Touring Teachers Plus 2 Former Students

We ran into former Carlos Rosario students repeatedly during our journey. Here we are with our trusty driver, Samuel, and his wife Lillian. Both former Rosario students. Becky was Lillian's teacher! Samuel studied with Hugh Beshers, Raslan Moutraji, Cassandra Chen, and Michael Ellis. He remembers them all fondly.

Bienvenidos a San Salvador!

Before we even arrived in El Salvador, Carol ran into one of her former students in the Houston airport! 

This is a view of the siesta spot at our Guesthouse.  The owner, Sonia, is a super nice lady that makes us delicious meals!

Yesterday we visited one school and two different community organizations that worked to stop gang violence and provide education to the people here.  

This is a mural at the organization Equipo Maiz.  Equipo Maiz is an organization that provides nonformal education to community leaders and organizations.  

At the end of the evening, we had dinner and listened to a great overview of Salvadoran history from a woman named Rosy who used to be the country director for Voices on the Border.  And we found out that she is from the town right next to where Becky grew up!

After that we had a nice reflection on the day.  One thing we all said....we are very surprised at just how pervasive the gang problem is here.  We all knew it existed and it was a problem but I don't think anyone realized just how bad it was.  In fact our translator Tommie (an American from Ohio) told us just the other day someone knocked on her door and told her that she had to give money to help pay for the funeral of a local gang member that was killed.  And yesterday throughout the day we kept hearing the statistic "11 people are murdered in El Salvador everyday" which is mind blowing especially considering the size of the country.

Today we are going to Bajo Lempa and for the next three days will be staying with local families in the countryside (no internet access so you'll have to wait a few days for the next post!). We will be visiting schools, community organizations, Itzalco Vocano, and Bajo Lempa Mangrove Forrest.  I'm sure these next few days will bring adventure and some great stories, including outhouse humor so stay tuned!

Meet the Teachers

Name: Leann
Position: Teacher (Adult ESOL)

Tell us about your travel experience  Have you visited El Salvador before?
I have traveled quite a bit.  I studied abroad in France in college and spent two one-year stays in Russia.  I spent a summer in Alexandria, Egypt and a month in Jordan.  I've traveled in Europe as well but I have never been to Central America.
What are you most looking forward to about this trip?
I am really looking forward to seeing the country that so many of my students come from.  I'm so curious about everything, the history, culture, everyday life, food, music.  I want to see it all and my students always wistfully tell me how beautiful the beaches are.
What are you nervous about?
The heat!  :-)  I'm worried about not knowing the language.
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
I also hope it will help me relate to our students and school community.  I want to know more about the issues and challenges that impact my students' lives. Our trip includes many learning opportunities to talk about various topics such as women's issues, remittances, gang violence.  I also hope to get more insights on the issue of unaccompanied children leaving Central America right now.

Meet the Teachers!

In one week we will be leaving for El Salvador! We will be traveling around the country visiting schools, community organizations, and of course, squeezing in some ever important beach time. (Check out our interactive map here!) Before we get ready to embark on our 10 day journey to El Salvador, get a chance to meet the traveling teachers!

Name: Becky

Position: Instructional Coach

Tell us about your travel experience. Have you visited El Salvador before?

I lived in Vietnam for 2 years and also spent a summer on the Thai/Burma border. I have seen most of Southeast Asia. I also have traveled to Germany, France, Ireland, Czech Republic, and will be going to Bulgaria at the end of this summer! I have never been to El Salvador...in fact the only Spanish speaking country I've been to is Dominican Republic.

What are you most looking forward to about this trip?

I am really looking forward to seeing what schools are like there. I am hoping this will give me more perspective on our students educational background which will enable me to better serve students here. I always look forward to experiencing art, music and food too when visiting new places. Also, I am excited for the opportunity to practice my Spanish!

What are you nervous about?

I am a little nervous about our homestays and the language barrier. I think I know a decent amount of Spanish but when it's actually game time, I have a feeling I am going to find out I know less Spanish than I think I do. I get very shy when I have to speak in Spanish and really worry about making mistakes. Also, I am nervous about weight gain from pupusa overload.

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

Above all, I hope that this experience gives me a new perspective that will help me relate to our students and school community better.

Name:  Vince Scott
Position: ESL 5Teacher

Tell us about your travel experience. Have you visited El Salvador before?

I have had the privilege to travel to many places; I've been to 5 continents and 49 states. I've never been to El Salvador or Central America so this will be a first for me.

What are you most looking forward to about this trip?
I am most looking forward to meeting Salvadorans and getting to know a bit about them and their culture. I hope what I learn may help me be a better person and teacher.

What are you nervous about?
I'm nervous about not having as much time as I'd like or want to really get to know the people and cultures well.

What do you hope to gain from this experience?
I hope to gain knowledge from the experience. I want to better understand the cultural context of our Salvadoran students and others from this part of the world. I may even get to gain a friendship or two as well. I'm excited to go and explore and learn and then share the word about VOTB and its mission.

Name: Carol 

Position: Teacher

Tell us about your travel Experience. Have you visited El Salvador before?

I have traveled fairly extensively to many parts of the world. I have always felt comfortable and welcome in Central America. I was in El Salvador during the civil war, focusing on human rights and protection issues, and again in 2010.

What are you most looking forward to:

I’m looking forward to exploring the country in peace time and learning about the positive changes taking place. I also hope to brush up my Spanish.

What are you nervous about?

Mosquitoes and traffic accidents and doing without indoor plumbing and flush toilets.

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

I expect to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that drive Salvadorans to come to the United States today, the challenges they face in adjusting to life here, and the impacts on families and communities they leave behind. I also hope to learn about initiatives to keep children from leaving home or getting involved in gangs and that help children returning from the U.S.