A Discussion with Maria Emelina Orellana de Ayala, Water Project Administrator, Nueva Trinidad, El Salvador

With: Maria Emelina Orellana de Ayala Berkley Center Profile

July 6, 2011

Background: As part of the Education and Global Social Justice Project, in July 2011 undergraduate student Codie Kane interviewed Maria Emelina Orellana de Ayala, administrator of a potable water project in Carasque, Nueva Trinidad, El Salvador, and the treasurer of a local women’s microfinance group. In this interview, Maria Emelina Orellana de Ayala discusses the role of the church in education and the detrimental effects of unemployment on the developing education system in Carasque.

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

My parents were originally from Carasque. During the war, they moved to try to keep my family safe. I was born in El Paraiso, some distance away, in 1983. Some say that that was the hardest year of the war. After the peace accords were signed, my family moved back to Carasque. I’ve lived here ever since. I entered kindergarten at the local school at about eight years old. At that time the school was a popular school, unrecognized by the government and staffed by popular teachers. I graduated from ninth grade and then went on to high school. Carasque didn’t, and still doesn’t, have a high school so I had to go to Chalatenango. I didn’t graduate, though, because I ended up getting pregnant. I had to drop out because I know that I couldn’t both study and care for an infant at the same time. After my son was born, I went back and got my high school diploma. I graduated in 2004.

I currently work as an administrator for the potable water project in town. The project benefits 330 units in three villages. This amounts to about 1,500 people who otherwise wouldn’t have regular, secure access to water. I’m also the treasurer of the local women’s microfinance group. The group was originally an initiative of OxFam but now operates independently. It consists of 19 other women and myself. I participate in other community activities as well. I work for the artisan collective in the crochet department, sing in the church choir, and help out at the school.

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?

One of the biggest recent successes is that the school is now recognized by the Ministry of Education. Before, when it was a popular school, it was not. Now, at the very least, teachers receive salaries from the government.

In general, education here is of a relatively high quality. I think this is due to the struggle that the teachers went through to get to where they are today. They teach the students what they learned from their experiences, particularly those during the civil war. They don’t just teach the programs that the ministry sends; they help students see reality. This ensures that the children learn values. They know how their parents suffered in the past. When they leave Carasque for high school, they tend to turn out well. Many, in fact, want to continue on to college.

The problem, then, is the lack of higher education. There are no universities in this entire region. Students have to go to San Salvador to study. It’s so dangerous there. Almost every day there’s an incident. People are assaulted and robbed. A student from Carasque was recently assaulted while simply walking down the street.

Another major issue lies in what happens after graduation. There’s no work, especially in this region. To have any hope of finding a job, young people have to move to San Salvador. Those who try to stay here are forced to find employment in an area in which they have no interest or expertise.

How does education here affect the community as a whole?

There have been a lot of changes in Carasque as education has improved. More and more people are now focused on studying. There are fewer students who work in the fields in the morning and go to school in the afternoon. I think this shows that families recognize the value of education more. They see that those who don’t get degrees and don’t participate in the labor market don’t make money. They understand that maintaining a family requires more than what farming can provide.

This new focus on education is evident in the level of youth participation in the community. Until recently, for example, the community directive was composed primarily of adults. Now, young people are also involved. Thanks to the level of study and knowledge that they have, they’re able to contribute to community organization.

The fact that more students are going on to higher education, however, has had only a limited impact because of the lack of jobs here. The only professionals who can easily find work are teachers. Most others have to move elsewhere. Three Carasque students just graduated from college with communications degrees, for example. They’re still in San Salvador working because there are no opportunities for them to come back to.

What is needed for local education and the community in general to develop further?

As I mentioned before, we need to expand the sources of employment in this region. This is the only way that people will remain here and contribute to local development. Otherwise, they’ll move to the capital or immigrate to the United States.

Education in Carasque, specifically, is lacking in terms of information technology. Computer knowledge is now essential in high school and college. The school is unable to teach it, however. It offers no information technology classes. It has only a few computers, all of which are in poor condition. Some days they work, and some days they don’t. Students barely learn how to use them. This makes continuing education difficult. When I went to high school, for example, I was totally unprepared. I had never seen a computer before. We barely had electricity here at that point! I had to tell my teacher that I didn’t even know how to turn a computer on.

How has education here affected your family in particular?

In a certain sense, it’s been a challenge for us. When my husband Miguel wanted to get his teaching degree, for example, I realized just how difficult it was to pursue higher education in Carasque. Because there were no nearby universities, he had to go to San Salvador to study. He spent three days there every week. Alexis, my son, was still a baby. I was left here worrying that something had happened to Miguel.

In general, though, it’s helped us. Our students are being academically prepared in the school here. They’re learning values. They’re not going to be illiterate. They have big dreams for the future. Alexis doesn’t just think of growing up and going to the field; he wants to be a soccer player.

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

The Church has played a key role in this community. It’s supported us so much. We’ve been lucky that the priests here have been Jesuits. They truly dedicate themselves to the people. Unlike those who are so involved in the Bible that they don’t even see what’s going on around them, they always try to compare the word of God to what we live. They’re concerned about our well-being. They think about our housing and our health. They always participate in our community activities.

The Arcatao parish, specifically, gives real support to Carasque. They donate books and their old computers to the school. When Americans come here on mission trips, they send us English teachers. They even fund and support the water project on which I currently work.

A particularly important form of assistance they provide is scholarship money. They give students financial assistance through the Desarollo Hermano Popular program so that they’re able to pursue education. I was one of the students who initiated the project. When two other of my friends and I graduated ninth grade, we knew that we had to go to Chalatenango for high school. We were going to have to live there during the week because it was so far from home. We had received some scholarship money from another source, but it wasn’t enough to cover all of our expenses. We decided to send a letter to the parish asking for either monetary support or housing in the village. They responded, giving us money for food and rent. It wasn’t a complete scholarship by any means, but it helped a lot. Now, the program has become more formal and institutionalized. Students go through an application process in which they have to demonstrate good grades and community participation, present a letters of recommendation from the parish and community members, and show financial need. These applications are considered by a committee of community representatives and parish members. Because of the high level of need, they still only receive a small amount of money. Unlike my experience, they are now only able to apply the scholarships to university study.

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

The future of education is linked to the employment situation here. If things are going to get better, people need to be able to come back and work. When this happens, I think we’ll have many more professionals in the community.

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