On November 7, 2009, the National Service of Territorial Studies in El Salvador registered over 13 inches of rain in only three hours. 13 inches of rain is about as much rain as the entire state of Missouri receives in six months. It caused the ground to become saturated with water, provoking landslides, flooding rivers, and leaving several areas without any form of communication. One such community was Anemona in San Martin where 176 families lived in a highly vulnerable area surrounded by soft dirt and and deep ravines.
In the damage report by the Ministry of Public Acts, the area was declared uninhabitable. This news wasn’t surprising to residents since their homes, belongings, land, crops, and even four lives had been lost to the disaster. However, none of them had another safe place where they could start over.
As a community, the people of Anemona decided to rebuild their homes on an abandoned property owned by the government using twisted sheets of metal, old sticks, and anything they could rescue from that terrible night. Without a stable source of income, and without land to cultivate, these families have done what they can through street vending and the collection and sale of recyclables, as they themselves describe, “just to pass the days.”
“They are a community poor in material resources due to life circumstances and catastrophes which have left them powerless. They have lost their material resources and housing which has turned them into a vulnerable community. But to me, they are a community of great wealth because despite their limitations they are optimistic, with much faith and courage, and they do not give up. They do what they set out to do, and it’s really interesting that they plan things as a community; they’re not just families fighting for themselves.”
-Gerson Ramirez, ENLACE Church Coach
There, in the middle of the hopelessness of many families is the Palabra de Poder, Tiempos Finales Church. Its pastor, Marta Alicia Vaquerano, has become an inspirational leader in this small, poor community. She had been praying for clarity about how to better face the community’s challenges and needs when she heard of ENLACE at a Pastoral Network meeting in San Martín. Pastor Marta considers her encounter with ENLACE to be an answer to prayers, and now she is one of ENLACE’s church partners in the region of San Martín.
“The first thing we did as a church was during the time when everyone suffered from Tropical Storm Ida. We went out and helped to pick up debris to rebuild the houses. We have also worked on the drainage ditches for the road in Anemona, and we are working with the home gardens. The community has many needs. As a church, we try to help the community by bringing them low-cost foods, clothing and footwear. Also, the home gardens are going to be a huge blessing.”
-Pastor Marta Vaquerano
The community and its congregation have been working hand in hand. Through planning with the mayor’s office, they now have a system of potable water. They also have electricity, and they are working hard to legalize their land. With ENLACE they have improved access to the homes on the main road with almost 500 feet of drainage ditches to alleviate the problems caused by a lack of drainage for rainwater. Before the ditches were built, residents on the road would suffer from flooding during the rainy season. Their plans also include laying stone and paving a main road.
Still, the common denominator of the people in Anemona continues to be the lack of formal employment. To mitigate the effects of this problem, they are now working with ENLACE technical advisor and engineer, Alejandro Pérez, to create home gardens. Eighteen families are participating in the cultivation of tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, squash, cucumber and jamaica. Although it is the first time they have attempted to grow vegetables, the participants’ enthusiasm demonstrates their desire to find a way to move ahead with their families.
“Despite their financial limitations, they are already so motivated and unified that they have raised funds to buy some investments and distribute them among everyone in order to have more success. They are thankful for the support that ENLACE is giving. Other organizations have marginalized them and labeled them as rough and violent. With us, they feel different because we see them in a different light.”
Alejandro Perez, ENLACE Agronomist