Tres Amigos en El Salvador
Palo Alto University Rotary Club has been working in El Salvador for over thirteen years. PAUR developed a plan to work in El Salvador, a country underserved by the international community that would be easy to access on a regular basis. Projects in El Salvador are focused in the areas of health, education and economic development. Over the years PAUR has found that by having a mission where we stay the course in one community we can have develop good relationships which leads to material impact on the people we serve, raising their standard of living from the bottom of the economic scale.
Along the way, PAUR has developed key relationships with the in-country partners. One key relationship is with El Salvador North America Village Network, Inc. (ESNA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit based out of Iowa. Together with other Rotary clubs, we have been working on village development in Caluco/Las Trincheras. Projects range from building a maternal health clinic, to providing mobile medical and dental clinics, to rehabilitating the local school, to sending kids to high school, to providing adequate water supply.
Ultimately, this is a story of hope and transformation which we believe we can replicate one community at a time. As the sense of hope has nurtured over the years, we have watched community leaders emerge and the residents engage in long range planning. By educating the next generation at the same time, we aim to break the cycle of poverty.
Our three speakers will include:
Alvaro Carias, the ESNA El Salvador Director. Alvaro was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador. During the civil war, he worked with refugees in the outskirts of his city, helping them build their houses and developing literacy programs for children and adults. After earning his degree in English, Alvaro joined the Center for Exchange and Solidarity (CIS) in El Salvador where he taught Spanish to US, Canadian, and English students for twelve years using Popular Education techniques with a participatory method. In addition to teaching Spanish, Alvaro has led groups from the US and Canada, facilitating cross-cultural experiences for those interested in developing an understanding of the social, cultural, political, and economic realities of El Salvador. His work has helped participants from the First World explore Third World culture and issues. He has accompanied and translated for doctors, dentists, nurses and volunteers from the US who come to provide free medical and dental consultation to small rural villages.
Guillermo Fernando Sensente, ESNA Project Director. Born and raised in Sonsonate City, El Salvador, Guillermo traveled with his family to Santa Cruz, California, where he lived for 10 years. After quickly learning English and standing out in soccer, he graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 2003. Not being able to attend his dream School – Santa Clara University – Guillermo followed his family as they returned back to El Salvador in 2005. Guillermo’s family quickly got involved in various community projects and his father, Guillermo Sr. was elected Mayor for his home town, Santo Domingo de Guzman. Guillermo has been doing non-profit work since 2010 and is also part of another successful non-profit by the name of Tools for Opportunity – which provides training, support and tools to low income woodworkers. Guillermo shows great dedication and passion for his people and is a valuable asset at ESNA Village Network. Guillermo graduated from Law School in 2013, from University of Sonsonate, El Salvador. He has taken tourism courses by Ministry of Tourisms and is bilingual in English and Spanish. Currently, Guillermo is learning to speak Nahuat, a Mayan descendant language.
Patrick O'Regan is our PAUR International Committee Chair 2016 – 18. In his spare time Patrick is an attorney, educator and entrepreneur. Patrick has a B.S. from Brown University, a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University, School of Law, an MBA from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and an LLM in Innovation, Technology and the Law, from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland). Patrick is an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco, in the School of Management. Patrick has taught courses in Entrepreneurial Management, Entrepreneurial Finance, and Entrepreneurial Leadership, and a published author on intellectual property law. Patrick also coaches a team of USF MBA students for the Venture Capital Investment Competition. Patrick has also taught modules and mentored entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley Immersion Program.