IV. Organizational
Update SHARE Foundation:
Building a New El Salvador Today
El Salvador Office
Walking with our Salvadoran sisters and brothers
in their struggle to stop the Central American
Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA,) and its related
projects such as Plan Puebla Panama composed
a major piece of the El Salvador office's work
in 2003. In addition, answering the call of
everyday Salvadorans to stop the privatization
of the health care system was a central theme
for staff accompaniment in country. Staff also
began preparing for SHARE's transition into
the new target area by identifying potential
new partners in Chalchuapa and Atiquizaya, including
some current national partners who also work
there, and finishing work with current partners
in the Lower Lempa Region, for whom funding
support will be available into 2004.
Permanent staff members Marina Peña,
Guadalupe Cortés, Luis Alfredo Campos
and Leslie Bilchick were joined by several interns,
consultants and volunteers in carrying out SHARE's
work. Jason Kopp joined our Grassroots team
for a two-year internship. Tara Williams and
José Alemán helped us close out
community based sistering projects currently
channeled through CRIPDES and Carmelina Urquia
continued her work in our Local Development
Program administering projects in the Lower
Lempa area.
SHARE also hosted several international volunteers
to accompany our partners this year. Dr. Gustavo
Soberano and three women veterinarian students
worked again with the Women’s Cattle Cooperative
on cattle management and additionally, Dr. Soberano
accompanied Director Marina Peña to the
new target area to identify cooperatives that
might benefit from the technical assistance
of the US based veterinarians. Diana Hammer
spent four months accompanying the regional
sistering partner CCR in Chalatenango, specifically
regarding a women’s project SHARE is supporting
there, and gathering testimonies for the SHARE’s
US grassroots base of support about the impact
CAFTA will have in the region. Frank Cummings,
who lives in El Salvador, has given steady support
in translations. Finally, Global Village Engineers
sent teams of technical experts in February
and October to continue their technical advisory
role with the Levee Follow Up Committee, producing
two reports for the Committee's future in levee
maintenance and advocacy.
Sharing the Wealth –
Solidarity from Target Area to Target Area
This year SHARE supported advocacy and local
development projects focusing on women’s
empowerment, citizen’s participation and
leadership development for a total of $412,0284
in material support, including sister parish
funds for community and regional sistering projects
and Public Welfare Foundation support for SHARE
partners. SHARE marked the transition to the
new target area with a “Good-bye Party”
with current partners in the Lower Lempa Region,
where it has worked since 1994. All of SHARE’s
partners were represented and celebrated their
achievements with songs, dance and theater pieces.
The degree to which women know, embrace and
defend their rights was particularly notable,
as was the high level of consciousness about
issues such as the free trade agreements (FTAs)
and the need to struggle against the negative
impact they will have on family farmers in the
area. SHARE reviewed the history of the Foundation's
work in the region, beginning with the process
that lead to the initial decision to work in
the Lower Lempa, and the current decision to
share the wealth with the new target area. Partners
were invited to participate in exchanges organized
by SHARE where experiences and ideas would be
shared with similar organizations in the new
target area. SHARE presented Diplomas of Recognition
to our partners and SHARE received certificates
from our partners thanking SHARE for its work
and dedication in the area.
Transition plans continued with research in
the new target area of Chalchuapa, Santa Ana
and Atiquizaya, Ahuachapan, to identify potential
partners. Throughout the year, SHARE visited
the region and consulted with national partner
organizations that work in the area. Among those
offering support were: the Women's Institute
(IMU), Mélida Anaya Women's Movement
(MAM), COACES, CONFRAS and the Shalom Baptist
Church. In addition, SHARE sought contact with
new allies in the area, including the Chalchuapa
Mayor´s Office, FUNDAUNGO (a specialist
in local development), SEMCA (a work zone of
CONFRAS affiliates), the Foundation for Small
and Medium Business (FADEMYPE) and the Coordinator
for Reconstruction and Development (CRD).
During site visits, SHARE staff began to build
relationships with local organizations and identify
potential partners that share a vision for local
development that integrates women's empowerment,
citizen participation and leadership development.
Meetings took place with cooperatives, community
councils, women’s projects and community
organizers. In addition, SHARE identified partners
who are promulgating advocacy themes on local
and national issues. Cooperatives with diverse
agricultural projects have been identified,
as well as groups carrying out gender trainings,
campaigns for basic services, and credit for
women.
Scholarship Program
Last year SHARE transferred its scholarship
program to the Nutrition and Soy Program (PNS),
which runs several scholarship programs in El
Salvador. This was a rough year for scholars,
however, two of which repeatedly failed classes
in their business administration studies. One
student chose to switch majors, while the other
continued into the next semester, aware that
another failing grade would mean the loss of
the scholarship, which subsequently happened.
The first student is doing better in her new
major. The Mayor of Tecoluca is starting the
last cycle of his scholarship award in law studies.
Two other women, all from the Lower Lempa Region
are doing very well in their studies.
In 2004 SHARE will coordinate directly with
the three remaining scholars, and pass the funds
raised for this program in the United States
into a scholarship fund to be administered by
SHARE sistering partner CRIPDES, emphasizing
themes such as organizational development, community
service, recreational activities, and consciousness
raising.
United States Offices
In the United States in 2003, much effort was
dedicated to integrating our advocacy themes
into all aspects of our work and educating our
US base about the free trade agreements and
especially CAFTA.
Our DC office staff including Advocacy Director
Erik Manuel Giblin and Grassroots Program Director
Dave Johnson made significant strides in building
its information base and alliances with NGOs
and Salvadoran American organizations in working
against the free trade agreements as well as
Plan Puebla Panama. Erik Manuel Giblin departed
from SHARE in November of 2003 and we are grateful
for his contributions to our advocacy program
and the organization as a whole.
In our Washington, DC office our advocacy initiatives
were enhanced by the work of several interns
including, Amy Hampton, who played a substantial
role in developing action alerts and disseminating
critical information concerning the health care
crisis to the local base. Intern Erica Solis
assisted the office by providing support on
SHARE’s CAFTA campaign and drafting an
article entitled “No to CAFTA” for
SHARE-US-El Salvador Sister Cities
In our San Francisco office, the staff mobilized
to raise $25,000 for a matching grant to support
our women’s empowerment work. In September,
SHARE San Francisco hosted the annual staff
and promoter retreat that involved an annual
evaluation of our programs and our progress
in completing the 2002-2006 strategic plan.
In the last quarter of 2003, a member of SHARE’s
San Francisco Salvadoran American Committee
joined our staff to provide part-time administrative
support. Teresa Cruz brings years of experience
in community organizing and a host of new ideas
to help invigorate SHARE’s programs.
The Board of Directors welcomed several new
members: Sister Sharon Becker, CSJO, Susan Saudek
and Carmen Elena Castillo. Board members Peter
Davies, Sister Suzanne Sattler, IHM and Sister
Katherine Hamilton, OP cycled off the board
in December. We are tremendously grateful for
their years of service and unfaltering dedication
to el pueblo Salvadoreno – the Salvadoran
people.
Like all non-profit organizations in unstable
economic times, SHARE worked harder than ever
to maintain a stable funding base. That said,
work to expand the funding base is paying off,
slowly. SHARE is grateful for continued funding,
large and small, from several foundations and
religious orders and many individuals and families.
This loyalty and confidence in SHARE’s
ongoing work has allowed our programs to mature;
we have not needed to “re-invent”
ourselves every year to attract return donors
but have increasingly focused on what strategies
are working best over time. SHARE continues
to focus on expanding support through our sustainer
program, new funding from religious organizations
and foundations and within the Salvadoran American
community.
SHARE recognizes with gratitude that none of
this work would be possible without the support
of a wide network of grassroots activists, sister
parishes, volunteer promoters, funders, organizational
allies and friends, and, of course, our Salvadoran
partners organizations and communities.
2003 Program Report:
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