A glimpse

In last month's post, we shared about the culture of violence that is present in many countries in the region. Although this can be a difficult topic to focus on, often leaving one feeling discouraged, there are small things happening that cast a more positive light on the situation. One of those things is the work that SALTer, Maria Steinman, is involved in at ANADES, an MCC partner in El Salvador. Maria works at Centro Hogar, a preschool/daycare program ran by ANADES that serves low-income families from some of the more marginalized areas of San Salvador, areas that know very well what this culture of violence feels like. Maria gives us a glimpse into this reality in this reflection:

"In my blog post in January, I talked about all the sadness and pain I have seen and experienced here in Central America. Some days can be more overwhelming than others. But I was very glad when the kids came back to school because they are something that gives me joy every day. Even though these little kids have been born into a context of severe poverty and violence, when I see them running and playing and laughing and smiling with their friends or another one of the teachers, it gives me hope. The cards (and statistics) are stacked up against them, but when I see their beautiful smiles and the spark in their eyes, I see hope: they are still innocent, loving babies, and it could be their generation that changes the culture of violence and machismo, that has plagued El Salvador for far too long. Or at least I choose to hope and believe this, because if I didn't, there would be no point of me being here, volunteering with MCC and ANADES, 2 NGO's (non-governmental organizations) that are working for peace and justice and a better future here in El Salvador. By coming to the day care/pre-school, and receiving nutritious breakfast and lunches daily, as well as lots of love and affection and a good education, the children are getting a better start to their life. I am constantly so impressed by the work my co-workers do, despite the limited staff and resources we have here. We just have to hope that although we can't be with these kids as they grow up into teenagers and then adults, that we are doing the best that we can with them now. And the parents as well, although some of them associated with the gangs, are also doing the best they can for their kids, despite the very difficult context they grew up in, and continue to live in." To learn more and see pictures of Maria's experience in El Salvador, visit here.

Another glimpse into this complex issue of violence is provided here, where Toby Roberts, fellow MCCer who has also worked and lived in San Salvador, shares about the various responses to what he calls the "endemic violence in Central America". In other encouraging news, a Guatemalan court recently ruled that past president, Rios Montt, will stand trial for genocide and other crimes committed during the civil war. Rios Montt was president in the early 80's, one of the bloodiest periods of the 36-year long conflict. As explained in this article, the ruling is seen as a triumph in the long struggle against impunity, and a sign of hope that justice may be a bit closer.

Either we have hope within us or we don’t.
Hope is a dimension of the soul,
And it is not particularly dependent on some observation of the world.
Hope is an orientation of the spirit,
An orientation of the heart.
It transcends the world that is immediately experienced
And is anchored somewhere beyond the horizons.
Hope
In this deep and powerful sense
Is not the same as joy that things are going well
Or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success,
But rather
An ability to work for something
Because it is good,
Not just because it stands a chance to succeed.
Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism.
It is not the conviction that something will turn out well,
But the certainty that something makes sense
Regardless of how it turns out.
It is hope above all, which gives us the strength to love and continually try new things.

Thank you to Maria for sharing this quote from Vaclav Havel, former president of Czechoslovakia, and these pictures from Centro Hogar