Summary – This project will empower youth in El Salvador by providing scholarships for young students to receiving training in food service and the culinary arts giving them a way to support themselves in the future. Funds raised will provide scholarships for young people to be funded to attend the Gente Ayudando Gente Cooking School. The project was inspired by Kevin Lopez,who we met in January of 2020. He had just lost his mother and at 16 years old he became the sole caretaker of his three siblings. He received the first sponsorship to attend the Gente Ayudando Gente Cooking School.
Kevin Lopez
Kevin is a young man of seventeen years of age. Unfortunately, Kevin and his three siblings lost their mother two years ago. Kevin is responsible for his brother and two sisters. Kevin will turn eighteen in June. The siblings will move together in one of the homes built by Gente Aydando Gente. In order to support his brother and sisters, Kevin works in a small local diner waiting on customers. He is very hopeful about getting his certificate in cooking. In this way, he could work in a restaurant and increase his family income and be able to continue his formal education.
CLICK HERE TO help provide sponsorships for the students below
A full six week scholarship is $225 to pay for the instructor, food and materials. You can designate a specific student below
or make a gift for a partial sponsorship as well.
Please email Lisselot Troconis at lisselot_troconis@hotmail.com for information or updates.
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Veronica Esmeralda Cortez Garcia
Veronica is nineteen-years-old. She lives with six of her relatives in a home in Onofre Duran II. A community of fifty-five homes built by People Helping People in Ahuachapan, El Salvador. Veronica has a baby; she is a single mother. Her father and her sister provide income for the family. She wants to be able to start working as soon as he turns two years of age. She would very much like to get training as a cook and get a job in a restaurant. Her longer term plans include being able to start a food stand with her mother. Veronica needs an opportunity to provide her son with a better quality of life, to fulfill his physical and emotional needs.
Iris Yolanda Gochez Escobar
Iris is a twenty-eight-year old amazing woman. Iris lives in Ahuachapan next to her mother, who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure. Her son, Henry is thirteen years old. He studies fourth grade. Unfortunately, Henry is the outcome of a rape. Iris was raped when she was fifteen years. Nevertheless, she is a loving mother who lives for her family. The family lives in Ahuachapan. Iris is very proactive. She is a leader in the community and is always ready to help others. Iris deserves and will certainly take advantage of the opportunity to obtain a working tool.
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Brenda Contreras
Brenda is thirty-two years old. Her husband left when she got pregnant. Her son is now 10-years-old. The family lives in the Onofre Duran II Community. This is a site built by People Helping People El Salvador, located in Ahuachapán, as part of the Program of Sustainable Communities. They have lived there for the last three years. They have shown to be a very united family, Brenda, is eager to provide her son what he needs to grow healthy and become a decent professional and human being. Brenda sells fried treats with the help of her mother. Brenda wants to learn how to cook and everything related to launching her own small business of typical food. She dreams of having her own small cafeteria and have a better future for her family.
Mirna Elizabeth Mejia
Mirna Elizabeth Mejia and her family have been through an ordeal. Mirna is a thirty-seven years old housewife. She and her family made up of her husband and her two daughters arrived to Ahuachapan as part of a protected witnesses plan after having the two daughters witnessed a crime. They left everything they had when they left their former place of residence. It has been a long and difficult process in which the Young girls testified at trials against the criminals. The family has been benefitted with a home in one of the communities built by Gente Ayudando Gente in Ahuachapan. Mirna longs to become self-sustainable and be able to provide an income to the family Budget. She is a hardworking and courageous mother who needs an opportunity to continue with her new life.
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Karla Yolanda Quezida
Karla is twenty-six years old. She was diagnosed with malign cells in her breast in the year 2017. However, it was not until the year 2019 that she began the treatment at the Nation Women’s Hospital where the diagnosis was reconfirmed. Breast cancer. Karla went through a radical mastectomy, a hysterectomy, six chemotherapy sessions and radiotherapy. Her latest exams show she has no tumor. She is clean. Her next screening will take place in May.
During the last six months, the psychologist of People Helping People has provided psychological and spiritual support to Karla and to her mother.Karla worked before and during the treatment as a supervisor of an ice cream parlor. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic situation and to the cancer treatment she was going through, lost her job. Five years ago, Karla had registered in a course to be a chef. However, due to her economic situation, she was not able to continue. Cooking is Karla´s great passion. In fact, she makes delivery meals for members of the church where she and her family congregate.
Gabriela Auxiliadora Henriquez de Grande
Gabriela is a beneficiary of the Housing Program of People Helping People in El Salvador. She and her family will soon move into their new home in Nuevo Cuscatlan. The family is made up of four members. The parents and their two daughters. One of them was born with Myelomeningocele. She cannot walk. Gabriela, her mother, dedicates most of her time to take care of her daughter. She cannot work out of the house.
Gabriela makes and sells tamales. Her monthly income is about $100.00. Her husband works as a gardener and earns $350.00.We know that by providing this mother access to a formal cooking course, she will develop her small business and will be able to provide a better quality of life for her family.
Gabriela Carolina Castillo Guzmán
Gabriela is twenty years old. Gabriela and her mother have been benefitted with a home in the new community we currently being built in Nuevo Cuscatlan, El Salvador. Gabriela is an outstanding student; this has made her recipient of two scholarships in El Salvador´s communication school. with the highest standards. She majors in Communications and Marketing. Her performance is outstanding. She has been promoted to be an instructor. Gabriela is very excited about having formal training in cooking. She plans to start her own entrepreneurship and use the knowledge she has from her university studies to be successful. Her mother works cleaning houses. She earns $350.00 monthly.
Maira Marroquin
She is twenty-three years of age. Maira lives with her mother who earns a living by cleaning homes. The family income is $350.00.
The fact Maira is pregnant has made her realize how important having an educational tool is to provide her child a better life than the one she has had. Maira has applied for the cooking course to get a job and be able to raise her child. Maira and her mother live in Nuevo Cuscatlán in one of the homes built by People Helping People in El Salvador. They have shown to be a responsible and decent family.
Melissa Adamarus de Leon
Melissa is eighteen years of age. She is a single mother. Her baby is seven months old. Melissa is a very hardworking woman. Her main purpose in life is to raise her child and provide a formal education for him. She dreams of being a professional in cooking and working in a restaurant. Melissa´s mother, Julia, works in a small local diner assisting. She and her mother Julia live in one of the houses built by the Program of Sustainable Community in Nuevo Cuscatlan. They have lived there since the year 2017.
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Marvin Adalberto Hernandez
Marvin is twenty-one years old. He lives with his father, Freddy and his brother. The three of them will soon move into their new home.in Nuevo Cuscatlan.
Marvin and his brother started, six months ago, a small business. They sell hotdogs and hamburgers at a small fast food stand. Marvin is eager to obtain the skills the cooking training will provide for him and enlarge his menu as well as his entrepreneurship. Marvin plans to continue his undergraduate studies.
Saul Antonio Hernandez Medina, 37 years old
He is a Venezuelan that came to El Salvador under a job offer that would help him and his family out with the difficult situation they were living. The job offer included his migratory process but neither the migratory assistance, nor the job were true.He has been here in the country for the last four years and has not seen his family in five. His family is currently in Brasil, looking for a brighter future, he hopes to someday visit and reunite with them. For right now, his day to day is looking for a steady job in what he knows that is cooking and working in coffee shops.He is excited for this great opportunity to enhance his skills and better the economic condition that haunts him.
Jose Pablo 27 years old
He is a bachelor that has not been able to continue with college learning. He has job experience as a supermarket cashier and as a barista; he doesn’t have a formal training and is one of the main interests in being part of the culinary school. Jose, does not have any family members and is currently going through a divorce. Since quarantine he has not been able to find a steady job and is looking to begin a small business with Victor and Saul to improve their economic situation.
Paola Rebeca Cañas Jacinto. 25 years old
She is from The Espino Community She currently studies at universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador and is studying the English language.
She currently lives with her parents Patricia Elena Jacinto ( she sells handicrafts) and Hugo Saul Cañas ( works repairing A/C systems). She is interested in participating in the program in order to have better job opportunities that would provide a steady income, this would allow for her to support her parents. She would like to star her small food stand and sell food in the area.
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Lesli Rocely Ceron Lopez 21 Years old
She lives with her husband that works in construction and her three year old daughter. Lesli, barely finished high school and wants this opportunity to support her husband and her family with the house and their basic needs.
She lives in Santo Tomas, which is approximately a two hour commute, she is so excited with the program, that she doesn’t see that as a problem. She is clear that this can be a life changing opportunity for her family.
Jennifer Marlene Cañas Jacinto 23 years old.
She currently studies at universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador and is studying the English language
She is from the Espino community and lives with her Parents, sister, husband and son. Jennifer considers this opportunity will allow for her family to live in better conditions. She wants to start a small business with all of her family’s support, the idea of combining what she is learning with the recipes her grandmother has passed on from generation to generation is one of the drivers for his interest in culinary school. She wants to give back to her grandparents also,as they have given so much in her younger years.
Eva Carolina Jacinto Vargas
42 years old. She is part of the El Espino Community. She has studied Business Administration and has been without a job for a while now. She is interested in the Culinary School as she feels it is the way for her to get a steady job with a good income. She has been worried for months now as no job opportunity has presented itself and feels this is a God sent. She is ready to work hard, learn everything she can and put everything into practice in order to cook a better future for her family.
Jennifer Marlene Cañas Jacinto
23 years old.
She currently studies at universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador and is studying the English language
She is from the Espino community and lives with her Parents, sister, husband and son.
Jennifer considers this opportunity will allow for her family to live in better conditions. She wants to start a small business with all of her family’s support, the idea of combining what she is learning with the recipes her grandmother has passed on from generation to generation is one of the drivers for his interest in culinary school. She wants to give back to her grandparents also,as they have given so much in her younger years.
Victor Daniel Lugo , 41 years old
He is a Venezuelan that came to El Salvador under a job offer that would help him and his family out with the difficult situation they were living. The job offer included his migratory process but neither the migratory assistance, nor the job were true.
He has been here in the country for the last four years and has not seen his family since. His family is currently in Venezuela, they are professionals with really scarce incomes; he is really worried for them and hopes to soon become able to help them.
He is excited for this great opportunity and plans to make the most of it. This could be the door for a steady income that will also be of great help for his family back at home.
