During his December visit to El Salvador, Father Keane presided at the inauguration of one of TLAU’s completed Fall 2006 projects: the Centro Escolar San Jose La Labor in San Sebastian in the department of San Vicente. In addition to buying part of the land needed for the project, TLAU paid for three classrooms, bathrooms with flush toilets and sinks, and a small water tower to ensure a steady water supply.

The benevolence of TLAU donors came as quite a blessing–in fact, few in El Salvador or in the States understand the magnitude of the gift of the new classrooms. According to Father Keane, the children who are now grinning happily at their desks in the new buildings were once stuffed into a cramped basement near the church. This in itself isn’t so bad, but once one learns that the walls surrounding the children were left structurally unsound due to seismic activity, the new classrooms become veritable lifesavers. Horror stories circulate through the Salvadoran media about poor infrastructure collapsing upon unsuspecting people during even the most minor tremors. Father Keane read one story about 25 kindergarten children crushed to death by tons of concrete raining down on them in a similar situation. San Vicente is very earthquake-prone, so donors can give themselves a few pats on the back for pushing many Salvadoran children out of the path of a speeding train, so to speak. And of course, thanks to Walter for getting the project done quickly and under budget.

Speaking of budgets, I plan to post the final financial records of this project soon. (Can anyone help me with the English equivalent of the Spanish word “contabilidad?” I don’t think “budget” works). For pictures of the construction and inauguration, click the picture above.