Perth students learn in El Salvador

By Jennifer Westendorp

The social service worker program at Algonquin's Perth campus has incorporated world

poverty issues and humanitarian efforts into the curriculum with a yearly trip to El Salvador.

Lisa Shaw-Verhoek, co-ordinator of the social service worker program, created the initiative

with the help of a non-profit organization called Salvaide.

"It gives students the chance to look at the reality of social welfare systems in other countries,"

said Shaw-Verhoek. "They get to see the whole world and not just their own community."

A delegation of students has visited the impoverished country for the last three years. They do

extensive fundraising to cover the cost of the trip and give contributions to the locals. They bring

donations of money, clothes, school supplies and hygiene materials.

"All of the money we raise goes to the people," said Shaw-Verhoek. "We hand them the money.

Salvaide doesn't get a cut."

This year, the delegation was able to send four kids to high school. It costs $400 to provide a

child with books, transportation, clothes for school and to feed their whole family for a year. The

delegation also made donations to the war-injured and seniors.

"It takes so little to do so much," said Samantha Mahon, one of the delegates. "It really makes

you realize how easy it is to help."

San Salvador is the murder capital of the world and the country has serious problems with gangs.

The people are still recovering from a war that left the population depleted and impoverished.

"We met a woman that watched her whole family get murdered," said Taylor Bowes, one of the

delegates. "It was wild. I was so shocked by how young she was."

Villages are having problems because mining companies are buying the rights to their land from

the government. Also, the price of beans and corn has doubled in the last year.

"You really learn to appreciate what you have," said Shannon Mosley, one of the delegates.

"These people have nothing and have to fight every day to get by."

The delegates said they were moved by the experience and they learned a lot about the reality of

social welfare in developing countries.

"I went for the experience," said Bowes. "You see it in the movies, but you don't really believe it

until you're there."

The students were shocked to discover the lack of resources.

"We went to a clinic and there were no doctors, no nurses and no medication," said Mahon.

"There was nothing. Not even band aids. It was unbelievable."  

They think more students should get involved in humanitarian work and become knowledgeable

about global poverty issues.

"It's like watching the World Vision channel," said Mosley. "(It was) very eye opening."