Shelahani - El Salvador

In Prados de Venecia, health is one of our priorities. The “El Carmelo” Clinic is an open space where the sick are attended to with love and care. Through this our mission in the Church becomes a living company to those who suffer in pain. Likewise, we attend to women-heads of household, with whom we promote integral development, so that those who support the family may not feel alone but can open themselves to new horizons and sense the meaning of their life. They grow happily in self esteem and spiritual life, while also learning the trades of dressmaking, beauty and cosmetics, baking, as a way of projecting themselves to the society, and earning enough money to sustain themselves and their families. Justice is being done every day at every corner, where an individual begins to feel him/herself a human person.
In Plan del Pino, literacy is the way to respond to an unjust world that has often identified and given “knowledge” only to those with resources to obtain it. The Open School is a place where people of all ages receive training to help them find their rightful place in society. It is beautiful to see people coming from all ages: from the children to the elderly, accessing the computer room and learning from there a whole wonderful world!

In La Laguna, women play a key role: they receive there a promotion at all levels, so that they can face the world with dignity and hope. There are workshops for candle making, where they can obtain profits; it is a big help for them and their families to have self sufficient earnings, while at the same time they share life experiences. The poor, the marginalized, the sick,all are welcome to our work centres. A flea market, selling products at low cost donated by companies and individuals who wish to help, is a way of assisting them to obtain their basic needs.
A very good process that recognizes justice is being carried out among the disabled persons and their families: in some cases, these persons have been neglected, excluded and sometimes hidden from the society. The work being done to these families consists in discovering the true value of these persons they have in the family, give them the opportunity to go out, to do something, to feel that in spite of their handicaps, they are part of this world. Little by little the families are becoming aware of the importance of these persons and include them in the social life.

“San José Obrero” Solidary Group

We Carmelite Missionaries share our life and mission in a community of the northeast area of Ciudad Delgado called Plan del Pino –San Salvador.
It is a population affected significantly by the economic crisis, violence and crime. Beginning 7 pm, insecurity intensifies on the streets. Fear paralyzes our life and we shut ourselves up in our “hut” or humble home.

Youth and Adults together in prophecy, craftsmen of Justice and Peace
The time has come; silence is broken by hands ready to work! United to build! The best approach to justice comes from the concrete and real situations of injustice.
When the Medellin document affirmed: “Misery besets large group of people…it is injustice that cries to heaven,” we see and feel that this is not mere talk but is a reality in our marginalized community (Medellin – Justice 1, 1)
To respond to this harsh reality, we have participated in training workshops which have uncovered that in true social justice, some do not decide on others but that some persons decide with others, in mutual dependency, collaboration and participation. We derive two lines of action from this awareness:

15 households benefitted from these projects, which were economically supported by the Networks of Solidarity and Hope of the Church of Puerto Rico. Through this aid we have created a “Solidary Fund”
Organization of a group of 15 heads of household. From the common fund each receives small loans directed mostly for the purchase of items for sale. Currently there are tailoring workshops; others are mobile vendors; there is a small farm, a soup kitchen, small family stores and school supplies shops.
Loans received are returned to the fund on mutually agreed quota, allowing a saving of profits that are summed up to the capital of the fund. The goal is to make each Project self sufficient; this is being achieved and has led to the creation of Solidary Bank.
To open “welcome and prevention shelters” for the youth: To acquire a centre of vocational formation to undertake workshops and other activities like Sports, art and culture…Thanks to the commitment of many people who want to support this initiative we hope to achieve.

We are on time, “mishpat”, “…let us do justice to the poor” (Is 1, 17).
Sr. Isabel Nogales,C M - Felipe Aldana