As I approach my one year mark here in El Salvador, I have grown to know and love the community where I live. People here are humble and giving despite not having a whole lot to give. I have been a witness to their charity as they have opened the doors to their community to me and taken me in as one of their own. I often think about, as I guess it is my job to do so, the ways I can give back to the community that has given me so much.
With only three seconds on a Google search of El Salvador, you can tell the situation is anything but good. The unemployment rate, extreme poverty, lack of education and widespread gang violence makes living in this country a near impossible task for many people. If you’ve watched the news within the last year you know that this reality is causing El Salvador to hemorrhage youth, who leave to make the dangerous journey to the United States for the promise of a better life.
In this environment, education means everything. With so few jobs available not having finished high school, something that many youth are not able to do for financial or other reasons, automatically takes you out of the job market. So it stands to reason that Salvadorans instantly view any college graduate as an honorable and respected member of society. This college love-affair goes as far as calling anyone with a college degree “Licenciado” (Licensed) as a surname instead of Mr. or Ms., making me "Licenciado Daniel".
College is perhaps viewed in this sacred light because it is so inaccessible for most Salvadorans. It came as a great shock to me to find out actually what it costs to go to college in El Salvador. As Americans we are so accustomed to price tags in the tens-of-thousands, and in some cases the hundreds-of-thousands range that discovering that a college education here costs $3,000 not just for one year, but for the entire degree is outrageous. Three-thousand dollars is the price to change someone’s life. Seeing the great discrepancy between the relatively low cost to Americans and the monumental impact of a degree for Salvadorans, I know this is where I, where we, can make a difference.
AID El Salvador is a NGO started by former Peace Corps volunteers to provide scholarships to Salvadoran youth. Many Peace Corps Volunteers set up accounts with AID El Salvador as an easy way to fundraise money for youth in their community to go to school, with many of the donors being family or friends of the volunteer. 100% of donated funds go to the youth for whom it is earmarked, and it is the responsibility of the Peace Corps volunteer and the AID El Salvador case-worker to make sure the funds are being appropriately by the youth. Having seeing the success of these scholarships firsthand I have opened my own account with AID ES.
What has most inspired me to do this has been a youth in my community named Alonso. I first met him because he would come over to my house and tutor my host-brother multiple times a week. At first I thought he was family or in the same grade as him but after asking I realized that he was doing it because he liked to tutor and help others out. I got to know him more from his participation in my English class. He’s very humble and quiet, which first came off as being disengaged, but as I began to know him and his participation in my class I began to see he is an extremely gifted student, and that he is absolutely fascinated by English. He’s told me that the only thing he’s ever wanted to do is go to college to become an English teacher, but as a son of a single mother with 8 kids, it’s just not a reality for him. What surprised me most about Alonso is his academic achievement. I’ve seen his transcripts, and this is a kid that has gotten A’s throughout high school and is embarrassed to ever admit that he’s gotten a B. This November he finally graduates from high school. For many students this is the end of the line, but it doesn’t have to be.
So I am asking you to help me change the life of someone who I know will take every opportunity afforded to him, and use those opportunities to better the lives of others. I’m reminded of the saying “It takes a village to raise a child” and in the increasingly globalized world we live in, that village can be expanded to cross borders. No matter our religion, nationality, or background, we all can recognize the importance of supporting our youth. Together, we make Alonso’s dream come true, I implore you to help make this happen.
Alonso is just the start, it is my goal to send as many youth to college as possible here. I know that the long term effects of more college-educated professionals in my community will be the greatest and most sustainable change I make within my time here. Listed below are the ways you can donate today.
Thank you,
Danny Muldoon
Youth Development Volunteer
Peace Corps El Salvador
______________________________
By check made out to Aid El Salvador and sent to:
2688 Pala Mesa Court
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(The check memo MUST indicate "PCV Daniel Muldoon Los Quebrachos") If you would like to remain anonymous on the donor list, please include a note with your check stating so.
Online by going to www.aidelsalvador.org, clicking on “Donate Now” and using PayPal to make a donation. Paypal is a secure website which safely handles monetary transactions online.
1) Go to www.aidelsalvador.org
2) Click on the "Donate Now" link on the right side of the homepage, under “How to get involved”
3) Click the yellow bubble-shaped "Donate" link
4) Enter the amount you want to donate in the blue box at the top of the page
5) Create a PayPal account by filling in your credit card and contact information (or login to an existing PayPal account) to make your donation. Then click “Agree and continue” or the “Log in” button
6) You’ll automatically be brought to the "Your Name, please review your donation" page. On this page, please type " PCV Daniel Muldoon Los Quebrachos " in the "Add Special Instruction to the Seller" section/box, which is a small blue section on the left-hand side.
7) Confirm your donation and click “Donate $ Now” button
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