Los Olivos CIS

Youth Leadership Development and Scholarship Programs: Provides education to potential community leaders who would not be able to study without help and at the same time build awareness of their role as agents for making changes for social justice. The CIS worked with 25 local Salvadoran scholarship committees and 24 sister organizations as well as individual donors to raise funds for 207 youth to go to the university, 228 to high school and 100 students in K-9th grade in 2023. Of those students twenty graduated with university degrees and seventy-six from high school. Forty-six university students benefitted from CIS housing in San Salvador, San Miguel, and San Rafael Cedros, who live too far away to commute and do not have relatives in major cities. Students from Isla Tasajera, Isla El Espíritu Santo, Estanzuelas, San Pablo Tacachico, Comasagua, Llano Largo, Cinquera, Suchitoto, San Rafael Cedros and Los Tehuiste stayed in CIS housing. *** CIS high school and university scholarship students provided tutoring support to younger students in technology, English, math, and reading to be able to maintain their studies. Many parents cannot read or write or have low levels of formal education to be able to aid in the learning process of their children. Students conducted environmental projects planting trees, training on composting and recycling, coordinated community trash pickup campaigns, and organized talks and made signs to build awareness about respect for the environment. Students also helped organize trainings and do follow up on clean water filter training and distribution by CIS. *** CIS organized the first student retreat since COVID shut down large gatherings. One hundred and thirty-five students representing 25 communities participated in the three-day retreat in La Palma, Chalatenango focused on human rights and the economy. *** CIS School for Solidarity and Transformation trained students in writing essays, using a new data base for scholarship reports, and educated them about new laws governing, infants, children, youth, and adolescents to know their rights and responsibilities. Forty students participated in the trainings and courses representing twenty-three communities or municipalities. *** The CIS Gender Scholarship Fund provided five university and two high school scholarships to Trans women and women and their children, who have been wrongly jailed for miscarriages (accused of abortion) and have won back their freedom, so they can work to overcome marginalization and stigmatization and have access to dignified jobs. Most of these recipients live in extreme poverty and marginalized conditions.

Educational delegations and language and cultural exchange: CIS hosted nine delegations to El Salvador with a total of 76 participants, which included sister relationships from St. Elizabeth, Holy Spirt Parish, the Foundation for Cultural Exchange, and Our Lady of Presentation Church which are the base of the scholarship and leadership development program. Additionally Chemical Engineering students from the University of Toledo and Western Michigan University installed and evaluated water purification systems; students from Marquette University focused on sports empowerment and overcoming trauma workshops in communities that have been victims of gangs and authorities. CIS 30th Anniversary Delegation celebrated and measured the impact CIS has had in communities. Somos Hermanos delegation painted and fixed up the women's candy business on the Isla El Espiritu Santo. *** Additionally, CIS representatives participated in visits to partners in the United States - Los Angeles San Pablo Tacachico Scholarship Program, Cleveland Inter Religious Taske Force on Central America, Resurrection Parish in Toledo, Living Beatitudes Community and Solidarity Activists in Dayton Ohio, The First United Church of Christ in Eugene, Oregon partnered with Isla Tasajera, and the Foundation for Cultural Exchange partnered with San Pedro Perulapán. *** CIS imparted Spanish classes to 130 students- 52 in person and 78 online nine different countries. *** CIS trained seventeen volunteer English teachers online and in person to teach 91 English as a Second language students and covering four ten-week cycles. CIS provided partial scholarships to 25 of these students including seven youth under the tutelage of the state in coordination with CONAPINA, the National Council for Infants, Children, and Adolescents, two women freed from prison, three CIS staff, and 13 CIS university scholarship recipients.

Civil rights, democratic development, emergency aid, and advocacy programs: Los Olivos CIS continued to support 25 organizations in the CIS Community Network for Cooperation and Solidarity. CIS work is carried out by 17 permanent staff (7 of those are part time): 11 women and six men. During 2023 CIS solidarity work was strengthened with 17 volunteer English Teachers, 4 communications and graphic design interns, 2 clean water program volunteers, and 12 volunteers who translated scholarship student profiles, for a total of 35 volunteers. *** CIS Clean Water and the Environment program. CIS trained and distributed water filters to 228 families, benefitting 916 individuals. CIS installed 3 Clean Water for the World Purification Units in the Women's Association and El Penon School in Comasagua, and in Educational Complex in San Pablo Tacachico benefiting 470 individuals. CIS carried out organizational development work with nine local water committees: Tehuiste Abajo, San Juan Nonualco; El Espino, San Pedro Perulapán; San Rafael Cedros; La Colorada, Isla Tasajera, San Luis La Herradura; Llano Largo, Jutiapa; San Luis Los Ranchos, Comasagua; Isla El Espíritu Santo, Puerto el Triunfo; Llano La Hacienda, San Isidro; and Los Hoyos, Ilobasco. Forty trainings were organized on health, hygiene, environment, and filter care and distribution. *** The CIS continued its art and mental health program in Paso Puente, Distrito Italia, Residencial Libertad, and Romero Community in Tonacatepeque as part of an integral approach to overcoming poverty and violence, while building community. The program gives youth an alternative to migration and joining gangs to survive and they are invited to dream ways they can contribute to building a better future. In those same communities CIS works with Pesas y Poder to maintain a weightlifting gym focused on empowerment of women and youth and respect for diversity and building self-esteem and leadership capacities. *** CIS advocated for respect for human rights and provided support to 40 families who have innocent family members detained since the government suspended due process, presumption of innocence, and other human rights beginning March 27, 2022, in their so-called war against gangs. CIS provided legals support to 30 families, the majority on the Holy Spirit Island where there are no gangs, as well as to former scholarship students and family members in other communities. CIS trained staff and scholarship students to take sworn statements and documented cases of arbitrary arrests. CIS coordinated advocacy work with national and international human rights agencies and served as a link to national and international press agencies to expose the truth of innocents being arrested and crimes against humanity carried out in Salvadoran prisons, as well as the suspension of due process and presumption of innocence. CIS provided food supplies on two occasions to over forty families since most of those arrested are the bread winners for the families. No adult has had the right to a trial. Through CIS advocacy and legal work, we won the freedom of eight personas in 2023 on substitute measures awaiting trial. CIS and its attorneys won the appeal of a minor condemned to 10 years in prison based on the false testimony of a military sergeant. Only minors arrested have had the right to a trial and the legislative assembly changed laws so adults will spend at least three and half years imprisoned before they have a right to a trial.

Small business and women's development programs: We supported 7 women's businesses with 23 women actively employed in 2023: Las Delicias Bakery, Sausage to Go, El Espino Sausages, Divine Bakery, Holy Spirit Sweets, Colorada Seamstresses, and indigo dye producers. CIS provided two scholarships to women in the two sausage businesses to study a technical degree in management of meat and dairy products. *** CIS crafts coordinator in conjunction with the Design and Communications Department of the Jesuit University began a process of evaluation and of each artisan and women's business and trainings in digital marketing, product presentation and to continue in the following year in other areas to grow their businesses, to recuperate from setbacks to small business after COVID. *** CIS supported 12 artisan workshops which generate income for 50 families by selling their products in our store and filling internet orders of high-quality artisan products including purses and accessories, coconut jewelry, organic coffee, painted wooden products, cards and jewelry made from recycled materials, indigo dyed clothing, embroidery, and other items.