Stories

Have you ever wondered why so many families in El Salvador need Programa Velasco’s scholarship support?

At the end of June, the participants in the WEP went up into one of the hills surrounding San Salvador for a retreat.   We turned off our cell phones to tune into the peace and tranquility of the natural world. This retreat offered the women the opportunity to reflect individually and collectively on their inner-selves and their inter-personal relationships.

The 3-year olds get a “feet-on” lesson about different natural envirnoments, taking their shoes off to get a sense of the texture of the different surfaces we walk on.

We are so grateful for Erica, her companionship, committment, and joy that she has shared with Programa Velasco and ANADES over the last two years. Programa Velasco is a more professional and sustainable organization due to Erica’s project implementation and management skills, innovative ideas, and generous spirit.

Each month, the child development center hosts a parent meeting or Escuela Familiar to discuss a variety of topics related to early childhood education, family development, and social-emotional learning. During this month’s particular meeting, the purpose was related but with a twist – a cleaning session of a forested area adjacent to the playground and the center.

On July 16th, the children came to school with sneakers and name tags on and with a water bottle and snack placed in their backpacks, ready for the field trip to the zoo. They had been spending the last several weeks learning about a variety of wild animals, and now they were going to have a chance to see those animals in person!