Santa Clara University

Community: San Ramon

Praxis Sites: Nuevo Amanecer and El Pueblo de Dios en Camino

San Ramon is a semi-urban marginal community in San Salvador (about a 45-minute bus ride from the Casa).

The Association Nuevo Amanecer of El Salvador (ANAES) is an institution of human promotion and Christian inspiration, which emerged from the Christian Base Communities. The pedagogy / theology of Nuevo Amanecer is rooted in the idea of empowering individuals to better their living environment through education, solidarity, and Christian values.  They recognize that investing in the physical, intellectual, and spiritual development of children with the collaboration of families and the community is the most effective means to promote development that is more humane, participative, and sustainable. Three hundred children between the ages of 2 to 6 years of age attend the childcare centers (there are 5 throughout the country). The majority of children are from poor homes of single mothers, whose work is washing / cleaning in private homes, selling in markets, working in the maquilas, and farming.   Services provided to families include education of pre-school children, nutrition, physical health and psychological support, social work, after school program for school age children 7-9 years, school / education for parents of families. Nuevo Amanecer also has programs in family solidarity, communal development, economic initiatives, workshops, and health. 

El Pueblo de Dios en Camino is a Christian Base Community found in the local community of San Ramon and is run by local leaders. This community emerged in 2000 in response to alienation from the local (conservative) parish and has since developed as an important support for the marginalized people in San Ramon. Programs and services offered include a soy project, a tutoring program for at-risk children and youth, a weekly Bible reflection, a scholarship program for young children and youth, a support group for single moms, and an artisans' cooperative. 

Role of Casa Student: In the community of San Ramon, students divide their days between Nuevo Amanecer and El Pueblo de Dios en Camino. The primary role of the Casa student at Nuevo is to assist with the Program of Child Development, spending time with the children while supporting the classroom teachers.  Students also conduct home visits with staff of Nuevo Amanecer.  At midday, students spend their time in the comedor / soy project, working along side a group of 3 women from the area, learning the process of making soy milk, and healthy meals. At both sites, home visits are made to get a better understanding of the reality in which the people in San Ramon live.