The following photos are from a trip that I made to El Salvador in March, 2001 through CRISPAZ (Christians for Peace in El Salvador).  This was following a devestating earthquake, and we could still feel the aftershocks while there.

 
These photos are from a community called Esperanza, in Colon. We spent in the night in Jardenes de Colon, which is a neighboring community.
Guys playing guitars.jpg (28724 bytes) I love these guys - just playing guitar in the midst of all the rubble! 
A house destroyed.jpg (19046 bytes) A house destroyed.jpg (13695 bytes)
Both of these are houses in Esperanza. You can see how badly the earthquake damaged the area. These were the amongst the best houses in this marginalized community - they were made of brick and cement. Unfortunately, like many homes in the area, they were destroyed.
You can see that amidst a house that a family still lives in there is a plastic tarp making walls for another's house. I couldn't tell if they had any covering for a roof. A family in Esperanza.jpg (18602 bytes)

houseonhill.jpg (22044 bytes)

 The house on the left is in great danger. Even if it did not sustain structural damages from the earthquake, when the rainy season begins in May, this house may not survive. Notice how it is on a hill, right above a house that was severely damaged. It is very likely that it will slide in the inevitable mudslides. Many homes that survived the earthquake face this danger.

living conditions.jpg (22889 bytes)

 girldoll.jpg (29957 bytes)
Some of what you see in these images may be a result of the earthquake, but some of it may be just the general living conditions. This is a quite marginalized area.

A house in Esperanza.jpg (25141 bytes)
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© 2001Glenna Decker
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deckerg@gvsu.edu