ceibanews3
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The people of Joya
Grande taught me
so much; they
helped me realize
just howunconnected I was
to the people around
me and how
judgmental I waseveryday.
From them I
learned the
importance of
family and how to
open up myself to
others.
Nicole Du Brebeuf
Jesuit
But you are here, and we are not alone
Don Patricio, President of Joya Grande, referring to
CEIBAs support during Tropical Storm Agatha. Finally, it will demand the committed participation of numerous actorsacross the thresholds of space, class, and time. It has already begun
through the processes of constructive expression and interaction takingplace through Fundacin CEIBA and only time will tell whether the seeds
of constructive change will grow into a new narrative for the people of
Santiago Texacuangos. Jenna Knapp
\
WHO WE ARE
CEIBA (Construyendo Espacios
Integrales para el Bienestar
Ambiental), Constructing Integrated
Spaces for Environmental Well-being
Vision:
Be a foundation that promotes
sustainable community organization
that manages the natural resources,
well being, and social development of
Santiago Texacuangos.
Mission:
Gives community members the tools
to organize themselves in order to
generate:environmental
consciousness, alternatives sources of
income, food sovereignty, risk
management, mental health, and
gender equality.
Our Staff:
Rafael Flores: Painter/Entreprenuer/ Html-er.
Dany Portillo: Sociological Culturalist
Mercedes Monge: Social Worker
Jonathan Velasquez: Poet/Lawyer/Accountant
Beth Tellman: Coordinator/ Gringo Relations
Vladimir Jimenez: Organic Agronomist
TROPICAL STORM AGATHA MAY 29-31 2010
CEIBA Bustles Before the Storm
This time, we were ready. Mercedes stays on top of allhurricane and weather reports; because she knows
prevention is key.
Beth Tellman
http://friendsofsantamaria.blogspot.com/,
www.ceibaelsalvador.org
Newsletter
JUNE 2010
Colectivo CEIBA
Friends of Santiago Texacuangos Constructing Integral Spaces for Environmental Well-Being
(Formerly Known as FRIENDS OF SANTIAGO TEXACUANGOS)
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ORGANIC AGRICULTURE unfortunately lost its first crop of tomatoes
and onions due to rains in Agatha. Fortunately, Vladimir, our agronomist,
has back ups of carrots, cabbage, and other vegetables, working with a
different seed or crop every few weeks to promote diversification and
reduce risk of loss (in storms like Agatha, for example). This month,
Vladimir will help communities plant communal corn plots, to experiment
with the heirloom corn their grandparents used to sow, but which has
been lost over the years (Vladimir had to go to a national seed bank to
obtain samples)! These experimental plots will be used for seed saving
and climate adaptability to try and understand WHICH corn grows best in
the Lake Ilopango Basin. Its not your average corn that grows well in
white volcanic soil, but that all weve got!
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION is focusing on disaster
preparedness and relief. Most importantly, Mercedes has
forged links with the Civil Protection Agency (El Salvadors
FEMA) and CEIBA is the NGO representative for the municipal
Civil Protection Committee. She has formed Civil Protection
Communal Committees in the 3 communities we work in as
replicable models for the rest of Santiago Texacuangos. Eachcommunity is divided up into sectors with one leader. This
central group of leaders divide disaster responsibilities to act
as firstresponders for health, evacuation, shelter preparation,
donation acceptance etc. Mercedes is helping direct the Food
forWork Program (a UN program where each participating
family must work 80 hours to receive monthly rations) into a
foodfor soil conservation project for each community,
planning reforestation and terracing projects to prevent future
landslides.
PROJECT UPDATES AND
PLANS FOR THE
ART THERAPY/TRAUMA THERAPY: May 15 marked the
close of trauma therapy for children 612 undertaken with
Anmutspical. The participation of 80+ children in Joya Grande
was a success, and parents have commented on increased
tranquility and playfulness of their children. Each child was
gifted with a set of fingerpaints, colored pencils, and paper,
and encouraged to use art to make themselves a safe space
next time they feel afraid of the rain. Rafa continues his
painting therapy school, with plans to develop artistic skills into
marketable products like stationary. We are planning a muralthe 2nd week in august to commemorate lives lost during the
disaster. Rafa has also been busy creating a Spanish website
check out www.ceibaelsalvador.org.
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Page 3
SOCIOCULTURALANIMATION
Dany continues to work with youth, transitioning from individual reflection/
emotional health to having each youth study the sociology of his or her family.
As youth understand each other and their community, they are coming up with
creative solutions to identified problems. In Joya Grande for example, youth
organized a literacy project, and CEIBA connected them to Salvadoran Ministryof Education. 7 young people (ages 1624) are being trained in the Cuban
method, and will then have access to FREE education materials to try and
increase literacy rates in their home communities.
FUTURE PLANS AND SUPPORT
CEIBA has teamed up with the US Army Civil Affairs Division to identify priority projects for communities.
Tours with Capitan Pearman June 1617 in El Sauce, Joya Grande, and Santa Maria will hopefully yield
material donations so communities can rebuild schools, walls, and footbridges. CEIBA also teamed up withNGOs FUNDESYRAM and PROCOMES to apply for USAID funds June 18th to integrate agriculture and
nutrition, install early warning disaster systems, fully equip emergency committees, implement trauma
therapy for the elderly, and more for 20102012 (fingers crossed that grant is accepted!).
Beth Tellman, CEIBAs coordinator, will be in El Salvador for the next two years as well thanks to support
from VMM (Volunteer Missionary Movement a Christian Organization which supports volunteers in social
justice projects in Latin America and Africa). Email [email protected] for more information on how to
donate to VMM and help Beth reach her goal of $7,000 to stay in El Salvador (visit http://www.vmmusa.org/
donatenow.html to donate via paypal). She will also be fundraising in the Indianapolis area Aug. 23 Sept.
8th. Email us if you would like to have Beth come and speak about her research and/or experiences!
Item Cost
Gas $1,187.00
Salaries for 5 Staff $ 7,505.00
Technology ( boombox, external harddrive,computer)
$ 348.96
Workshop Materials $ 897.02
Communications $ 655.00
Vehicle Maintenance $ 1,029.50
Emergency Food and Water $ 4,850.00Emergency Equipment ( flashlights, ropes,poncho, radios, tarp)
$ 3,948.50
Volunteers $ 502.25
Transportation (gas for cars not Beths) $ 500.00
Paperwork (copies, printing, office stuff) $ 90.00
website $ 50.00
Others (paypal transfers) $ 228.04
Total Spent (November 9 June 30) $ 21,791.27
Total Cash Available $ 13,777.00
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DID CEIBA PREVENT LANDSLIDES WITH BLACK AND BLUE TARPS?
Throughout the month of April 2010,
CEIBA raised $300 and received a
donation of black tarp from CatholicRelief Services (valued at $600) to try
and mitigate immediate risk before the onset of the
rainy season for the high-risk community of Los
Cruces and selected homes in El Sauce and Loma
Linda. The function of tarps is to cover hillsides
eroded from Ida susceptible to landslide by keeping
them dry and diverting water, thus reducing weight
from rain saturation, and subsequently risk of
landslides. This is a quick fix and the reality is that
families must either be relocated or find funding for expensive engineering projects ($50,000) that would
change the slope of the hillside. Plastic only protects the hillside for 1-2 rainy seasons until holes begin to
form, but buys CEIBA enough time to support communities and local governments in figuring out long term
solutions. But did the tarps actually work? So far, yes. Visits to beneficiary homes after Tropical Storm
Agatha at the end of May confirmed that in Los
Cruces, small landslides occurred on either side of
the community (the tarp-less part) where banana
plants were uprooted and slid down the hill. There
was no sign of erosion near houses, which was well
covered with tarp. CEIBA was convinced enough
with results to invest in $300 more in tarps for the
community of Shaltipa, which experienced serious
erosion after Agatha. Plastic is a cheap band-aid,
but a functional band-aid CEIBA can afford for
now. We are supporting initial talks with Ministry
of Housing and communities of Joya Grande and
Los Cruces to talk about relocation projects, which at best would occur 2013, and at worst, will never happen.
Meanwhile, plastic on steepest slopes and terracing where possible are necessary measures CEIBA is taking
to mitigate risk.
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REFLECTIONS FROM BREBEUF JESUIT HIGHSCHOOL (INDIANAPOLIS, IN)
IMMERSION TRIP IN JOYA GRANDE MARCH 2010
Friday, March 26th
In only a few short days I felt welcomed enough to
call the community my home, and that is something
extremely special for me. It's like El Salvador is my
roots, and something will always be pulling me back
there. I think that the reason I loved my experience
at Joya Grande so much is the emphasis on the
family and the community. Everyone there lived for
others first, never themselves. That's part of the
reason I felt so welcomed and loved there, and thereason why it has become a homeI wanted to take
the burden off of the people and carry it for them,
but it was also frightening because the fear of not
living up to that responsibility loomed in the back of
my mind. That idea is going to keep haunting me
until I find a way to make their impression of me
worthwhile; I will continue working to help them in
any way possible, because who would dare let their
family down?
Megan Ludwig Brebeuf Jesuit 12
When I told people that I was going to El Salvador overSpring Break, everyone told me that they were glad Iwas "doing community service" or "helping out thepoor," and when I explained to them that the trip wasn'ta service trip people kind of looked at me like "why areyou going then?" Reverse mission isn't about us goingover to another country to help them, it's about themhelping us. The community of Joya Grande was where Ifelt the true essence of reverse mission impacting methe most of all. The people of Joya Grande taught me somuch; they helped me realize just how unconnected Iwas to the people around me and how judgmental I waseveryday. From them I learned the importance offamily and how to open up myself to others. Theytaught me that wealth is not just monetary or material, but that wealth can also come from buildinrelationships. When I came back to the US, one of myfriends asked me, "So did you guys do service projectsin El Salvador?" and I have been reflecting on it eversince. Volunteering in the past has always left me witha feeling of accomplishment. However, now I realizethat service isn't just a one-time thing that you do onweekends; it's ongoing and never ending. In thisessence, I think my trip to El Salvador has planted theseeds for me to begin serving others, and it has mademe learn that the work I do is never really finished. Sonext time someone asks me if I did any service in ElSalvador I'll say, "No, I didn't help the people in ElSalvador, the people I met in El Salvador helped me." Itwas truly a life changing and heartbreaking experience
for me and I'm so grateful for that.
- Nicole Du Brebeuf Jesuit
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TROPICAL STORM AGATHA MAY 29-31 2010
CEIBA Bustles Before the Storm : This time, we were ready. Mercedes stays on top of all hurricane andweather reports; because she knows prevention is key. As early as Wed. May 26, CEIBA began organizingresponse to a possible disaster as rain poured on El Salvador for 6 days, dropping over 600mm of precipitation.
Thurs. May 27th, the decision was made to spend $300 in emergency preparation, hoping to receive donationsto recoup costs.
We purchased short-distance radios for sector leaders in Joya Grande, one long-wave radio for Mercedes, andropes, raincoats, and flashlights for first responders. CEIBA went to Joya Grande May 27 th to make anemergency evacuation plan. Fri. May 28th, Civil Protection had raised the warning alert from green to yellowas the low-pressure system gained strength. Sat. May 29th, the storm system gained strength and headedtowards the Guatemalan coast, with the name Tropical Storm Agatha. Noon of that day, alert was raised to
orange, and CEIBA was asked by Civil Protection to help evacuate Joya Grande.
Evacuating Joya Grande- what President Funes Didnt Know: CEIBA purchased more emergency
equipment to evacuate Joya Grande Saturday afternoon with government authorities, while Mercedes helpedwith logistics for a municipal shelter. 30 families- 108 women and children- were driven out of the communityright as water pipes broke, and flooding isolated all access roads to Joya Grande for the next 3 days. There wasno other way out- and no helicopters could land due to increase intensity of rain. We watched in apprehensionas orange alert changed to red, along with a declaration from President Funes who called for mandatoryevacuation of Joya Grande, among other communities around the country (San Ramon, Bajo Lempa, andmore). Spending a frustrating evening on the phone with Mercedes and terrified community members in JoyaGrande, we tried to piece together how the PRESIDENT could mandate evacuation WITHOUT SENDINGANYONE TO HELP EVACUATE! If not us, who? Armed with donations from CRS, key donors, and 12
volunteers, we set out to help evacuate Joya Grande Sunday May 30.
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By the time we reached Apulo (other side of lake Ilopango) to send Joya Grande gas and oil for evacuation by boat, along with other emergency supplies, the Red Cross had evacuated another 10 families. CEIBA sen
supplies to gracious community leaders, whose water system would remain broken for 10 days.
Evaluating Damages, Needs, and the Shelter:Santiago Texacuangos had little damage in Agatha. Except for26 families, who were left out of the Red Crosss plans. Donations were invested in aid for these families inJoya Grande who lost houses in Ida and were living in metal shacks (which re semble ovens) 1 kilometer from
the community. Thanks to support of NGO SACDEL and CEIBA donors, nearly $1,000 in food, water, andmedicine was delivered to these isolated families May 31 st. El Salvador lost 11 lives and 100 houses in more
affected parts of the country along the Guatemalan Border.
Analyzing Increased Resilience- Weakness and Strengths in Response : Agatha did not cause the level odestruction of Ida, It is clear lessons were learned from November 2009; there is increased cooperation between communities- NGO-government. Earlywarning and evacuation hasimproved, and the
municipal decision to havea shelter is Santiago is newand welcomed support forcommunities. Inter-communal support has alsoincreased, due tocommunication systemssupported by CEIBA.For example, when JoyaGrande was without waterfor a week, nearby
community Santa Maria dela Esperanza deliveredwater in barrels- muchcheaper and lesscomplicated than try tobring in bottled water form
San Salvador.
Communities themselves have a better understanding of their rights- community leaders from Joya Grande
publicly denounced lack of government support during Agatha on Radio Mi Gente (a radio show), pointing ou
that CEIBA was their only NGO support that was carrying out the governments responsibility. However, thesituation is far from perfect and several weaknesses were identified. The 320 families that did NOT leave Joya
Grande were in critical danger, and are lucky that no landslides fell. A few more hours of rain could have been
the difference between life and death. CEIBA played an important role, and Agatha proved increased
resilience to disaster of communities, but lacks the $$ to develop adequate communication systems for
efficient information gathering and early warning. Agatha made it more apparent than EVER the need for
advanced emergency and disaster preparation for Santiago Texacuangos, and CEIBA is actively seeking larger
donations to make such a project possible.
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TURNING EMOTIONAL
OBSERVATION INTO ACADEMIC
INQUIRY: excerpts from research inspired bySantiago Texacuangos
Ever-Present Past: Moving Forward in Post
Disaster El Salvador By Jenna Knapp
In the wake of disasters, a strategic peacebuilding
approach is crucial towards ensuring that the protection of future generations and the healing ofpast divisions are placed at the forefront of designingimmediate and long-term disaster relief. So-callednatural disasters can provide painfully clear insightinto the structural violence that plagues the lives of
the poor every day. In the words of Jon Sobrino,disasters in El Salvador serve to tear off the cosmetic
mask of the system causing promises of sustainable development to collapse beneath the countrys unsustainableeconomic infrastructure. Thus, the siren songs of democracy become a cacophony because the majorities are soabsolutely unequal before the law, and especially before life (Sobrino 2006: 68). Such tragedies must build awarenessand efforts to root out our other national tragedies: violence, political ineptitude, corruption, and the abandonment of
social leadership. This will require a careful examination of the past as it pertains to the pregnant present and outlines theway towardsjustpeace. It will call for the capacity to imagine relationships that necessarily see the past as alive, as partand parcel of how people, communities, and their futures evolve and will beg the deep questions of narrative oftenhidden from the eyes of pragmatic politics. Finally, it will demand the committed participation of numerous actors acrossthe thresholds of space, class, and time. It has already begun through the processes of constructive expression andinteraction taking place throughFundacin CEIBA and only time will tell whether the seeds of constructive change will
grow into a new narrative for the people of Santiago Texacuangos.
Community Resilience and Hurricane Ida:How
Marginalized Salvadorans Lacking NGO and Governmental
Support Cope with Climate Shock
Devastation from natural events, besides increasing
frequency from climate change, stem from mass migrationduring the civil war (1980-1992), rapid deforestation, and astruggling economy. Migration during the war is estimated at737,000 internally and 1.5 million externally; the majority ofinternal migration being rural to urban. The estimated population in Santiago before the Salvadoran civil war wasestimated at 8,965 in 1971, yet had nearly doubles to 16,295 by1992, and continued to grow to 23,212 by the year 2000. Therapid in-migration to the area caused rapid land use change, asforest cover was converted to chemical subsistence agriculture.Though adequate soil use for the area should be coffee farms,the war migration flux and 2001 Coffee Crisis have made coffee
unviable, and only 17.2% of the soil is considered to be usedinaccurately according to studies by an international geologistteam in 2004 (COSUDE). The deforestation has resulted in 88hillsides at risk of landslides, 9.23% of the territory (ibid).Clearly, rapid land use change has put many of its inhabitants atrisk, which they would experience November 2009.SantiagoTexacuangos has historically suffered from earthquakes, but notlandslides. The first recorded landslide is in 1929, with only 1life lost, Yet, the next recorded landslides are in 1998, 2007, 2008, and 2009, begging the question of how naturallandslides really are to the area. Graphs display exhibit statistical anlaysis of origins of inhabitants of 2 communities,
Joya Grande and Santa Maria de la Esperanza.
Figure 1: homogeneity of motivation for migration to Santa Maria.
N=72 and 41.
Figure 2: migration patterns over time, with the majority
migrating in the last 80s, at the peak of the civil war.
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Conference Tragedy and oppurtunity post disaster: Long Term
Community Development
By Rafael Flores
May 21-25th, Colectivo CEIBA, Colectivo
AMNUTSPICIAL, and leaders of the communities
of Santiago Texacuango and Verapaz (the most
afected communities during Hurricane Ida)
participated at the conference Tragedy an
oppurtunity post disaster: Long Term Community
Development in Honduras, organized by
Fulbrighters Ryan Alaniz and Beth Tellman.
We had an incredible opportunity to share with
Honduran NGOs and community leaders who built
two distinct housing projects after Hurricane Mitch.
The two different projects are located in the
beautiful Amarteca Valley, 50 miles away from Tegucigalpa in the communities of Divid
Providencia (around 800 houses) and Ciudad Espaa (over 1200 houses), where affected families from
Mitch moved after living in shelters for over 4 years.
The two projects where developed by two different organizations and using two different methods. The first,Fundacin Cristo del Picacho, is run by the Catholic Church in Honduras and presided by Cardinal
Rodrguez Maradiaga, who decided to build 800 houses with donations (mostly from Spain) and then sold the
houses to the people affected by the Hurricane, placing the rent money in a fund for community projects. The
Church exercises firm control over Divina Providencia, prohibiting the building of any other religious
building, for example.
The Honduran Red Cross, on the other hand, decided to involve the families at the building process, requiring
45 weeks of labor during the year of construction. The families were not required for the house, a very
different model from that of Divina Providencia, were families are still paying mortgage 12 years later.
Both projects are relatively successful 10 years after the Hurricane Mitch, however they have experienced
tension between community members, leaders, and the NGOs. We had separate session to hear each version
of the relative success of the project according to the NGO, and the frustrations of the local people over lack
of control of governance and accounting. Understanding pitfalls and best practices of these projects was a great
lesson for us, reminding us to continue to focus and improve on empowering people to be self-sustainable.
We want to thanks to the people of Honduras for the hospitality and friendship shown during the congress.
God Bless Centro Amrica.
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Laurie RedelmanCatholic Relief ServicesSACDELVoices on the Borderariel wong
marisha WickremsinheBrebeuf Immersion GroupRobyn Caponi
jefferey greenbergCatherine Melfi
john hawnTom LaughnerMarta LanglandJill Weaver in the Honor of Kristin FroehleBridget KoseneAnonymous French WomanAnmu TsipicalLeah WinnikiePatients of Dr. William Tellman
Linda and Clarence Hirsch
Seton InstituteCARECEN SFHariharan DhandapaniLeslie GrayThe Coffee Emporium at Xavier University,CinncinatiRuthelen BurnsBrebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
Notre Dame University SOA GroupToby CapionFroehle FamilyShare FoundationMrs. Laura Halls Sixth Grade Homeroomand K-8 Students of St. Peters Catholic
School in Kansas City, MissouriCatherine FordXavier College Preparatory School,California
Janine Sheppard
Markus SchaufeleJohn MarrinAnne SchaufeleJoe and Liz KulesaLauren TroutThe Hupomone Fund
Shintaro Doi
Cathy PlumpThe Caponi Family
The Knapp Family
Valerie Gies
The Ravizza FamilyMargaret WatersMyles MintonAshton EasterdayDenise Kolenz
The Altemeyer FamilyBrebeuf Jesuit TeachersThe Angulo FamilyAlexis MielkeKatherine GerlichRichard BelcherVictoria SheltonKimberly CoppinBrian BelcherThe Belcher FamilyEmma CordesKatie PowerDave Graf/ Power of Touch
N. Karen Deming
Patrick SchweigerGrace Nixon
Mary Lynch
Chris and Dale Collins
Bill Easterday Family
Jim Forest
Lisa EnrightJenna KnappEmory LynchKaty ErkerFrancesca McKenzieTay House Christian
Community New OrleansSam Baker
Sadie Beauregard
Adrian Sandstrom
Frances Loberg
Ashton Easterday
Maggie HargraveJim LochheadThe Tellman FamilyMichael TellmanErin Whinnery
Elizabeth FatoutJulie King
Marta Petersen
Abby Reed
Cheryl Dieterly
Mr. and Mrs. KingBeth TellmanOlga Kudinova
Nana and Papa TellmanCastleton Family DentistryKennedy FamilyAmy FisherMike and Annie MartinBob and Karen DietrickEmily Pollomthe Pollom FamilyInner Peace Yoga StudentsLinda HegemanWynn McShaneJanie Shumakerthe Sapp Familythe Brumleve Family
Allie DunnePat FlajoleMegan RaimondiBetsy Purnerskander and tracy nassermeredith swinehartshelece easterdaykatherine gerlichmartha lehmannicholas sanchezanna kolhedeolivia amadonnick klinger
jesuit community brebeuf jesuit
preparatory schoolnicholas sanchezjulie walkerg paul petersondavid decosseemma jehleallison stohl
lara brandstetter
Debbie SahmThe Mancher FamilyTessa Weston
Natali RodriguezMatt TellmanCarol Crenshaw
Stafford and Clara PileTessa Brown
Lauren Rossi
Felipe Witcher
mallory schwarzmary wolfalicia quirosronald meadeddie alexander
maria eduarda cardosomandy sobrepenaallison rauschcharlotte karney
john hawnlaura redelmanau soleil healing inc.
jason parrymandy liebscher pearsonkyle ozawarachel blantonCarley KnappJennifer Frontkowski
Paul Knapp
Carrie ClarkMichelle BezansonErin SchlittsThomas CounsellBilly Sladekkimmanleyort.com
bradley coffmanBud FrutkinJennifer MoyanoChristopher WahoffJaclyn DittrichLeslie GarrisonBrain Bird
Amanda SkinnerChristopher ProctorParvaneh AngusKira HarveyCarol CounsellAllison FordBecky Dieschbourg
Michelle Reilly
Joeseph HeithausJL KatoThe Jesuits of the University
Central America
The Sullivan Family
Janine SheppardMary Ann Wallace
various anonymous families
FRIENDS OF SANTIAGO TEXACUANGOS
Thanks for your incredible support, especially to the immediate
response in emergency donations for Tropical Storm Agatha. CEIBA
could not accompany communities without you.