by Gretchen Hemes, CARE writer

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- Seven-year-old Hugo Armando Anaya Flores says he's proud of his mother's work to help poor families improve their lives, but he wishes she didn't have to be away from home so much.

Ana Zoila Flores helped coordinate CARE's emergency response to the earthquakes that struck El Salvador earlier this year. All photos by Rebecca Janes © CARE 2001.

"Sometimes it's hard to sleep at night when she's not here," he says. "But I think about how she tells me everything is all right and I feel better."

Hugo's mother, Ana Zoila Flores, is a field coordinator for CARE in El Salvador. In the month and a half immediately following the January 13 earthquake that wreaked devastation on this small Central American county, Flores saw her family in San Salvador just three or four times. The rest of her time was spent in the southeastern province of Usulután, site of some of the worst damage.

"Even before the earthquakes, my family worried about me working out in the country," says Flores. "But I told them I like my work, and that's why I've chosen this career. I never wanted to sit behind a desk at a bank. I think they still worry, but now they understand why I do what I do."

Flores and her 7-year-old son, Hugo, share a laugh.

Flores has been with CARE for nearly five years, working on micro-enterprise projects before becoming a field coordinator involved primarily in food security during emergencies. Like many working mothers, Flores is concerned about finding the proper balance between the demands of family and work. During the recent emergency, her extended family helped care for Hugo.

"It's true my job doesn't follow a normal schedule," Flores says. "But the situation after the earthquake was an extreme case. It's not always like that. On balance, the benefits for my family of my work with CARE outweigh the sacrifices."

Hugo entertains his Mom with jokes.

CARE's emergency response to the earthquakes earlier this year gave Flores and her co-workers ample opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to their work and their countrymen. Most workdays started at 6 a.m. and rarely finished before 10 p.m. Many of CARE's field workers were separated from their families for weeks or months, as they attended to some 37,000 families affected by the disaster.

And while CARE staffers rushed aid to some of the poorest families affected by the earthquakes, their own families also were impacted. "My house was damaged," Flores says. "Hugo and I have lived with my brother and his family since the first earthquake, while our house is being repaired. When you get right down to it, everyone in El Salvador has been affected."

For the time being, Hugo is getting his wish to have his Mom around the house. Expecting twins, Flores is on a temporary leave of absence from CARE. But she says she looks forward to returning to work following her maternity leave. "I am very pleased to work for CARE. It's a place where people truly share the same vision and mission. All of the hard work is worth it because the benefits really do reach the people.

Mother and CARE emergency coordinator, Ana Zoila Flores.