How You Can Help
El Zaite is one of the most violent slums near San Salvador. Perched on steep hillsides linked by pot-holed roads, the slum is home to thousands of desperately poor women and children. They survive as best they can. But when you visit the homes, you see no toys and very little food. The local drinking water is contaminated, which means that children often suffer severe bouts of diarrhea. Malnutrition rates among young children are high.

Fifty young boys and girls, however, have a head start. They attend a preschool run by a local community organization. Every day they receive a nutritious meal and they engage in play-to-learn activities. The children don’t know how hard it is to keep the school open. They don’t realize that from month to month, school administrators never know how they’ll pay for the food or buy the medicine or keep the teachers on board. The two small classrooms leak like sieves when it rains and the playground is filled with broken swings and equipment. The kitchen is little more than a cooking pot.

In 2009, GIVE A CHILD LIFE became a major supporter of the El Zaite preschool, committing $1,000 a month pay the teachers and minimal medical expenses. But we urgently need to increase our commitment. Right now, the recession has pushed these children and their families even deeper into poverty. The preschool desperately needs additional funds to stay open. The children need food, family medical kits and even shoes.

El Zaite Financial Details Page