By Karilyn Vides
In 1993, one of CoCoDA’s first projects was the rebuilding of the school in Las Delicias, El Salvador. That relationship has continued for over thirty years, largely inspired by the commitment of Teresa Batto. Faced with possible closure and with only two remaining teachers, 2024 was the beginning of a renaissance at Las Delicias.
The School in Las Delicias, a community in Suchitoto, El Salvador, is celebrating the arrival of Professor Emilio Mejía, their new mathematics teacher. This achievement, made possible through the joint collaboration of community-based organizations Companion Community Development Alternatives (CoCoDA), Committee for the Reconstruction and Social Economic Development of Communities of Suchitoto (CRC), and the Teresa Batto Fund, financed by the Batto family and other individuals committed to education, represents a huge step forward in the struggle to provide quality education to the children and youth of this community.
The fund, which began financing the salary of the dedicated English teacher Teresa Alas in 2024, is now expanding to ensure that students have access to a complete mathematics education, opening a future full of possibilities.
The story of the school in Las Delicias is one of overcoming obstacles and a commitment to education. For years, the lack of resources limited the educational opportunities for its students. However, the creation of the Teresa Batto Fund, in honor of the memory of a passionate advocate for education – “Mother Teresa” as the community members themselves call her – has been a catalyst for change. Initially, the fund focused on ensuring the salary of the English teacher Teresa Alas, who assumed the responsibility of teaching English.
Now, with the invaluable support of CRC, the fund will also support a mathematics and science professor in Emilio Mejía. Professor Emilio has high hopes as he begins his work.
“I want to foster a deep understanding of mathematics, develop problem-solving skills, and foster curiosity and interest in the subject. I will show them skills that are necessary for the future when they pursue a higher level of education.”
Emilio Mejía, New Math Teacher at Las Delicias School
Professor Raymunda Alas, who has worked at the school for more than 23 years, affirms, it is important to have a team of teachers that covers all the areas and competencies that students require to improve their development because “forming good citizens is everyone’s responsibility.” The professor also refers to the fact that being a teacher implies much more than imparting lessons in a subject but also motivating students to continue their education.
The school principal, Elías Alas, who has also served the school for more than 23 years, mentions the challenges involved in working double shifts without pay to teach all the subjects of the educational curriculum to the children of his school, fighting to offer the best to his students.
“Seeing a new colleague join our cause, with the support of CoCoDA, CRC, and the Teresa Batto Fund, is a testament to the power of collaboration and friendship between two nations such as the United States and El Salvador.”
Elías Alas, Las Delicias School Principal
With the incorporation of Professor Mejía, it is expected that the workload of the teachers will be more balanced and that they will be able to provide an integral education to the more than 60 students from the communities of Las Delicias, La Pita, Pueblo Viejo, and Laura López.
CRC, which has worked in the Las Delicias community, located in the municipality of Suchitoto, since its foundation more than 30 years ago, has been a key partner in this project.
“The support that CoCoDA provides to the community with this program is fundamental because without that support, students would have less opportunity to train in the areas of mathematics, English, and in the support of arts, natural sciences, and physical education”
Miguel Molina, Director of training at CRC
The Teresa Batto Fund is an inspiring example of how strategic investment in education can generate a lasting impact on the most vulnerable communities. At CoCoDA, we are proud and committed to collaborating with the School in Las Delicias and to supporting individuals like Professor Teresa Alas and Professor Emilio Mejía, who also have big dreams for the education of these children.
Let us now imagine the children of the school in Las Delicias, with new notebooks and faces full of hope, receiving their first mathematics lesson with Professor Mejía. Let us visualize Professor Alas, smiling with the satisfaction of knowing that her students now have access to a more complete and higher quality education.
This is the future that is being built in Suchitoto, a future where education is the key to a better tomorrow.
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