For This Central American School, Every Rotary Dollar Counts

Posted 
on Feb 17, 2015
 
In partnership with other Rotary clubs, the South Windsor Rotary is working to bring new life to an El Salvadorian school.  
 
Centro Escolar el Limon Canton Albornoz is a school with 265 children in the small village of Santa Rosa (population about 4,000).  Its ten teachers lead elementary classes in the morning and middle school classes in the afternoon – operating, almost incredibly, on an annual budget of about $1,000.
 
The teachers and principal provide many of the classroom materials themselves with little or no money for repairs or renovations.  And the School’s two buildings haven't undergone any significant renovations since they were built in 1935.  As a result the roofs had rotted through, allowing rain to soak the classrooms and materials.
 
Replacement of the roofs and repairs to the electrical system and concrete were estimated to cost thousands.
 
Enter Rotary.
 
For several years the South Windsor club has been raising funds for the project in partnership with El Club Rotario de Sirama and The Rotary Foundation.  The result: contributions of $8,500 toward the desperately needed renovations for the school.  That was enough to complete the roofing, install new floor tiles and perform electrical repairs.  After complying with El Salvadorian laws to ensure that the funds were from a legitimate source, the project began in November and was completed in January.