"Thank God and Thank CARE"

by Gretchen Hemes, CARE staff writer

Salvador del Transito Marroquín says she spends hours every week gathering enough water for her household of five to wash dishes, cook and bathe. All photos by Rebecca Janes CARE 2001.

The form this help has taken over the months is illustrated by CARE's work in this small community of Santiago de Maria in the department of Usulután. Basic needs such as food and shelter have been met, rebuilding projects are underway, larger infrastructure improvements are planned and goals have been set for community development.

A Place to Call Home
Nearly all of the homes and buildings in El Cantón Marquezado were damaged beyond repair, though many still stand as a cruel tease. From a distance, these structures look safe, but the earthquake caused deep cracks and separated the walls from the roofs. They are structurally unsound and must be taken down, but destroying them and hauling away the rubble requires resources that are not yet available.

Marroquín's son, Jose Angel (left) spends his afternoons playing with friends and doing chores, waiting for school to start.

"The rain has already started to fall," says Salvadora del Transito Marroquín, referring to the beginning of El Salvador's wet winter season, which occurs from May to October typically. "I thank God and CARE for the roof over my head."

Marroquín's shelter -- like all the others -- has a wood frame and dirt floor. The roof and walls are corrugated tin. She uses a sheet to divide the space into sleeping and living areas. The kitchen is about five feet away in another small building that wasn't destroyed by the quake. This is home for Marroquín, her son, an aunt, an uncle and one cousin.

Alexander Calles, CARE's coordinator for emergency work in eastern El Salvador.

Alexander Calles, CARE's coordinator for emergency work in the eastern region of the country, points out the design flaws of the old school. "It had no foundation and the support beams were far too weak. The new classrooms will be designed to withstand the temblors we get here in El Salvador," he says.

Education is a Community Priority
As part of a food-for-work program, the community of El Cantón Marquezado is preparing the site for new classrooms. They work with hand tools to level the ground in preparation for the concrete foundation. In exchange, each family gets a monthly ration from CARE and the World Food Program of 36 pounds of corn, 36 pounds of rice, 8 pounds of beans and a half a gallon of cooking oil. Calles says CARE has hired a construction company to build the classrooms as soon as the ground is ready. They can have 10 done in a week.

Napoleon Romero (left) and Maria Estela Correa de Portillo (right) spent their Labor Day holiday leveling the ground for their grandchildren's new school.

The message has gotten through. On May 1, the International Labor Day holiday in El Salvador, young and old alike were hard at work under a hot, tropical sun. "I work with enthusiasm, even on a holiday," says Napoleon Romero. "I have a granddaughter in first grade and she needs a place to study."

Another grandparent, Maria Estela Correa de Portillo, echoes the sentiment. "We're all doing whatever work we're capable of to help the community," she says, taking a short break from tamping down the earth. "I thank God I have the strength to do this work."

The Next Step
Nearly everyone in El Cantón Marquezado agrees that water remains the biggest problem in the community. The supply is irregular and there is just one source for 370 families. Women and children shoulder the task of gathering enough water for the family to cook, clean and bathe. It's a time-consuming enterprise, and often there simply isn't enough water for everyone. This shortage has lead to some health problems within the community.

But again, progress is being made. "CARE has initial approval for funds for a water and sanitation program in this community," says Calles. "That would include more water taps, so people don't have to walk as far, and a latrine for each house." These efforts will build on CARE's existing portfolio of successful water and sanitation programs in El Salvador. Work in this area began long before the 2001 earthquakes, and has continued with the rebuilding of water systems in many of the hardest-hit communities.

Looking Forward
The remaining list of needs in El Cantón Marquezado is long, but there is no shortage of eager hands willing to work. Calles says CARE currently has a proposal to build approximately 200 permanent houses with the community's help, and CARE will work with other organizations on approximately 540 additional houses. These new houses would be slightly modified versions of the traditional design, built with local materials in such a way that would make them earthquake resistant.

This boy is working to prepare the site where CARE will build a new school.

That's also the idea behind discussions to help communities improve land ownership. Currently, most of the people of El Cantón Marquezado do not have official ownership title to the property they live on, so they have not dedicated their scarce resources to cultivating or improving the land. CARE already has helped manage successful land-titling programs in El Salvador. Partnered with local organizations, CARE helped former combatants in the nation's civil war gain official title to land and begin new lives under peace.

CARE understands that land ownership encourages investment to improve productivity, and those investments are an important step toward lasting community development. CARE hopes to initiate such a program with the people of El Cantón Marquezado in the future.

The situation in El Cantón Marquezado is representative of CARE's work throughout El Salvador. While projects may vary based on the specific needs of a given community, CARE's process of addressing an emergency situation remains constant. Step-by-step, CARE helps people meet their basic needs, restore their communities and plan for the future.

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CARE's work in El Cantón Marquezado exemplifies efforts currently underway in dozens of poor communities affected by the earthquakes of January 13 and February 13, 2001. Funding has recently been secured for construction of 750 permanent homes. Click here to learn more about CARE's response to these natural disasters.