el salv blog

Being back in California and the United States has given me both a sense
of guilt and enlightenment. It is hard to come back and realize that I
have more comfort in my life, especially financially, than many people in
El Salvador will ever have. I cannot help but initially feel guilty about
this. After seeing the difficulties of people's lives in El Salvador and
how hard many people must work to provide for their families, I realize I
have often taken for granted the great life that I have. Also, it is
difficult to know that the opportunities and amenities that I have are not
as accessible or even existent in El Salvador. I believe that everyone
should be able to have equal opportunities and rights. However, this
obviously is not a reality after learning about the real conditions in El
Salvador. I find the people of El Salvador's reality to conflict with my
values in human rights as many are discriminated against and treated
unfairly. I know this feeling of guilt though is not want the people of El
Salvador would want me to walk away with and so this guilt transforms into
enlightenment.
With the realization of the privileges of my own life comes also the
realization of inequities present in the world that need to be addressed.
This recognition, awareness, and pursuit for change is what I think the
people of El Salvador would want me to walk away with. They want me to
take in all that I have seen and share it with others so that we no longer
can just turn our backs on those who suffer. After coming back from El
Salvador, I have learned to appreciate my life more, especially the
"little things" that I had before taken for granted. The availability of
education, which I have mostly taken for granted, is not something that is
offered all over the world for example, so I should take advantage and be
thankful for it. Sharing my story of El Salvador and what is going on
there is also equally important. After telling my family of the conditions
of the gang situations they were very surprised, and their eyes were
opened as the story and hardships of Salvadorians were spread. This
increased awareness will hopefully spread, and the world will begin to
address the needs and situations of those who suffer from discrimination,
persecution, poverty, and lack of opportunity.
-Elisse Larouche