The Sister School Project
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The Environmental Component

Over the course of the year I've spent in El Salvador, I've come to realize that many of the social and economic problems of El Zaite and other marginal communities can be traced back to the environment. Water that once was plentiful in the community of El Zaite has become scarce due to clearcutting of trees and overpopulation. The water that is left is polluted by a soap factory and runoff. The lack of water drags on the local economy, on the time parents have to spend with their children when they must walk so far away to haul water, and on the health of the community as a whole.

El Salvador is a beautiful country, but overpopulation, poor farming practices, and rapid development in once forested areas is changing the landscape quickly and compounding the economic problems of the people. El Salvador could benefit greatly from protecting its evironment and developing its excellent potential for a thriving ecotourism industry. In whatever way we can, the Sister School Porject would like to be a part of the solution to El Salvador's environmental problems.
Lago Suchitlán, 2006

Reforestation Project

The Sister School Project acquired 38 indigenous saplings from the environmental organization CESTA and transported these saplings to the community of El Zaite. For one week, representatives from CESTA and Mr. Carlock taught the children the importance of trees in the ecosystem and led the students in a day of planting on a Saturday. Many people in the community helped with the planting of the trees, and some students brought fruit trees home to their families to help supplement their diets. These trees will help retain water in the soil, prevent erosion, provide habitat for endangered bird species, give shade to the community, help increase rainfall, and provide food for the people.

Environmental Education

A Biologist from CESTA came to El Zaite to give a powerpoint presentation (something the children had never seen) on ecology and the importance of protecting biodiversity. Many of the basic concepts of ecology such as food chains and how rivers become polluted were new to the students, but they were fascinated by what they learned and were eager to hear more. In the future, we would like to organize a field trip for the students to go to the beach and witness firsthand the work CESTA does to protect the endangered sea turtle species that nest on El Salvador's coast.
A Biologist from CESTA gives a presentation on ecology to the students at Zaite.
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