By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

In El Salvador, a neighbor just south of the United States and Mexico, poverty, famine, and a lack of health care still reign supreme.

Years of unrest and a recently ended civil war have kept the most basic of human needs from many of its people.

But one group is trying to cure that, one person at a time. The Salvadoran Association for Rural Health, or ASAPROSAR, is making strides.

“We’re as grass roots as grass roots can get,” Eloise Clawson, U.S. Outreach Coordinator for ASAPROSAR, says about the organization.

The ‘most marginalized’ people
The nonprofit group helps fund relief efforts and schedule trips for groups that volunteer their time, skills, and efforts to help the citizens of El Salvador. If there is a need, ASAPROSAR tries to fill it.

“We try to be flexible,” Clawson says. “We tailor our trips to the interests and skills of the group that are going and to the needs of the citizens. These are the most marginalized people we are helping, these are children and women.”

Building a foundation
Feeding the poor and offering health care prevention and treatment are the primary goals. But expanded services that address the needs of the entire community by tending to abused children, regenerating the environment, providing employment training, and offering low-cost “micro loans” to women for business development are also priorities.

“We try to help build infrastructure and train the trainers,” says Gerry Donovan, who lives at Brooksby Village, an Erickson community in Massachusetts. Donovan and a group from Brooksby go each year to help out. This was Donovan’s fourth trip in as many years.

Making a difference
Nelda Quigley, director of resident life at Brooksby, has been involved in ASAPROSAR for ten years. “Every year new people join us and we all work well with those from El Salvador,” Quigley says. “We build strong friendships while we are there, making it a wonderful experience.”