A Beaumont Student Finds Fulfillment in El Salvador
Posted on October 3, 2018 in Articles
Author: Maggie Boswell '20
This July, I spent a week working with a nonprofit and connecting with the people in Chiltiupan, El Salvador, a small mountaintop village with a population of about 25,000 people and a very high unemployment rate. I work for Santa Rosa Stitches, which is a fair-trade organization that employs about 20 women living in Chiltiupan. The women crochet, knit, sew, and make jewelry that we bring back to Ohio and sell. For most of these women this group is their only source of income. I have been working for Santa Rosa Stitches for about a year, but my mother got involved with them about five years ago and my father helps students in El Salvador receive college scholarships to further their education.
My parents’ love for the small municipality and its inhabitants is what first caught my attention and I am so lucky to be able to visit this beautiful country. I am always reminded of how similar we really are when I visit. My parents have formed close relationships with many families in Chiltiupan, that I have also come to love and embrace through my visits. I hope that people learn that a family in El Salvador or Guatemala or Mexico is just as strong and loving as families in the United States, and nothing constitutes separating those families.
I am currently planning on taking a gap year to spend time working in El Salvador, cultivating a stronger relationship with the people. If you would like to donate to Santa Rosa Stitches or purchase some of our products please go to our website at beaumontschool.org or visit us on Facebook and Instagram.
Original Article from: https://www.beaumontschool.org/news/2018/10/03/beaumont-news-from-beaumont-to-boeing
