At the end of March 2026, staff and board members of American Jesuits International traveled to El Salvador to accompany partners, deepen relationships, and better understand the realities shaping the country today. Over several days, the group encountered both the challenges and the hope present in communities where our partners work, visiting projects that promote dignity, opportunity, and sustainable livelihoods.
The delegation included staff members Nate, Ixchel, John, and Jenn, joined by board members Guillermo, Suzanne, Giulia, Brent, Sarah, Kevin, Don, and our newest board member, Mercedes Solís of CPAL. After arriving on Monday, March 23, the group gathered to reconnect, review the week ahead, and share their expectations.
Visits over the following days focused on our two strategic partners: Fe y Alegría and the Comparte Network. Together, these partnerships reflect AJI’s commitment to education and development initiatives supported by the Jesuits. At the same time, our visit underscored our desire to foster relationships with our partners, rooted in shared values that promote solidarity, mutual understanding, and hope for a brighter future.
On Tuesday, our group spent the day with representatives from Fe y Alegría El Salvador, including Alejandro Calderón, who had recently joined us in the United States for events in Washington, D.C., and Washington State. Alejandro and his team welcomed us warmly to their offices and shared the wide range of work Fe y Alegría is carrying out in El Salvador. Throughout the day, we visited both a rural primary school and a vocational training center, witnessing how Fe y Alegría continues to adapt to meet the needs of young students and adult learners.
On Wednesday, our focus turned to the Comparte Network. Claudia Ruíz, executive secretary of the Comparte Network, traveled from Guatemala to accompany us. Throughout the day, she provided the group with a broader vision of the network, complementing the concrete examples of economic and agricultural projects we visited.
In El Salvador, Comparte is represented by Solidaridad CVX, an organization that supports rural families as they develop more equitable and inclusive forms of community life through sustainable livelihoods. By providing shared learning opportunities and access to capital, Solidaridad CVX supports multiple cooperatives throughout the country, each promoting local agricultural programs, savings initiatives, and other community-based efforts.
Traveling more than an hour outside the capital, the group journeyed along the coast to Teotepeque, in La Libertad Costa, to visit the Cerro de Dios Cooperative. Our day with this community included presentations, dialogue, and visits to several members’ properties. Particularly impactful were the personal testimonies shared by cooperative members. From expansive forest farming systems to small backyard chicken coops, the Cerro de Dios Cooperative, supported by Solidaridad CVX, offers small loans for a wide range of projects that help families launch sustainable initiatives.
Following these visits, the board held its quarterly meeting on Thursday. The team also met with representatives from both strategic partners to reflect on the experience. Together, we discussed how political changes in both El Salvador and the United States are shaping their work and explored ways to continue strengthening our collaboration in support of Fe y Alegría and Comparte across the region. The conversations were both practical and energizing, leaving staff and board members inspired as we continue to pursue the mission entrusted to us.
Before concluding the trip, the group visited the Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA), the Jesuit university in San Salvador. There, we reflected on the history of the Salvadoran civil war and the Jesuits’ commitment to peace and justice. The visit included the Centro Monseñor Romero, located near the chapel, which houses the memorial to the UCA martyrs, the rose garden, and the site where the Jesuits were assassinated on November 16, 1989, and the chapel of Elba and Celina who were also killed on that terrible night.
Following the visit, the group met briefly with Julio César Pérez Escobar, from the Centro Ignacio Ellacuría. Following the experience of the Casa de Solidaridad program, this UCA program integrates the exploration of faith and the promotion of justice through a praxis education model that bridges the gap between national realities and the academic world. Inspired by the martyrs of the UCA and the Jesuit educational tradition, the Center’s mission is to foster the development of competent, conscientious, compassionate, and committed leaders.
Across each encounter, one theme remained constant: the power of accompaniment. Through relationships rooted in trust and shared mission, AJI and its partners continue to walk alongside communities as they create opportunities for a more just and hopeful future.
