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The SWF administrative
team in January 2002 made a trip to El Salvador in anticipation of the
establishment of the SWF mobile hospital unit, which is intended to
be deployed and operated in that nation. While in the country, the team
met with governmental officials. The trip was a complete success. The
project was welcomed with enthusiasm not only by the government, but
also by the SWF's medical liaisons in El Salvador. All arrangements
are underway, i.e. fundraising and operation strategies. The mobile
hospital will be serving all of Central America with a base in El Salvador.
During this trip, the team also had the opportunity to visit the Santa
Maria family, who live in the small village of Aguapa Arriba. The intention
of the visit was to bring school supplies to the children of this household,
and to bring news from their mother, Santos de Santa Maria, who was
sent to Texas by SWF, along with her adoptive baby, Erika, who SWF from
for correction of her bilateral club foot deformities. While the SWF
team visited the family, they were welcomed with generous gestures.
As soon as they arrived, they were given a can of soda. The team was
touched by this, being as poor as they are, the family was eager to
share the little they had. As the team visited the surroundings, the
need from this town's population was evident. The water supply from
a nearby river - which everybody in the small village makes use of.
The village has one school that sits on a hill and is built from bamboo
sticks that make the walls, along zinc metal sheets that make the roof.
Big gaps are left between the bamboo sticks and they are tied together
with rope. The children's desks are make of a wood stick hammered into
the ground with a flat board on top. No chairs are found, but improvised
benches and there are only two teachers - one teaches first grade in
the morning and the other teaches second grade in the afternoon. The
higher grade children have to walk to their school several miles away
over rough terrain. Needless to say, these people have a tremendous
spirit, as they endure all these difficulties, but their resources are
limited. SWF has much planned in the future to benefit these wonderful
people.
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