EL SALVADOR: Salesian sisters have new truck to carry out mission work thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions
Truck helps provide better emergency assistance for children and women in rural areas
EL SALVADOR
(MissionNewswire) Salesian sisters with the Laura Vicuña Pro Education Foundation (FUNELAVI Foundation) have a new truck to help support their social projects in El Salvador. The truck was purchased through donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The truck was necessary to drive over the difficult terrain in the region.
The sisters can now provide better emergency assistance for children and women in rural areas and offer greater capacity to carry out their mission. The FUNELAVI Foundation works with various projects in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, offering programs in health, nutrition, values, school aid, sponsorship and microcredits.
One of the areas supported by the sisters is El Sauce Canton in El Salvador, a rural community with a large population and little agricultural development. Most of the land is used to cultivate sugar cane, which is sold to large mills at low cost. Later, the land is used for planting corn and beans for the sustenance the population will have for the year. The family economy is supported by women, 60% of whom live alone with their children. The biggest challenge is creating possibilities for communal trade.
Irene is a member of the project management group and is one of the women benefiting from the donation. She enjoys her work monitoring projects, especially the sponsorship program for children. She often travels with Sister Antonieta in the mountain terrain, but it is difficult to do in winter time. The new truck is making that possible.
Irene said, “With the new truck, we take more help with us. When we have a meeting with all the children we can take more children. In the end, the car belongs to everyone. Before we’d have to rent a truck to take all the things we bring to the families in need. Now, we can do that and save the money. We are grateful to the donors.”
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Sources:
Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)
Laura Vicuña Pro Education Foundation
Salesian Missions – El Salvador
World Bank – El Salvador
