Los Olivos Cis

PROMOTING SOLIDARITY AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE ACROSS BORDERS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF EL SALVADOR AND OTHERS IN THE SEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT AND DIGNITY.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS: PROVIDES EDUCATION TO POTENTIAL COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STUDY WITHOUT HELP AND AT THE SAME TIME BUILD AWARENESS OF THEIR ROLE AS AGENTS FOR MAKING CHANGES FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE. THE CIS WORKED WITH 23 LOCAL SALVADORAN SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEES AND 20 SISTER ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL DONORS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR 196 YOUTH TO GO TO THE UNIVERSITY, 236 TO HIGH SCHOOL AND 96 STUDENTS IN K - 9TH GRADE IN 2021. OF THOSE STUDENTS 20 GRADUATED WITH UNIVERSITY DEGREES AND 87 FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 2021. THERE WERE A HIGHER NUMBER OF DROPOUTS DUE TO STUDENTS WHO COULD NOT ADAPT TO ONLINE LEARNING OR DID NOT HAVE CONDITIONS SUCH AS ELECTRICITY AND/OR INTERNET IN THEIR HOME OR VILLAGE. *** CIS HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL AND TUTORING SUPPORT TO YOUNGER STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR STUDIES DURING ANOTHER YEAR OF VIRTUAL LEARNING DUE TO COVID. MANY PARENTS OF SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS HAVE VERY LOW LEVEL OF FORMAL EDUCATION AND DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEIR CHILDREN. ADDITIONALLY, OTHER VOLUNTEER PROJECTS WERE RESUMED BY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS: COORDINATION OF CIS CLEAN WATER PROGRAM, ORGANIZING WORKSHOPS, LOGISTICS, TRAINING AND DISTRIBUTION OF FILTERS WITH CIS PROMOTER. STUDENTS IN ESTANZULEAS AND LOS TEHUISTES ORGANIZED ORGANIC GARDENING PROJECTS. *** CIS SCHOOL FOR SOLIDARITY AND TRANSFORMATION COURSES RE-OPENED WITH A SIX-MONTH COURSE ON GENDER EQUALITY AND SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS WITH 38 PARTICIPANTS COMING FROM 16 COMMUNITIES. THE SCHOOL WAS LED BY FORMER CIS SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS WHO HAVE BECOME PROFESSIONALS ON THESE ISSUES. THE FOCUS WAS IMPORTANT DUE TO INCREASED CHILD AND TEENAGE PREGNANCIES AND INTERFAMILY VIOLENCE RELATED TO PEOPLE BEING CONFINED TO SMALL SPACES AND LOSING INCOME DURING COVID *** CIS AND ROMERO COMMUNITY ORGANIZED A COURSE ON RENEWABLE ENERGY WITH 28 STUDENTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH A PROFESSIONAL IN THE AREA. *** THE CIS GENDER SCHOLARSHIP FUND PROVIDED 7 UNIVERSITY AND 6 HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS TO TRANS WOMEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN WRONGLY JAILED FOR MISCARRIAGES AND HAVE WON BACK THEIR FREEDOM, SO THEY CAN WORK TO OVERCOME MARGINALIZATION AND STIGMATIZATION AND HAVE ACCESS TO DIGNIFIED JOBS. MOST OF THESE RECIPIENTS LIVE IN EXTREME POVERTY AND MARGINALIZED CONDITIONS. *** CIS PURCHASED A THIRD STUDENT APARTMENT IN SAN SALVADOR AND PROVIDED RENT ASSISTANCE FOR TWO ADDITIONAL APARTMENTS IN SAN SALVADOR, ONE IN SAN MIGUEL AND ONE IN SAN RAFAEL CEDROS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WITH SCARCE ECONOMIC RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO STUDY. ALTHOUGH UNIVERSITY CLASSES CONTINUED TO BE ONLINE IN 2021, SOME STUDENTS CONTINUED TO LIVE IN CIS STUDENT HOUSING AS THEIR ONLY WAY TO HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNET.

CIVIL RIGHTS, DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT, EMERGENCY AID, AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMS: LOS OLIVOS CIS CONTINUED TO SUPPORT 25 ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CIS COMMUNITY NETWORK FOR COOPERATION AND SOLIDARITY. COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS RESUMED IN PERSON, WITH STRICT MEASURES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. *** CIS CARRIED OUT ITS 14TH INTERNATIONAL MISSION OF ELECTION OBSERVERS, WITH 40 OBSERVERS ACCOMPANYING SALVADORANS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN SAN SALVADOR, SAN MIGUEL, ILOBASCO AND SANTA TECLA. PARTICIPANTS ALSO MET WITH ANALYSTS AND EXPERTS ON THEMES OF ELECTIONS, MIGRATION, WOMEN'S RIGHTS, AND VISITED COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT PROJECTS ON THE TASAJERA ISLAND AND ROMERO COMMUNITY. *** CIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH PESAS Y PODER BUILT A GYMNASIUM IN ROMERO COMMUNITY GETTING KIDS OFF THE STREETS AND EMPOWERING WOMEN, BRINGING TOGETHER FIVE AT-RISK COMMUNITIES. *** CIS CLEAN WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM. CIS TRAINED AND DISTRIBUTED WATER FILTERS TO 324 FAMILIES, BENEFITTING 1,300 INDIVIDUALS. WE HAD DIFFICULTY OBTAINING FILTERS AND PARTS FOR PURIFIERS DUE TO CONTINUED LACK OF PEOPLE TRAVELING IN 2021 WHO WE RELY ON TO CARRY THEM. CIS INSTALLED ONLY ONE CLEAN WATER FOR THE WORLD PURIFICATION UNIT IN SAN ISIDRO, CABAÑAS FOR THAT REASON AND BECAUSE SCHOOLS CONTINUED TO BE CLOSED DUE TO COVID. CIS DID ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORK WITH EIGHT LOCAL WATER COMMITTEES: TEHUISTE ABAJO, SAN JUAN NONUALCO; EL ESPINO, SAN PEDRO PERULAPÁN; SAN RAFAEL CEDROS; LA COLORADA, ISLA TASAJERA, SAN LUIS LA HERRADURA; LLANO LARGO, JUTIAPA; SAN LUIS LOS RANCHOS, COMASAGUA; ISLA EL ESPÍRITU SANTO, PUERTO EL TRIUNFO; LLANO LA HACIENDA, SAN ISIDRO. THIRTY-EIGHT TRAININGS WERE ORGANIZED ON HEALTH, HYGIENE, ENVIRONMENT, AND FILTER CARE AND DISTRIBUTION. *** THE CIS BUILDING COMMUNITY AND DIGNIFIED HOMES PROGRAM COMPLETED THE CONSTRUCTION OF 19 HOMES IN PASO PUENTE COMMUNITY (TOTAL OF 83 SINCE 2019), AN URBAN SHANTY TOWN IN TONCATEPEQUE WITH FAMILIES WHO PREVIOUSLY LIVED IN DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS. ADDITIONALLY, THREE RETAINER WALLS WERE BUILT FOR HOMES AT RISK FROM MUDSLIDES. THE HOMES WERE BUILT IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SALVADORAN MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND HOMES FROM THE HEART. CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND AN INCREASE IN WAGES CAUSED THE PRICE OF BUILDING A HOME TO INCREASE FROM $7,500 TO $9,800 IN 2021. A SMALL CARGO TRUCK WAS PURCHASED FOR THE PROJECT. - CIS CONTINUED ITS ART AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM IN PASO PUENTE, DISTRITO ITALIA, RESIDENCIAL LIBERTAD, AND ROMERO COMMUNITY IN TONACATEPEQUE AS PART OF AN INTEGRAL APPROACH TO OVERCOMING, POVERTY AND VIOLENCE, WHILE BUILDING COMMUNITY. THE PROGRAM GIVES YOUTH AN ALTERNATIVE TO IMMIGRATION OR JOINING GANGS TO SURVIVE AND THEY ARE INVITED TO DREAM WAYS THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE. *** CIS SUPPORTED LEGAL EFFORT THAT RESULTED IN THE RELEASE OF THREE WOMEN FROM PRISON AFTER BEING FALSELY ACCUSED OF ABORTION. CARE PACKAGES AND 13 SCHOLARSHIPS WERE PROVIDED FOR THE WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN.

EDUCATIONAL DELEGATIONS AND LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE: CIS HOSTED 10 VIRTUAL DELEGATIONS WITH SCHOLARSHIP AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STUDENTS WITH SISTER COMMUNITIES WITH A TOTAL OF 300 PARTICIPANTS. THANKS TO THE EFFORTS TO OUR LADY OF PRESENTATION, ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH; FR. JERRY WARIS, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST COMMUNITY CHURCH OF GLEN ALLEN,VA, LIVING BEATITUDES COMMUNITY OF DAYTON, EUGENE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, ST. ELIZABETH'S PARISH AND THEIR SALVADORAN COUNTERPARTS FOR MAINTAINING THE RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH VIRTUAL EXCHANGES. OUR ONLY IN-PERSON DELEGATION WAS 40 INTERNATIONALS LIVING IN EL SALVADOR AND A FEW VISITORS FOR CIS 14TH INTERNATIONAL MISSION OF ELECTION OBSERVERS. WE ALSO HOSTED THE VISIT OF THREE PERSONS FROM MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY PEACE CENTER AND CHICAGO RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP NETWORK IN DECEMBER. *** WE HAD 22 IN-PERSON SPANISH STUDENTS AND 53 SPANISH STUDENTS ONLINE FOR A TOTAL OF 75 STUDENTS FROM 11 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. *** CIS TRAINED 16 VOLUNTEER ENGLISH TEACHERS ONLINE AND IN PERSON TO TEACH 148 ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE STUDENTS, AND COVERING FOUR TEN-WEEK CYCLES.

SMALL BUSINESS AND WOMEN'S DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: WOMEN'S SMALL BUSINESSES CONTINUED TO BE IMPACTED BY COVID. TRADITIONAL SALES VENUES CONTINUED TO BE SHUT DOWN: COMMUNITY AND NATIONAL FAIRS, CHURCH GATHERINGS, SCHOOLS, SOCCER GAMES, TOURISM, SALES AT CIS. CIS PROVIDED COMPUTER AND TRAINING IN ONLINE PUBLICITY AND MARKETING FOR COLORADO SEAMSTRESSES AND SAUSAGES TO GO IN ILOBASCO. CIS ASSISTED WOMEN IN SAN PEDRO PERULAPÁN IN STARTING A SAUSAGE BUSINESS. CIS DID DEVELOPMENT WORK WITH 7 BUSINESSES MADE UP OF A TOTAL OF 34 WOMEN AND AN ADDITIONAL 14 WOMEN IN BUSINESSES IN FORMATION. *** CIS SUPPORTED 16 ARTISAN WORKSHOPS WHICH GENERATE INCOME FOR 75 FAMILIES BY SELLING THEIR PRODUCTS IN OUR STORE AND FILLING INTERNET ORDERS OF HIGH-QUALITY ARTISAN PRODUCTS INCLUDING PURSES AND ACCESSORIES, COCONUT JEWELRY, ORGANIC COFFEE, PAINTED WOODEN PRODUCTS, CARDS AND JEWELRY MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS, INDIGO DYED CLOTHING, EMBROIDERY, AND OTHER ITEMS. SALES CONTINUED TO BE LOW DUE TO COVID AND THE SALVADORAN POST OFFICE DID NOT MAIL PACKAGES INTERNATIONALLY IN 2021, MAKING DELIVERIES MORE DIFFICULT AND EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.