The Third Annual Scholarship Student Forum

One of the CIS’s great achievements, which makes us very proud, is the work with youth, through the Scholarship Program.  The program started in 1997 in the municipality of Cinquera, department of Cabañas, and benefited approximately 8 students.  During the development of the program it was so successful that it motivated donors and supporters to get involved in the project.  This way the number of beneficiaries has increased, not just in the original town, but also in different communities. In 2012 we have achieved to have many consolidated programs in different communities.  The communities that are involved in the program are the following:

San Salvador

Comunidad Romero,  Tonacatepeque

San Francisco de Asís, Mejicanos

Usulután

Estanzuelas

Isla El Espíritu Santo, Puerto El Triunfo

Cuscatlán

San Rafael Cedros

San Pedro Perulapán

San José Palo Grande, Suchitoto

La Libertad

Tamanique

Comasagua

San Pablo Tacachico

El Caoba

Chalatenango

Comunidad Ellacuría

Cabañas

Cinquera

Guacotecti

Solidarity Crafts-Jaragúa, Las Tinecas, Jesús Obrero

To date we have reached up to 300 students in High School and University, from 14 differing communities from different municipalities in El Salvador.

After this brief introduction we want to share part of the experience of the

The Third Annual Scholarship Student Forum

Cinquera 2012

These are the people who participated in the forum

•  Some of the program´s partners
• The CIS's Director and Grassroots Organizers
• Representatives from the communities benefited:

•   Cinquera
•  El Caoba   
•  Comunidad Monseñor Romero
•  Comasagua.
• Ellacuría  
•  Mejicanos  
• Tamanique
• Guacotecti
• Estanzuelas
•  San Rafael Cedros
•  Palo Grande
• San Pedro Perulapan 
• San Pablo Tacachico
•  Isla el Espíritu Santo             

The forum takes place yearly in the municipality of Cinquera where the program started.  The historical richness that this place represents for Salvadorans should be known to the new generations.  Each year the communities send different scholarship students so that they have the opportunity to live this experience.

This year more than 63 people participated in the third annual scholarship forum which was celebrated during three days in July (Friday 20th, Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd).  Many different activities took place and the protagonists were the scholarship students.  They presented different topics which were chosen by each community.

Presentation and analysis of different topics

Topics discussed:

Climate Change (Ignacio Ellacuria), Water (Tamanique) Mining (Comasagua), Social Networks and their Impacts (Estanzuelas), Overpopulation and its impacts (San pedro Perulapan), Consumerism (San Rafael Cedros), The origins of poverty and economic alternatives (Cinquera). 

Written by a University scholarship student.

Translated by the CIS. To see the original Spanish Click here.