El Sitio

For 18 years we've had a solidarity relationship with the people in the parish of San Bartolome, in El Salvador’s deeply impoverished mountainous frontier. San Bartolome is comprised of 22 rural communities, one of which is El Sitio.

The focus of our committee is to work with the people of San Bartolome to promote sustainable development, empowerment, and hope. Our projects aim at creating relationships of dignity and sustainability, not the creation of material or financial dependency.

Our main projects include:

• Financially supporting the scholarship program known as DHP or Human Popular Development. This scholarship program identifies community minded students from rural areas and offers scholarships for higher education. Students make a pledge to bring their knowledge and skills back to their rural community each month. Last year our committee assisted 35 students in 22 communities to have a chance for a better education, and hope.
• Supporting educators and students in rural and remote schools, including the training of coaches and offering of equipment so that the children of the rural communities can be involved in some constructive play.
• Providing educational materials.
• Advocating for a new school building in El Sitio.
• Installation of a solar generator to bring electricity to rural schools.
• The construction of a small school in El Portillo.
• Funds and advocacy to bring water to the school and homes of El Portillo.

San Bartolome is a deeply impoverished area that needs assistance in building basic infrastructure for electricity and water. At times, our committee may contribute funds for very simple things we take for granted, such as money to repair a broken window.

Through the annual El Sitio Fiesta held in the parish hall, both English and Spanish speaking parish communities combine their talents and energy to raise funds for the students of San Bartolome.

We would welcome any new volunteers who are interested in joining this international partnership in social justice work.