News

News from Bálsamo and El Tular

The library: the Wellsprings committee in El Tular is budgeting for a multi-purpose ‘area’ in the library. They’re collecting book donations and intend to devise/install a basic system for book classification. Money donated is being used for school textbooks, but literature and novels are also needed. (We are sending the money raised from St Chad’s, Saddleworth Away giving to help with this).

Standard of living improvements since our last visit in 2017: Allan thinks all houses now have electricity connected, provided with the help of the Alcaldia (council), and a Japanese governmental-sponsored project has provided water supplies in homes. The government has facilitated the purchase of laptops for students, and tablets for the younger ones, so there are now laptops in many homes.

Livelihood: the Community is still dependent on the basic foodstuffs they grow, particularly maize, and beans. Families have economic support from the young people who’ve studied (with the help of Wellsprings’ grants) and gone into decent jobs. They tend to live at home, contributing to household bills and improvements etc. Some families have carried out house renovations to accommodate children and grandchildren.

Educational grants: there is still a demand for Wellsprings educational grants. Three students are finishing this year but six are hoping to begin studies in 2025. Gama gives IT practical classes for 5th and 6th grade school children and some women join in.

Internet: the Community is using ‘Starlink’ for internet in homes with five households sharing access to be able to afford it. The Communal House and Library has internet through the Starlink contract of adjacent houses, but there is still no internet in the school.

Weather conditions: hurricane Sara has caused damage to buildings, rivers, and harvests in El Salvador. Twice this year they’ve had storm damage to crops along with flooded rivers and heavy rain damage. A communal repair means the footbridge (pasarella) over the river is now back in use.

Phase 4 - St Thomas’ Delph, Eco Project

Wellsprings El Tular is grateful to St Thomas’ Church, Delph, for their ongoing support of ‘eco projects’ in the Community. The latest initiative has 3 components:

• Delivery of indigenous corn seed for planting in the cultivation plots of up to 20 families in the community

• Training and inputs to produce natural fungicide to apply to corn crops

• Installation of a seedbed for growing vegetables in the home gardens of 20 families.