Peace Corps Partnership Project

Hello Everyone,

I hope this posting finds you all nice and relaxed from Spring Break adventures, or better yet, still on Spring Break adventures. I've been busy trying to win approval for El Pital's computer center and library project, and finally received some good news today: the project has been approved by Peace Corps Washington, and is now official! A little bit about the project, taken from my project proposal:

"El Pital, El Salvador is a rural, agrarian community of roughly 800 inhabitants. The vast majority of residents engage in subsistence farming, with few job prospects beyond that. The four-room school serves not only El Pital, but three smaller, outlying communities as well, and offers grades 1-9, as well as a long-distance high school program. The four teachers are overwhelmed and have few resources at their disposal. Currently, the school has 3 computers, which students use in pairs, twice a week. With access to only these 3 computers and no library, the students here are clearly under-served and much of their potential goes untapped.

The Information Center Project aims to bring the children of El Pital into the 21st Century by addressing the problem of computer literacy as well as other educational issues. We aim to improve computer literacy by providing space to 24 previously donated computers, giving the students an unprecedented student-to-computer ratio. Additionally, we plan to implement computer programs in math, science, language, reading and English, sharpening the students' overall scholastic performance. Finally, we will provide space for a small library that will improve literacy and enrich young minds, as well as foster creative and analytical thinking among students."


In short, this project will drastically improve the lives of El Pitalians by improving computer literacy and education in general, which will carry over to better job prospects within El Salvador. And better job prospects within El Salvador means that fewer people from my community will face the dangers of illegal immigration to the US, and that fewer families will be left behind by immigrants heading north. As you can see, the benefits that this project will bring to my community are myriad and far-reaching.

We have already received a generous donation of computers from my former employer, Keesal Young & Logan, as well as a number of book donations from the US and El Salvador. All we need now is a place to put everything. So, here comes the uncomfortable part (for me, anyway): the community will contribute roughly $7,500 in labor and supplies, but to fully realize this project, we are asking for a little over $11,000 from US donors, which means (drum roll...) YOU GUYS!!! If you would like to donate to this project, you can do so online through a secure credit card transaction on the Peace Corps website, where you will also find a brief project synopsis: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=519-104.

Supporting this project is an opportunity to see exactly how your charitable donations are being used. I will be sending out photos and updates on the progress of the computer center/library, and will personally oversee the project, together with my community counterparts. Your money will be used wisely and effectively, and 100% of it will go toward the project - not to me, or toward paying NGO staff members or office supply costs.


Thanks in advance for your support. I realize that many of you are feeling the tax-time crunch and the tightening tentacles of recession, but if you have some spare cash, please think of El Pital and the bounties this project will bring.

All the best,

Ben

P.S. I've attached my project proposal, as well as the engineer's designs for those of you who want more information on the project and its goals. Also, please feel free to forward this email or the link to the Peace Corps website to anyone who might be interested in supporting the project. Thanks!!