Table of Contents I. COUNTRY OVERVIEW II. COUNTRY STATISTICS. III. CONVOY OF HOPE in El Salvador VI. EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Transcription

1 Table of Contents I. COUNTRY OVERVIEW II. COUNTRY STATISTICS III. CONVOY OF HOPE in El Salvador IV. TRAVEL TIPS V. MISC NOTES VI. EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION VII. PACKING YOUR CARRY-ON VIII. PACKING YOUR SUITCASE IX. LEARN THE LANGUAGE - SPANISH

2 I. COUNTRY OVERVIEW Located in southern Central America, El Salvador borders the Pacific Ocean, 1 Guatemala, and Honduras. Of the country s 6.1 million inhabitants, the majority are 2 Roman Catholic (57.1%) and Protestant (21.2%). El Salvador gained freedom from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in In 1992, a 12-year civil war, costing approximately 75,000 lives, was brought to an end when the government and its opposition signed a treaty 3 providing for military and political reforms. Today, the country s murder rate is one of the highest in the world, resulting primarily from rampant gang violence. According to the most recent health surveys in El Salvador, stunting and the micronutrient deficiency of anemia are prevalent. The studies indicate that 17% of children under age five are stunted, 40% of children ages 6 to 11 months have anemia, 4 and 17.2% of pregnant women suffer from anemia at the end of pregnancy. II. COUNTRY STATISTICS Population: 6,156,670 (est. July 2016) Under 14 years old: 26.58% (male 839,392/female 797,323) Urban population: 66.7% Official language: Spanish Population below poverty line: 36.5% 5 Children under age 5 suffering from chronic malnutrition: 14% nationally, 25.6% in 6 7 rural areas, 40% in most vulnerable regions 8 Risk for natural disasters : Ranked 10 of School enrollment rate : 93% 1 in every 3 pregnancies involve girls under the age of Except where otherwise indicated, all figures are cited from the CIA World Factbook. 2 The remainder of the population practices other religions (4.9%) or indicates no religious affiliation (6.8%). 3 El Salvador Encuesta Nacional de Salud Familiar, CIA World Factbook 4 World Food Programme (Primary net enrollment rate)

3 III. CONVOY OF HOPE IN EL SALVADOR Convoy of Hope (COH) began working in El Salvador in 1998 after Hurricane Mitch devastated the country. While continuing aid in the wake of these storms and droughts, COH launched the Children s Feeding Initiative in Following success with feeding programs in local communities, COH expanded its program in 2011 to include Women s Empowerment and Agriculture projects to address the underlying causes of childhood malnutrition. Convoy of Hope (COH) has a longstanding presence in El Salvador. While working with children, local staff found that mothers in the surrounding communities showed a desire to learn more about family health, as well as engage in small business initiatives. As a result, in 2011 COH began an empowerment project among these women where they learn to address physical and emotional needs through self-esteem building exercises and training in proper nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, small-scale agriculture and job skills. According to El Salvador s Office of Statistics and Census, each rural El Salvadorian household averages 4.24 people. Due to nutritional supplementation and information there has been a reported 80% decrease in malnutrition rates in the children under five. Until 2014, only a small portion of the project was devoted to teaching women financial literacy and job skills. Through a grant partnership with the US Department of State, COH expanded that portion to have a greater focus on financial education, vocational training and microenterprise development Annual Stats Program Centers: 105 Children Enrolled in the Feeding Program: 16,140 Women s Empowerment Participants: 319 Individuals Trained in Agriculture: 550 Meals Served: 3,344,766 COH Staff: 16

4 Children s Feeding COH is currently feeding 16,140 children per day at 105 different locations. By providing nutrient-dense school meals, COH helps students obtain approximately 30% of their daily nutritional requirements. In tandem with food provision, COH conducts educational training for teachers, local leaders, and others in community. Mothers, for example, are trained in food preparation and handling, as well as proper hygiene. Students also learn about the importance of a daily bath, oral hygiene, and handwashing. Women s Empowerment Program In 2011, COH piloted the Mothers Clubs program in 10 different locations. The goal of the program is to reach mothers of children during the most important window of opportunity for nutrition and health (birth to age 5). Women learn how to address physical needs through proper nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, and small-scale agriculture. Further, women are empowered through job skill training, self-esteem building exercises, and learning to recognize and prevent emotional and physical abuse. In 2013, COH was awarded a grant enabling 17 groups of participants to receive seed capital. The grant also allowed COH to create a micro-enterprise (Micro+) component with a greater focus on financial education, vocational training and income generating activities.

5 Agricultural Program In June 2012, COH began including small-scale agriculture projects in its Mothers Club projects to train women on home and community gardens that help families grow diverse, high-nutrient crops. This agricultural training has grown and now supports the Micro+ endeavors through animal husbandry (chicken and pigs), small crop production, and organic wholesale feed. Also, COH currently has two papaya farms, a local herb garden, and four school gardens that educate and train students on small crop production. Additional animal husbandry for consumption and small-scale production is offered to help finance and support complementary food and expenses for feeding programs. Disaster Services In May 2015, ocean swells due to a tropical storm caused significant damage to El Salvador s coast. COH responded by providing supplies to help 912 families and three shelters. IV. TRAVEL TIPS Travel Meds: Please consult your healthcare provider for appropriate travel medications and required vaccinations. According to the CDC, there is a low risk of malaria transmission in El Salvador, where we will be spending all of our time. If you are overly concerned, you may opt to take the anti-malaria pills or wear long sleeves and pants to prevent mosquito bites. Additionally, insect repellent with 35% DEET for skin and Permethrin for clothing is also effective. Departure: Team members will fly to San Salvador together. Please plan to connect with the team at the gate. We will send you a list of those you will be traveling with a week before your departure. Luggage: For ease of travel and to eliminate the possibility of lost luggage, we recommend carry-on luggage only. The airlines will allow 2 carry-ons which fit in the overhead compartment or under your seat. If you must check luggage, it needs to be 50lbs or less. Passport: Please make sure you have your current passport along with your immunization record, available when applying for your visa. Please bring color copies of your passport with you. 1 for your carry-on, 1 for your checked luggage, and 1 for each hotel you will be staying in. Visa: You will obtain an Entry Visa upon arrival at the airport in San Salvador. The cost is $10. Dress: The weather will be hot! Please dress in lightweight clothing. Casual attire is fine. Short sleeve shirts or polos, and jeans or lightweight long pants are recommended. No shorts please. This will help prevent bug bites. A hat, a light jacket because the evenings can be chilly, and comfortable closed-toe walking shoes are imperative. The sun is very strong, so sunscreen is also very important. An umbrella or hooded rain coat may also be useful. V. MISC NOTES

6 El Salvador is 2 hours behind EST We do not recommend carrying large amounts of cash. Although we will be staying in safe accommodations and Internet is available in the hotel, we do not recommend bringing laptops or other expensive equipment. If you would like to bring money to purchase souvenirs, you will be able to exchange your cash, not traveler s checks, for local currency in Nicaragua. While we will be eating three meals each day, you may want to bring some snacks or protein bars. Label your bag with your name and destination address Label each bag inside with your name and home address Carry all cash, valuables, and medications with you on board VI. EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION Family Emergencies Please contact Angela Hudson at , between 8AM - 5PM Central time. After hours she can be reached at She will be able to reach us while in El Salvador. They can also ahudson@convoyofhope.org. Flight Emergencies Please contact Leah Mills. Her number between 8AM 5PM Central time is After hours she may be reached on her cell phone (emergencies only please) Contact Information Please provide your loved ones with our contact information: El Salvador: Hotel: Crowne Plaza - San Salvador, El Salvador 11 Calle Pte 87 Avenida Norte, San Salvador CP 1101, El VII. PACKING YOUR CARRY-ON Your carry-on bag can be a real lifesaver, especially if your luggage gets lost. Here is a sample list of items you might want to pack in your carry-on: Passport Color copies of Passport International Certificate of Vaccination Airline ticket and travel documents Change of clothes essential in the event your checked luggage is lost or delayed Itinerary

7 Pen and Pencil Address book, journal or small pad of paper Camera, batteries, chargers IPod, MP3 player Laptop if desired, but not recommended Money belt or pouch Sunglasses Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer Prescriptions Toiletries include items in your carry-on that could not be replaced at our destination. Other items can be sealed in a larger zip-loc bag and placed in your suitcase Carry-on bag Liquids: 3.4 ounce (100ml) bottle or less (by volume); 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. Consolidate bottles into one bag and X-ray separately to speed screening. VIII. PACKING YOUR SUITCASE During our visit you can expect average high temperatures of degrees during the day and average lows around 70 degrees at night. Dress: The weather will be very hot and humid! Please dress in lightweight clothing. Casual attire is fine. Short sleeve shirts or polos, and jeans or lightweight long pants are recommended. No shorts please. This will help prevent bug bites. A hat, a light jacket because the evenings can be chilly, and comfortable closed toe walking shoes are also imperative. The sun is very strong, so sunscreen is also very important. Some additional items you may want to bring include: First aid kit band aids Moisturizer Sunscreen Lip Balm with sunscreen Insect repellent containing DEET Travel alarm clock Daypack Snacks (protein bars, nuts, etc.) Not necessary: Water We will provide plenty of bottled water Valuable items Please do not bring any item of value such as expensive jewelry

8 IX. LEARN THE LANGUAGE: SPANISH English Spanish Pronunciation Good morning. Buenos días. booehn-os DEE-as Good afternoon. Buenas tardes. booehn-as TAR-dehs Good evening. (greeting) Buenas noches. booehn-as NO-chehs Hello, my name is Hola, me llamo OH-la meh YA-mo Wahn What is your name? Cómo se llama? KOH-moh seh YA-mah How are you? Cómo está? KOH-moh ehs-ta I am fine. Estoy bien. ehs-toy bee-ehn Nice to meet you. Mucho gusto. MOO-choh GOOS-toh Goodbye. Adiós. ah-dee-ohs See you later. Hasta luego. AHS-ta looeh-go Where is the restroom? Dónde está el baño? DOHN-deh ehs-ta el BAH-neeo Excuse me. Con permiso. OR Perdóname kohn pehr-mee-soh OR pehr-doh-nah-meh Please. Por favor. pohr fah-vor Thank you. Gracías. gra-see-ahs I'm sorry. Lo siento. low see-ehn-to Bless you. Salud. sah-lood You are welcome (it was nothing). De nada. deh NA-da How much does it cost? Cuánto cuesta? kooan-to KWEHS-ta How many are there? Cuántos hay? kooan-tohs eye What time is it? Qué hora es? keh OR-ah ehs Yes. Sí. see No. No. no I do not understand. Yo no comprendo. yoh no kom-pren-doh Would you speak slower, please. Por favor, habla mas despacio. pohr fah-vor, AH-blah mahs dehs-pahs-ee-oh Who? Quièn? kee-ehn Why? Por què? pohr keh