development) and Doctors for Global Health (DGH, US-based NGO working to improve health and well-being in numerous communities in Latin American countries and Uganda, supporting community-based projects, including those in Estancia.), one special project has been the creation of six kinders, providing "preventive mental health care for children who suffered war-time trauma." Over 100 2-6 year-olds attend these Centers for Integral Child Development, learning and healing through art, music and other creative, educational play. Estancia community members have been trained as mental health educators and training is on-going. Years ago the Sister Community provided tents during the rainy season, before permanent buildings could be constructed. Another communication bridge between the Syracuse Community and La Estancia is CEBES/FUNDAHMER (Comunidades Eclesiales de Base de El Salvador/Fundación Hermano Mercedes Ruiz), an organization that works for sustainable development in many communities in Morazán, with an office in San Salvador. It grew out of the Christian Base communities movement, and works in sustainable agriculture, education, solidarity and community development.

Material Aid Donations
For more than a decade, we've supplied the kinders with cameras, tape recorders, cassettes of song and dance music, books and educational materials and the CAIPES (Centro de Atención Integral para la Prevención y Educación en Salud - Health and Education Center) and Health Promoters with basic first aid supplies, medicines and medical equipment.

Several times each year, donated medicines, medical equipment and school supplies (Click here for list of needed supplies) are sent to La Estancia via sister community and DGH international volunteers.

Sales of Products
Matatas (string bags), pouches and hammocks made from locally grown henequen have been hand-made in Estancia for centuries. Colorful nylon threads have recently been introduced into this artesenia to increase marketability, with the goal of creating income through this micro-enterprise, and also promoting this aspect of the age-old indigenous culture.

Contact Information
To learn more about the La Estancia Sister Community, projects, the next delegation (traditionally during the February public school break), to arrange for a speaker and to join in supporting various aspects of our work please contact:

Shirley Novak
315.446.6099
shirleynovak@yahoo.com

Ann Tiffany
315.478.4571
anntiffany@verizon.net

Ways to Donate
Send tax-deductible donations to:

St. Vincent DePaul Church - Estancia
Syracuse-Estancia Sister Community
2669 E. Genesee St.
Syracuse, NY 13224

New comers are most welcome to join in all activities of the Sister Community and donations to benefit the community in El Salvador are greatly appreciated. Use the contact information above to find out when and where to attend the next scheduled meeting.

Emergency Fund in La Estancia
A community Emergency Fund was created to address the ever-present needs not able to be met by individuals and families in Estancia. This fund, replenished by the Syracuse Community annually, has paid for medical consultations, medicines, x-rays, transport to clinics and hospitals outside of Estancia, new roofs, replacement seeds, etc. The fund is operated by local leaders chosen by each caserío.

Education in La Estancia
Since annual Syracuse - La Estancia Sister Community visits began in 1993, we have learned that Estancia's parents share the same dreams for their children as those of us in the US. They want their children to have the opportunity to get an education; they recognize that the benefits of education just might help them out of the extreme poverty that has plagued their land for centuries.

Four of Estancia's five caseríos have facilities that allow very young children to attend school without crossing the river and walking extremely long distances each day. But only in caserío El Rodeo is it possible to attend grades six through nine. All students, no matter in which caserío they live, may travel to Rodeo to continue their studies beyond what is offered in their own small community. But after 9th grade, formal education ends there for all. Only the very few whose families are able to scrape together enough money for tuition and fees, travel, uniforms, etc., go on to study outside of Estancia to attend high school.

Just as the Syracuse Sister Community responded to other Estancia formal requests over the years, we agreed to help out in continuing education for the youth. We've started slowly; our initial goal to have one student engaged in study from each of the five caseríos per academic year has been met. The first five young students (all women) will graduate in November 2007. When these young people graduate, a new deserving student will be selected by the committee in Estancia to begin studying, each Saturday for three years in "near-by" San Francisco Gotera.

The cost of tuition, books and fees, transportation, uniforms, lunch and other expenses totals $400 per year for three years. Working closely with Estancia's teachers and sister community committee, the Syracuse group has developed an application and guidelines that call for each student to give back to the Estancia community through volunteering, to maintain regular contact with us during the period of study, and to maintain acceptable, passing grades.

We invite interested individuals and groups to join us in this modest but important effort to educate the youth of Estancia, El Salvador, who would otherwise have little or no opportunity for further formal education. In addition to the crucial monetary needs, we invite you to participate by donating school supplies (and also over-the-counter medical supplies for the Estancia Community) and communicating with these deserving young people. We can provide you with a photo of a student and copies of letters and grades for you to send your own message of encouragement and share the student's progress during the three years of study. This exchange can be rewarding for all, and an incredible act of solidarity.

Maps

Morazán: La Estancia is located approximately above the "R" in CACAOPERA, just below the main branch of the Rio Torola