Permanent Link: https://blogs.babson.edu/social/2012/08/15/building-connections-over-chispa/
El Salvador is home to a few tough gangs. These gangs of young men were initially begun in L.A. and Chicago. The 2011 U.N. study on Global Homicide found that Honduras had the highest murder rate of 82 deaths per 100,000 people, while El Salvador was second with 62 murders per 100,000. For reference the…
We spent our last full day in El Salvador Zip Lining from tree to tree, pouring buckets full of Chispa in the top layer of bricks on the house, sanding the walls from top to bottom, and dancing our hearts out with the community of Getsemani. It may have only been a few hours of…
Thursday August 16, 2012 This is not my first time away from home, but it is my first time in a Latin American country. Last semester, I had studied abroad in London and went backpacking for a month throughout Europe! However to my adversity for this trip, the two words I have been only able…
The Babson women were helping teach twenty entrepreneurs who were part of one of three companies focused on jewelry, textiles and art. all within the village of Getsemani. The 3 companies were part of a cooperative which provides capital and training for the members of their companies. The first Babson training of entrepreneurs began in…
This is my second summer coming to Getsemaní, El Salvador and it is the highlight of my summer. On this trip I am the only person who does not have a direct contact to Babson; I am neither a student nor an administrator. I attend Providence College and have zero experience in the world of…
We’re building homes, but we’re also building on relationships we have established over the years in El Salvador.
This is my 4th trip to El Salvador. The airport in San Salvador seems to be welcoming me back, and outside the terminal are hundreds of families picking up their loved one who is returning from a job in the U.S. Out of the 6-7 million population in El Salvador, almost 2 million are working…
Two days ago, our team of nine lounged at an ocean resort in El Salvador, sipping our “coco locos” and enjoying the sun. Fast-forward to Tuesday afternoon, and we were mixing “chispa” (concrete) in the hot sun to build a small family home. This contrast of environment seemed great to me as we attempted to…
