The families at Central Hogar are typically young (19-25 years old) single working mothers who sell products in the markets or on the street. During the 2008 school year, 60 of the 102 families have single mothers as heads of household. There are 27 families who have both the mother and father raising their children. Grandparents are the heads of household for 15 families. In general, adults struggle to find stable jobs or jobs that at least pay the minimum wage, which is roughly $180 a month. If someone works 25 days a month, they earn about $7 a day minus taxes. This does not even begin to cover the costs of an individual, let alone a family. It is estimated that there are 3 children per Salvadoran woman, not per household. With many mouths to feed, bills to pay, and jobs to find, Salvadorans are oppressed by economic barriers and a significant lack of educational and job opportunities. Poverty is passed down through the generations and becomes more complicated as the affects of poverty grow into a cycle that is extremely difficult to break free from.
The Romero Garcia Family
Susana and her husband, Rommel have three energetic and lively children. As you can see from the photo, the kids enjoy playing with the family's pet chickens. Ana is 7 years old and just earned straight A's this last semester. Her brother Oscar, 6 was a student in Programa Velasco this past year. In January he will be in first grade at the same school as Ana. Their younger brother, Christopher will be enrolled in the Programa for 2009.
The family lives on a plot of land that is shared with other relatives. Their home is one room with dirt floors with walls of sheet metal. Rommel and Susana work as waiters at a local restaurant. Their salaries of roughly $275 do not meet the basic needs of their family. The couple often has to take care of their niece and nephew. Their mother, Susana's sister is a single mother and unemployed. The children's father is abusive and does not financial support the family.
Susana and Rommel face many economic and emotional challenges everyday. The children are healthy, happy, and well education thanks to the extreme sacrifices their parents make for them. Programa Velasco has also brought much relief and opportunity to the Romero Garcia family with enabling Oscar and now Christopher to attend Centro Hogar. The Romero Garcia family and Programa Velasco are sincerely grateful to Hilda Peinado for generously supporting Oscar and his education!
