Unity 4 Orphans’ Saturday program for vulnerable children in El Salvador is thriving, where kids learn English as a second language and receive holistic support!
Every Saturday morning, about 70 kids from the local community gather for U4O’s ESL and tutoring program in El Salvador. They’re greeted by a dedicated team of teachers and volunteers who foster healthy adult relationships and share the love of Jesus. Just over a year old, this program is already making a positive impact in an area with limited opportunities to break cycles of poverty.
U4O’s El Salvador Partners Help Vulnerable Children Grow and Learn
With many returning students this year, our El Salvador partners continue building relationships with the children who attend the program. A typical Saturday morning consists of warm welcomes and play time as kids arrive. Along with a safe space to just be kids and interact with caring adults, they learn ESL, receive tutoring, and a snack.
Despite challenges, we continue working and doing what we can to help the children. Something I love about our teachers is that they care about the kids, and they’re very patient.
–Becky, El Salvador Program Director
Life in poorer areas, like the one we serve in San Salvador, is difficult for many families, and children often work to help make ends meet. Financial hardship is a common cause of kids dropping out of school, falling prey to gangs, and having their lives disrupted by teenage pregnancy, daily violence, and a lack of having basic needs met. Learning English as a second language and receiving the holistic support our El Salvador team provides kids with the tools to complete their education, earn higher-income jobs, and build healthy families one day.
Meeting Basic Needs Helps Children Reach for Brighter Futures
Children like twelve-year-old Angie count on the Saturday program to help them learn to speak English and keep up in school. Sometimes, however, a lack of basic needs gets in the way. After Angie was absent for a few weeks, she returned and confided that she shared a single pair of shoes with her grandmother and couldn’t attend when it wasn’t her turn to wear them.
Program Director Becky shared the request, and a program teacher and a friend both purchased a pair. The next time Angie returned, she was given two pairs of new shoes in her size!
When we gave her the shoes, Angie cried and asked why we would do that. I told her it was God taking care of her because He loves her, and she was so thankful!
–Becky, El Salvador Program Director
The following week, Angie’s grandfather accompanied her and thanked the team with tears in his eyes. This is the heart of U4O and our incredible in-country partner network: to share God’s love in everything we do for the children we serve!
Opportunities for Children to Learn ESL and Break Cycles of Poverty
We’re humbled by how God continues to provide for the El Salvador program, with a supportive church partnership, staff, and supplies like learning materials and play equipment. In the future, we hope to open afternoon ESL classes so kids who have to work on Saturday mornings can also benefit from all the program has to offer.
I’m so encouraged by Becky’s commitment to meet the physical, educational, and spiritual needs of the kids. Her prayers, like the request for shoes, were answered in a way we can only say God did it.
–Chris Fromm, Board Chairman
Thanks to our dedicated donors and volunteers, we’re seeing vulnerable children’s lives transformed one Saturday at a time. We invite you to partner with us and make an impact for kids like Angie and all of the children learning about God’s love for them and believing in brighter futures!