San Isidro Community Meeting

(Written by Rachel Dunlap)

On Wednesday afternoon Mario and I, accompanied by two representatives from CCR, met with the board of San Isidro next to the community´s school. There, we were greeted by the board who was eager to talk about scholarship division and education inaccessibility, amongst other issues like water privatization.

The board is comprised of several women who are very active in area. They were eager share about their experience in the community and goals moving forward.

Some in attendance voiced concerns about youth access to high school. The local school only goes through the ninth grade, so kids that wish to continue high school are presented with very few options. They can attend school in Chalatenango or Guarjila, both of which are expensive to travel to and from. The transportation costs, coupled with the lunch fees, discourage them from furthering their education beyond the ninth grade.

Additionally, we had a conversation about water privatization proposals. The community is in opposition to the initiative because they do not want to lose control over their resources. CCR offered to hold a workshop to educate community members about water privatization to encourage more engagement in the fight to protect natural resources. San Isidro´s stand against water privatization will be in solidarity with movements across the country.