A Discussion with Benigno Orellana, Community Leader, Nueva Trinidad, El Salvador

With: Benigno Orellana Berkley Center Profile

July 3, 2011

Background: As part of the Education and Global Social Justice Project, in July 2011, undergraduate student Codie Kane interviewed Benigno Orellana, a community leader in Carasque, Nueva Trinidad, El Salvador. In this interview, Beningo Orellana discusses the development of the Carasque education sytem throughout his lifetime, the positive impacts of the improving local education system, and his hopes for the future.

Tell me about yourself and your experience as a member of the Carasque community.

I was born in Carasque and raised by my parents. When I was 16 years old, I entered the guerilla army. I was a soldier for six years. I returned to my community in 1992. Now, I have a wife and five kids. One is an infant, and the others are 21, 19, 18, and 15 years old. My mother still lives here, as well as many of my other relatives.

When I was growing up, Carasque was a model town. It was unified and organized. It had to be so in order to survive the violence and deprivation that occurred during the civil war. To this day, it remains an example of a high-functioning community. It has significant rates of citizen participation, effective community groups, and a positive culture.

I think this is so because of the struggle that Carasque has witnessed. It’s gained everything through fighting. It never used to have a security force, a public health system, or good education. During the civil war, however, without hope of assistance from the federal government, the other community members and I worked to set these institutions up for ourselves. We organized our own government, security, education, and healthcare.

I’ve experienced this transformation directly because I’ve been a member of the community directive. I’ve served twice in the past 20 years. I’ve learned a lot from doing so. In order to coordinate and organize so many people, I’ve had to become more patient and understanding. I’ve had to know how to work with a team.

Describe to me the state of education in your community, Carasque, from your point of view. What are the positive aspects? What are the challenges?

The education system here has come a long way. In general, education has improved greatly in Carasque. Before 1980, there was little opportunity or incentive to learn. One or two teachers taught here, but they weren’t from the community. They traveled here to give classes, stayed temporarily, and then left for the next village. Parents weren’t really concerned that kids went to school. They imparted their own type of education, strict rules, and punishment so their children learned how to behave. Now, however, every 10-year-old can read and write. They are knowledgeable about the environment, science, and history.

Our school is currently quite good relative to other rural schools because our teachers are all locals. They care about the state of the town and, thus, the local youth. They’re interested not only in teaching our students to read and write, but also to be good people. They foster Christian values and act as models. They’re always available for those who need them because they’re our neighbors and family friends. In many other villages, in contrast, teachers come from the capital or other villages outside this region. They do not have a stake in the community and, as a result, aren’t particularly invested in their job. They work only for a salary.

I think this is largely due to the popular education system. It originated here as a result of the war. When the government abandoned the formal education system at the start of the violence, the community came together to elect members to serve as teachers. These teachers imparted what little knowledge they had to the school-age children, working outside and using what they could find in nature as their materials. This experience cannot be forgotten. It was a struggle that made us value education. Many of Carasque’s current teachers, in fact, were once popular teachers. They propagate the values of the popular system, working to ensure that their labor was not in vain.

How does education here affect the community as a whole?

In the past, there was not a single doctor, policeman, or priest in Carasque. There were no professionals. This has changed, however, as a result of improvements in educational opportunity and in the local school. More people are pursuing higher education and, in consequence, beginning professional careers. We now, for example, have policemen, a position that requires a high school degree. We also have lawyers, engineers, and agronomists.

This has had important effects. It has helped not only the families of the new professionals, but also the community as a whole. It has boosted the local economy and led to increased social services. It represents a way forward, unlike the agricultural work of the older generations. They thought only about the fields, about planting, planting, and more planting. They were able to survive, but just barely. Instead of pensions they had huge families. Their insurance consisted of their children. They tried to have a lot of kids so at least one of them would care for them when they were old.

These advances can only progress over time. If I study and have a job, I have enough money to pay for my children to study and get a job. They then have enough money to do the same for their children, and so on.

How has education here affected your family in particular?

Three of my children have already gotten their high school degrees. Of these, two are out of school, and one is currently getting a technical degree in agronomy. My 15-year-old still attends school in Carasque. Clearly, education has had a positive impact on my family. I am proud of the fact that my children are educated.

What has been the role of the Church in education here?

The Church has always been well looked upon in our community. The Jesuits, in particular, understand us well. They don’t talk exclusively about faith, faith, and more faith. They are concerned with what is going on in the here and now. They actively help us improve local life. As a result, they play an important role in education. They give our school books and materials and encourage young people to study. They demonstrate their concern for Carasque through their commitment to its youth.

I think the Jesuits are so well received not only because of their community work, however, but also because they promote transparency. They are realistic. They discuss what’s going on in the world around us. In their community work, they demonstrate to us that we can depend on their assistance. This is significant in an area in which corruption is relatively common. We have already lost faith in too many institutions.

What’s the future of education here? What’s your vision of an ideal future?

The future, as a result of education, looks positive. We’re going to have more and more professionals here and, with this, the community will continue to develop. The teachers here will keep growing and improving and, as a result, their students will too.

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