2020 El Salvador Project

Winter is long in Wisconsin and for us, by not traveling to El Salvador the time we would spend in preparations, travel and post travel recovery are absent. This extra time generates memories and nostalgia of the good times. The women’s empowerment chicken project is completed. Our public school projects are almost over and no one has approached us for another. At breakfast a couple of weeks ago, we met with a dear friend who has traveled with us to El Salvador. Together we shared our memories of what was so different from our culture and opened our eyes to another world. We agreed that our time with the rural project communities was some of the best. After breakfast I wrote to our El Salvador Partner asking about any pending projects. Well before you could say “it’s time to shovel the driveway”, he sent us a proposal totaling $25,000. The proposal is related to saving the endangered sea turtles. Why do they need saving? People living on the beach need any resource they can get to feed their families. Turtle eggs are treasured for gourmet eating and fetch a handsome price. As the turtles lay their eggs, the villagers wait for them to return to the ocean and rob the nest. There could be up to 40 eggs in a nest. We were served turtle eggs at an ocean side café years ago and believe me they are a treat. As we swallowed we were told we are breaking the law as eggs are protected, but having no enforcement. Turtle projects allow the villagers to continue to collect eggs, but then sell them to the project. The turtle project creates a turtle corral and reburies the eggs. In 41 days the turtles begin to surface and are placed in plastic tubs for two days while their shells harden. This simple process allows a 90% survival rate for these hatchlings. Our partners for economic development and sustainability have a plan for a huge project involving over 200 men, women and children. These are the type of projects we dream about. But we had to write back asking the project be reduced in size. Currently funding the project is an issue. We have started sharing this with others and believe we have some pending financial supporters. If we gain the financial support, we will be having two delegations to El Salvador. The first will be in August/September (hot & rainy season) to build the turtle corrals and the second in January/February (hot & dry season) to collect and incubate the eggs and release the newborns. If you would like to join us, let us know in order to reserve a place for you. David y Nancy