May 23, 2023
* This is a courtesy translation. Only the original Spanish version should be considered authoritative.
I am pleased to accompany you on this occasion where we announce two new alliances with our friends at Good Neighbors El Salvador, with the aim of contributing to the development of more than twelve thousand students from thirty-seven schools in Ahuachapán, Sonsonate, La Libertad and Morazán. .
Truly, these kinds of partnerships positively impact students, their families, schools, and communities.
This has been the case of the Cantón Quebrada Española School Center. Its director, Reina Morán, and the teacher, Grissel Vásquez, are very happy about the coordinated work under the previous alliance between Good Neighbors and the Educar y Convivir Project, supported by USAID and implemented by FEPADE.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the youngest children had never been in a classroom before, were unfamiliar with school, had trouble socializing with each other, and despite being in first or second grade, many couldn’t even tell a lined notebook from a squared one. Most had major deficiencies in reading, writing, and other subjects.
For this reason, the arrival of the Educar y Convivir Project at that school allowed a new start for the educational community. Under USAID’s partnership with Good Neighbors, the project strengthened school infrastructure by changing roofs, building toilets and cisterns, and improving the electrical system. And not only that: the school finally has its own library and teachers trained to encourage reading and improve classroom management.
“My greatest satisfaction has been finding children in the library who, at the beginning of the year, couldn’t read or write and now they do”, said teacher Grissel.
The new alliances with Good Neighbors will continue to focus on three main areas: infrastructure improvements, improvement of educational quality and community coexistence. This continuous and valuable support from the private sector to public education benefits the children and youth of El Salvador as it increases their chances of academic and social success.
For this reason, I reiterate the commitment of the Government of the United States to contribute to improving education and promoting a healthy coexistence, because El Salvador has no better friend than the United States.
Thank you very much for the support and effort from your different roles.
