Building strong communities

In the early 1990s, El Salvador's 12-year civil war ended. The war left communities fractured and neighbors suspicious of one another.

CFCA's continued presence in Salvadoran communities not only brought life-giving benefits such as food, education and health care to its people, but also started healing the community divide and restoring trust among neighbors.

The Santa Ana project works with families to help them achieve their goals and attain self-sufficiency through tools such as livelihood initiatives. Mothers groups participate in selecting benefits and services through CFCA's Hope for a Family sponsorship program.

Sponsored friends receive education assistance, routine medical checkups and access to health and dental care, and more.

Mothers groups empowering women and families

CFCA mothers groups are community self-help groups that offer mothers of sponsored children an opportunity to organize and participate in the planning and decision making surrounding CFCA benefits and activities.

"This model has enabled the mothers to be active participants in building a better future for their children, and to discover their hidden talents and put them to the service of their own community," said Yessenia Alfaro, CFCA coordinator in El Salvador.

Estela, the mother of sponsored children, joined a newly formed CFCA mothers group in 2008. To her surprise, she was elected president.

"I couldn't believe it," Estela said. "But I decided to try it."

The adjustment to her new role was difficult because Estela could not write well. She improved quickly. The group opened a bank account and the mothers started contributing toward the group savings. They learned to sew bed sheets and mosquito nets that the project purchased and distributed to sponsored friends.

Estela's husband, Santiago, credits the mothers group for giving Estela new confidence, a trade and the ability to help provide for her family.

"I really feel that from three years ago to now, my wife has changed 180 degrees," Santiago said. "When I saw this great potential in my wife, I told myself I have a great woman by my side."

CFCA scholarships open doors of education, service

For youth growing up in poverty, access to higher education can seem like an impossible dream. But the CFCA Scholarship Program enables youth to pursue their career goals and build a path out of poverty.

Cesar is a CFCA scholar in El Salvador studying accounting. His scholarship enables him to attend school and gives him opportunities to mentor younger children in the sponsorship program.

"I like being able to teach them the little I know and to instill in them good things, to teach them respect and moral values, to play, and many other things," he said.

The financial support from the CFCA scholarship combines with Cesar's earnings selling ice cream to pay for his education — food, bus transportation, books, school supplies, shoes and uniforms. He uses any surplus to help his parents buy food.

"I don't want to stay where I am," he said. "I don't want to keep selling on the street because I know what it's like and it's hard."

Cesar's three siblings are sponsored through CFCA. Sponsorship has provided the family with educational assistance, clothing, beds, recreation and livelihood training.

"Without CFCA, my parents could not cover these needs and I would have to drop out of school and go out and work to help my parents bring up my siblings," Cesar said. "This is a real impact on my family and on my life."