Catalog of Ministries
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Mano Amiga “Helping Hand” School of El Salvador
Biography
Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty in the poorest areas of El Salvador, the smallest Central American country. We address this through Catholic education centers we call “Mano Amiga” (“Helping Hand”) schools, established in El Salvador since 2003. Mano Amiga began with a very simple but powerful idea; to allow impoverished children to attend a very good school, where they leave behind their situation of poverty.
Now Mano Amiga is developing into much more than a school; it is developing into a complete development center that is transforming the lives of the most low income individuals and Salvadoran families. By transformation we mean that someone who was born in a poor community where he/she would not normally have an opportunity of accessing a better way of life, thanks to Mano Amiga, will now have the ability to lift him/herself up and build a healthy, stable family, as well as find a productive job or start his/her own business…in short, to be able to become good catholic citizens, involved in their communities and responsible for their own future.
At the center, the Mano Amiga model places a K-12 catholic school of academic excellence, which is then complemented by a formation program that targets the whole family, school, staff and the surrounding community. These centers start as grade schools and grow as we add middle school, high school, adult education and job training courses for teens and parents, alike.
The schools services are further enriched with health services and programs that promote economic growth, together with spiritual, cultural and sport activities that bring the community together and provide safe, positive alternatives to a life on the streets, gangs and drugs.
Currently, we have one school and clinic, and we are working to establish three more schools and clinics throughout the country, where aid is most needed.