Background
CAFRED builds schools in rural Central American communities that are isolated both physically and intellectually from the urban core of their country and from the rest of the world. CAFRED works in areas with high levels of poverty and violence, low literacy rates, and lack of access to medical services. Most rural communities in Central America lack access to running water and electricity. Caserio San Jose Rio Frio, San Vicente, El Salvador meets all of the above mentioned criteria.
Our Most Recent SuccessCentro Escolar Caserio Terry Allen Fedorchuk was a new project on the site of an old school. This endeavor was literally and figuratively built on the rich history of El Salvador. The Ministry of Education constructed a new school building in 1979, just months prior to the onset of the Salvadoran Civil War. Sadly, the school never had the chance to be inaugurated as it was immediately used as an artillery depot. The area soon fell under combat and the villagers were forced to flee for the 12-year-long duration of the war. When the war ended and the Peace Accords were signed in 1992, the local citizens came back to reclaim their properties and found the unused school facility in ruins. The school had lain dormant for 30 years prior to CAFRED’s entry onto the scene.
 Centro Escolar Terry Allen Fedorchuk
San José Rio Frio (San Vicente, El Salvador)The most recent CAFRED school project at Caserio San Jose Rio Frio, San Vicente, El Salvador serves more than 100 children from the region, ages 5 through 16.  
Before its official inauguration in 2011, it was known as Centro Escolar Rio Frio. CAFRED approached the community during the building phase to suggest that the name be changed to Centro Escolar Terry Allen Fedorchuk.
Terry Allen Fedorchuk was the son of June Fedorchuk, of Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada, a major donor to the project. Terry died of cancer at age 13, showing great courage until his death. The community agreed that the name would be a poignant example of the dignity of a child facing great odds. CAFRED, along with the community, petitioned the central government for the name change, and they approved. To learn more about June Fedorchuk please visit our blog. CommunityOnly 15% of the adults in Rio Frio can read and write, staggeringly below the literacy rate of 80% for the general population in El Salvador. This demonstrates the vast disparity in the level of education between rural and urban areas. HistoryThe land upon which the remains of the building were located was fortunately still owned by the Ministry of Education and community leaders were anxious to rebuild the old school. It was determined that the walls of the former school were still structurally sound. The original masonry would be incorporated into the construction of the new school building.
As a testament to the longstanding desire of the community for a school, local families tended to what remained of the property over the years, carefully weeding the land and making sure nature did not take over what was left of their school.
For three decades, the town used borrowed spaces in which to teach, and when CAFRED arrived, it was using a borrowed farm shed and a private home, literally splitting the school in two parts. 
CAFRED worked closely with village leaders to conduct a survey of residents. The median income gained through agricultural pursuits averages US$960 annually. The town has no electricity, running water or medical services and lives in a fragile separate peace, as it is surrounded by communities that live in a culture dominated by violence and out of control gang activity. The community hoped to keep their children in school and away from the violence they could easily fall prey to, and so a new school was crucial to them.
Project Specifics
Thirty of the school’s current students in grades kindergarten through 6th grade never had the opportunity to attend school before the new building was constructed, due to the former school’s lack of space and the children’s 4 ½ kilometer distance from Rio Frio. CAFRED convinced the home town association (HTA), “Les Amis de San Vicente”, based in Montreal, Canada to agree to help finance the transportation of these children.
CAFRED also secured an agreement with the Municipality, the local communal education board (ACE) and the Ministry of Education, specifying that the Municipality would allocate funds to level and prepare the land for construction, provide water for construction and build a fence around the school. Proper fencing surrounding any school property is needed to secure the construction site and later to protect the school and children from intruders.
The agreement also established a commitment by the Ministry to provide an additional teacher, and new desks for the children. The community agreed to provide the unskilled labor for the construction as well as a nominal family contribution to help with transportation.
While building a school where none existed is a huge success, CAFRED sticks around to make sure teachers are supported and can provide a quality educational experience for the entire community
Construction took place over a two month period and was completed in May of 2011.
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El Olimpo School (El Salvador)Inaugurated in May of 2010 El Olimpo in El Salvador is our pilot school project. Caserio El Olimpo is a small village with a population of around 500, and is a 4-kilometer walk to the nearest public transportation. The citizens of El Olimpo work in agricultural pursuit, growing fruits and vegetables, which they sell in Apopa, the nearest city and capital of their municipality. During the coffee-harvesting season (October through February), residents work in the nearby coffee plantation, Finca de Bella Vista. Before CAFRED's Arrival The makeshift school building in El Olimpo was constructed of wood, mud, bamboo, plastic, straw and laminate. The dedicated teacher, David Vasquez Santos, feared that the facility would not last until the 2010 school year. David’s daunting responsibilities included teaching kindergarten, first, second, third and fourth grades, dividing classes into morning and afternoon groups. He desperately wanted to keep the students who would enter the fifth grade in 2010. That would have been impossible without additional help and a new facility. CAFRED saw all these needs and proceeded to build a safe, bright and adequate new school for the community on the same 1400-meter lot where the rundown school once stood. El Olimpo's New SchoolThe new school houses three large classrooms, a director’s office, a kitchen/storeroom facility, water conservation capabilities, sanitation and bathrooms for both students and teachers.   The land development and construction of the school had a total cost of US$85,000 USD, of which the Mayor of Apopa contributed US$30,000 for land development, fencing and technical oversight by a municipal engineer. More than 450 people were in attendance for the inauguration of the school. Erlinda Handel, Vice Minister of Education for Technology and Development, accepted the facility on behalf of the Salvadoran government. Others speakers at the event were Dr. Luz Estrella de Rodriguez, Mayor of Apopa and Lilian de Benavides, Director of Education for San Salvador. Sra. Benavides has provided ongoing oversight of the extra-curricular program development at the school. Also speaking at the inaugural event, local Education Board Secretary, Dinora Alvarado de Leiba stated the following:  “We are honored to be a part of this event. We believe, as CAFRED does, that building safe and accessible schools in rural areas such as these is extremely vital for the well-being of communities.” She also added, “Protecting children from the hazards of long walks over extremely rough terrain to get to the nearest adequate school facility is an extremely important responsibility. Before CAFRED built the El Olimpo school, my children walked three kilometers and crossed a stream to attend the school in Guadalupe. When it rained, the creek would rise along its banks and I was always afraid that the current would carry them away. Now, with this new school, I am very happy and feel my children are safe."
We are embarking on an ambitious schedule to build and supervise six schools by 2014. CAFRED is currently in discussions with the Salvadoran and Nicaraguan Ministries of Education to allow us to develop education standards for the schools that we build and to administer them with the help of the local communities, for a period of two years for each school.
We also encourage communities to apply to CAFRED in order that we may develop curricular programs and provide supervision in existing schools in Central America.
Current Project
We have chosen El Olimpo in El Salvador as our pilot school community. El Olimpo is a small village with a population of around 500 and is a 4-kilometer walk to the nearest public transportation.
The citizens of El Olimpo work in agricultural pursuit, growing fruits and vegetables, which they sell in Apopa. During the coffee-harvesting season (October through February), they work in the nearby coffee plantation, Finca de Bella Vista.
There are 216 children accounted for within the community and possibly an additional 50 children unaccounted for in outlying areas.
A total of 75 children attend school at this time.
The present makeshift school building in El Olimpo (Photographs) is constructed of wood, mud, bamboo, plastic, straw and laminate. A recent storm blew away a large portion of the roof at the time of this writing. The dedicated teacher, David Vasquez Santos, fears that the facility may not last until the 2010 school year, starting in January. .
Presently, David’s daunting responsibilities include teaching kindergarten, first, second, third and fourth grades, dividing classes into morning and afternoon groups. He desperately wants to keep the students who will enter the fifth grade next year (2010). That will be impossible without additional teachers and a new facility. We intend to build the new school on the same 1400-meter lot where the rundown school exists presently.
The school will house three classrooms and employ at least three teachers. It will have a director’s office, a kitchen/storeroom facility and bathrooms.
The school will have a basic construction cost of $50,000 USD.
We hope you join us build the necessary funds to construct the new school in El Olimpo and give the children a chance for a brighter future.
Click here to make your tax-deductible donation to improve education for the children at El Olimpo. 
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