El Salvador Group Letter #2

Greetings from El Salvador ¨"Hola". We finished the mural here in El Salvador on Saturday. Tony Ortega designed an image with a march of people carring banners of Monseñor Oscar Romero, Our Lady of Guadalupe and sayings against violence and injustice. Members of a youth organization and Regis students worked together, painting the mural over a two day period. We started by tracing the design and then working in layers with different methods of mark making. At the youth center we also learned about their programs of education and gang prevention. We also helped the Salvadoran youth with their mural.

Saturday afternoon we saw the extremes of poverty and wealth. We visited an upscale shopping mall and across the street we visited the neighborhood of Cuchilla, which is in danger of being removed by the city. Some of the people have had homes at Cuchilla for decades. This small community lacks fresh water, electricity and adequate sanitation. The people are fearful of losing their home and having no place to go. We met a law student who is working with this community to protect their legal rights.

Sunday we attended mass in Mejicanos, a neighborhood of San Salvador. Following the mass, we went to the beach with youth from the center. We played ultimate frisbee and body surfed. The waves in the ocean were huge and strong. After a good night´s rest, we are ready for a three day visit to the campo.

Saludos de El Salvador,

The Romero House delegation