It is no secret that El Salvador is suffering from the effects of a violent gang culture. Rates of delinquency and violence are at or above the levels that this tiny country experienced during its 12-year civil war. Thankfully, Love & Hope Children’s Home is situated in an area that is safe. Still, our daily decisions and activities are all affected by the reality of the situation here.
For the last couple weeks, a group from the organization No Mas Violencia: Un Mensaje de Dios (No More Violence: A Message from God) has conducted a workshop for our children on Friday afternoons. The mission of this organization is to “influence individuals and communities by using concrete actions that express a message of peace, justice and love founded in God.” No Mas Violencia works in many countries in the Americas, including El Salvador and the United States, and was founded in Argentina.
The leaders of our workshop do a great job at reaching all of our children, despite a big age gap. They use activities, funny videos and conversation to keep everyone involved and engaged. The workshop started off by talking about bullying. As in any other place, bullying is a huge problem amongst the youth of El Salvador, and we have even seen the effects of bullying amongst our children. Talking about bullying candidly allows everyone to reconsider their words and actions.
We’ve talked about self-esteem. The leaders explained that having low self-esteem or high self-esteem are both unhealthy. A healthy level of self-esteem is best. We’ve also talked about being a good listener and an effective communicator.
While some of these topics could be seen as insignificant compared to the real situation of violence here in El Salvador, they are starting points. Bullying, unhealthy self esteem, and ineffective communication lead to more serious problems. Prevention is key!
Workshops and experiences like this one are so very important for our children. Our prayer is that the Love & Hope kids will grow up to be followers of Jesus, leaders in El Salvador, positive agents of change in their own country, fostering peace, justice and love rather than violence and hate. Please pray for our children as they choose friends at school and in their activities, and as they make daily decisions to follow God and strive to honor him. Please also pray for the government leaders of El Salvador as they search for the best methods to combat the gang culture.