PIFP BLOG El SALVADOR

David Peterson

Just a quick disclaimer on what I am about to write. I am writing this because I believe in the positive effect of the "Pay It Forward" philosophy.I receive no monetary or any other benefit out of what I am about to do. I am not a wealthy individual that chose to do this out of having nothing better to do or experiencing a guilt crisis, or had a life threatening situation where I realized I should do something with my life.

I am just a regular guy that decided that at the moment I can do well with my life by helping others. I do not think this is an extraordinary task, because people help each other every day, helping one another is not about being simple or difficult either, but being worth it.

I learned about pay it forward through Denise Bobba and Wendy Farrell and have shared this philosophy while working with them. If I have a gain, it will be experiencing to pay it forward, and sharing the experience. You can see them at www.payitforwardproject.org or look them up on Facebook or Myspace.

To all this, what is Pay It Forward? Well, you have probably watched the movie (we of course are not affiliated in any way to the movie) but if not, it is making a positive difference in the life of one person at a time; in turn that person will make a difference in another person, and that person in another and another.

After being laid off from my job and learning that PIFP was awarded a grant for PIFP's Salvador Micro lending Chicken coop project, I was ecstatic, it would be a wonderful opportunity. I decided to volunteer and proposed to Denise and Wendy that I could spend from 3 to 4 months In El Salvador to coordinate the efforts to train beneficiaries and build chicken coops and develop other projects for the two beneficiary communities, Armenia and Suchitoto.

Denise and Wendy accepted my proposal and we prepared for the trip. Denise and Wendy have done a wonderful job at organizing the contacts and doing as much as they can from the U.S. for my smooth arrival, I thank them constantly.

I traveled first to Costa Rica where I spent two lovely weeks with my family and preparing for El Salvador. This trip came as a blessing as it placed me in Central America, and my family helped me with the travel arrangements, thank you. On May 7th I traveled by the Tica Bus from Costa Rica going through Nicaragua and Honduras and I arrived In El Salvador where I was received by Edna Salazar, our Latin American coordinator. The bus ride was great, nice views on the way of volcanoes and Lake Nicaragua. Of course, due to the swine flu at the moment, I did not dare to say I was from Mexico, I did not wish to be quarantined. I used my U.S. passport instead and tried not to speak. This did not really work well as I always relate to people, especially in an 18 hour bus ride, so I made a few friends on the bus who would point at me jokingly saying that I was the Mexican when the health authorities boarded the bus, but of course the U.S. passport would save me from further verification.

In the weekend that I have spent in El Salvador I have discovered that it is a beautiful country, with beautiful people, I kind of knew that, most of my friends back home in the U.S are Salvadoran! Although some good people have advised me that there are some dangerous areas and you have to be careful at all times it still feels like home. I am currently staying at the home of one of Edna's uncle and aunt who has been very helpful with getting around El Salvador and making me feel welcome.

Along with Edna we visited Armenia and looked for places for me to stay locally. We scoped the area in Armenia to build the chicken coops and met some of the beneficiaries and their children that were playing around us, everyone had huge smiles including ourselves, Edna would joke with them asking if I could stay at their home and feed me, most of them said yes and offered their homes for me to stay, these are poor people, I felt overwhelmed and thankful, but for hygiene reasons I could not accept, I told them that I appreciated their offers but I already had a place to stay and I would be very close to them anyway.

We went back to El Salvador very happy and looking forward to the next week of work. I will update this blog hopefully every week, hope all is well with you, until next time, take care.

David.