The town of Santa Tecla has been built close to the capital in the state of El Salvador. Formerly called New San Salvador as it was to become the capital according to an old plan. It did not happen but Santa Tecla is now a centre of economic development with some 140,000 inhabitants.
Many have been attracted by the opportunities to work and live there. Actually the inequalities, worsened by the pandemic, have made Santa Tecla a place where many poor people live. Just as in so many other parts of the world, the health crisis soon turned into an economic and social one. Many have been left without work and without a livelihood.
The Community of San Salvador, that has been working to help the poor in Santa Tecla for many years, has intensified its efforts to distribute food on the streets and deliver "canastas", i.e. baskets of food to the neediest families and elderly homeless people living in a public emergency shelter.
It also helped the poorest people to protect themselves from the infection, explaining the recommended prevention measures and handing out hygiene materials and masks.
The young people and adults of Sant'Egidio have been looking for new resources to meet the needs of their " street friends" and the children of the School of Peace in Las Delicias and Utila. The schools have been closed for some time and the children could only continue to study thanks to the help of the Youth for Peace.
This commitment has generated a vast movement of solidarity and has been supported by the arrival of many people who are happy to help.
