The following photos are from Santa Tecla, aka New San Salvador. This is a refugee camp that we visited.

 
Over 3000 people, all from very marginalized communities, are living on this athletic field. At least 1/3 of them will not be able to return to the site of their previous house because the ground is too unstable. The Mayor's office is doing fund-raising, first to purchase new land for these families, then to build houses. Mayor Oscar Ortiz was in Spain when we were there. We met with representatives from his office: Elda (his wife!) and Benjamin, his PR man.
refugees2.jpg (22374 bytes) refugees.jpg (19921 bytes)
refugeekids.jpg (23854 bytes)

I really don't have a lot to say about these photos. Perhaps you can imagine what it might be like to live there and have no idea when you'll have a home again. The National Goverment contributed 15 tons of food for the area, but they've not come forward with any other assistance (according to the Mayor's office). There are about 10 bathrooms. And they're doing their best to provide programs for the children. That's Maggie below, on the right, with a group of children from the camp.

Cute boy from camp.jpg (13643 bytes)

Maggie at the refugee camp.jpg (21564 bytes)

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