A Snapshot, with more to come

Since it is really hard to do anything with pictures here and since I hardly have anytime to sit at the internet cafe, my blog posts and updates have been lacking.  Sorry.  The last post I did was actually from a friend´s house who is here working for the US Embassy, so that was relatively easy, but I don´t think I´ll have that luxury again, and soon I will be home and then I will have all the time in the world to write and put pictures on. :)

So here´s a quick briefing on what I´ve been up to, besides riding buses and taking cold showers. And of course, when I get back you will get the full description with pictures, but until then you will just have to wait and wonder.

--We taught Square Foot Gardening in a rural community.  This included gathering rocks from the river, digging, and getting really sweaty and dirty.  The women who came to the demonstration were to go home and set up their own garden and if they did, we promised to bring chicken wire and seeds next time we come.

--We teach English classes on four different levels.  This will help them get better jobs and give them a leg up here in the city.  Our advanced class is being trained to continue teaching the classes after we are gone for the summer.

--We work at an "orphanage" that is kind of like a foster home.  It is for kids and teens who have been taken out of bad home situations, who were abandoned or some were pulled off the streets.  It is supposed to be temporary (2 mos) but many of them have been there for over 6 mos and some are there indefinitely.  The director there is amazing.

--We partner with an organization that does visual testing, provides glasses, and surgery if necessary.  It is very similar to what I did in Uganda last year, but they do these outreach travel clinics everyday, and they are very good at it.  We are also working with this organization to create some educational materials.

--We work with a special needs orphanage doing recreational therapy, communication boards and other activities.  I have been there a couple times, but it´s been years.  It was an interesting experience.  I´ll have to write more later.

--We are working with the biggest children´s hospital in Central America to re-do their signage, which has been incomplete and ineffective for years.  It will include a system of symbols and colors since so many people can´t read.  We also volunteer their, playing with the children and doing small tasks.  Some children are there for months and have no family nearby.

--We work with Habitat for Humanity helping at the work sites and we are also putting together a basic first aid training program for the site managers.  This will include putting together first aid kits for each site and showing them where to but the materials so they can keep the kits updated.

--We volunteer with an outreach dental program that does cleanings, fillings and sealants in schools and communities around San Salvador.

--We will be teaching basic business classes with a game called the BEST game with an organization that gives micro loans and wants to move more into the social development realm.

So this is obviously brief, and I promise it will be much more interesting with pictures, but just wanted to let you know what I been doing here!

Oh, and PS you can click on the links on the side if you want to see more of what HELP International is doing this summer.  There are some amazing things going on!