What WE are

The El Salvador Education Project provides full funding for seven children from El Salvador
to attend high school and college. We promise to supply these children with everything
they need to be supported throughout their school years. We hope to expand our project
to offer educational scholarships to more children in the future. More than contributing through
monetary support, we have become involved in the children's home village in many ways.

Hope has volunteered at the local women's health clinic, both Ben and Hope
taught English at the local elementary school. We received a grant used to
provide medical supplies to the clinic. We collected donations of clothing
and shoes to give to village children. We provided school uniforms and supplies
to children in the village who were lacking these items. We have formed friendships
that have brightened our lives and reinforced our dedication to this cause.

Why We Are

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." ~Nelson Mandela

Help children change the world around them. With a secondary education children in El Salvador
are able to choose the future they want. They are able to become professionals to support
themselves and contribute to their communities. Every child deserves the chance to thrive.
Every child deserves an education.

Who we are

Hi, my name is Hope Jackson.
When I was 7 years old my mother asked me what I wanted to do in my life
and I replied "save the world." I have since come up with two important changes
to this goal. 1: The world does not need "saving," it just needs great change.
2: Changing the world is not something I have to do alone, many people
all over the world have the same dream and every activity is more fun with friends.

I arrived in El Salvador for the first time in January 2005, one month after
my 19th birthday. For four months I lived with a wonderful family in a rural
village, living each day as they did. I was deeply touched by the generosity they showed
me and I learned that there is nothing greater than individual human connection.

One day I was playing with the kids from my host family when I asked the question
we are all so use to hearing, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
I was met with blank looks and giggles. I felt a knot in my stomach when
I realized the full meaning of their response. This was a question they had never
heard before. They were not given the luxury of dreaming great futures for themselves…
The only future they knew of was living as their parents have in the village, struggling
everyday to simply feed their families.

I talked to Ben about this experience and that night at dinner he nonchalantly
told the family that we would start an education project and fund high school and
college for their children. Thank goodness we acted first and stopped to think later.
Now more children can dream. More dreams can change the world.