El Salvador
Stories from change-makers in El Salvador
Flor has been a part of Plan’s Champions of Change program since it came to her community when she was just 10 years old.
And she’s one of our most passionate Champions — just ask her.
“I simply loved every topic, every activity and every module!” says Flor. “Everything I was learning was vital for me as a girl, for my life at home, in school and with everyone around me. My facilitator was very understanding and friendly. She made us feel like we were in our second home.”
Champions of Change is a program that fights gender-based violence in El Salvador. It teaches girls and boys how to identify gender inequality, rewrite gender roles and become advocates.
Flor also participated in a Plan Takeover for International Day of the Girl. She stepped in for a big role.
“I was selected to be nothing more and nothing less than the President of the Republic of El Salvador for one day,” Flor said. “I was very excited, but also it took a long time and a lot of work to prepare myself for such an important responsibility! I was responsible for the girls, boys and young people of El Salvador. But it gave me strength to know that all of our dreams can become reality.”
Flor has learned a lot about gender equality through her Champions of Change club. It’s also a place for her to channel her passion, creativity and advocacy.
“Now I realize that just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I have to be less. I know that I have to pass this on to more girls, so they know that we are all important and worthy of making important decisions.
Learn more about Champions of Change
“I simply loved every topic, every activity and every module!” says Flor. “Everything I was learning was vital for me as a girl, for my life at home, in school and with everyone around me. My facilitator was very understanding and friendly. She made us feel like we were in our second home.”
Champions of Change is a program that fights gender-based violence in El Salvador. It teaches girls and boys how to identify gender inequality, rewrite gender roles and become advocates.
Flor also participated in a Plan Takeover for International Day of the Girl. She stepped in for a big role.
“I was selected to be nothing more and nothing less than the President of the Republic of El Salvador for one day,” Flor said. “I was very excited, but also it took a long time and a lot of work to prepare myself for such an important responsibility! I was responsible for the girls, boys and young people of El Salvador. But it gave me strength to know that all of our dreams can become reality.”
Flor has learned a lot about gender equality through her Champions of Change club. It’s also a place for her to channel her passion, creativity and advocacy.
“Now I realize that just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I have to be less. I know that I have to pass this on to more girls, so they know that we are all important and worthy of making important decisions.
Vanesa’s secluded village is beautiful — some visitors call it a paradise.
There are no streets and it’s surrounded by an enormous lake.
But seclusion comes with a cost, especially for children like Vanesa. The only way to get to and from school from this community is by boat. So from a young age girls and boys learn to sail so they can get from one side of the lake to the other.
But there are times of the year when crossing becomes too dangerous for them. They have to stay home, and fall behind in their education. Eventually, Vanesa just dropped out of school.
But despite the remote location, Plan was able to introduce Champions of Change — a program that teaches children how to advocate for change in their communities — in Vanesa’s village.
Vanesa joined, and her passion for learning was reignited. She became more motivated than ever to return to school — which she did. She now says her dream is to graduate high school and to continue learning English, her favorite subject.
Champions of Change also taught the children in this community to respect each other and recognize that everyone, girls and boys, should have the same opportunities.
Read more about our other work in Education
But seclusion comes with a cost, especially for children like Vanesa. The only way to get to and from school from this community is by boat. So from a young age girls and boys learn to sail so they can get from one side of the lake to the other.
But there are times of the year when crossing becomes too dangerous for them. They have to stay home, and fall behind in their education. Eventually, Vanesa just dropped out of school.
But despite the remote location, Plan was able to introduce Champions of Change — a program that teaches children how to advocate for change in their communities — in Vanesa’s village.
Vanesa joined, and her passion for learning was reignited. She became more motivated than ever to return to school — which she did. She now says her dream is to graduate high school and to continue learning English, her favorite subject.
Champions of Change also taught the children in this community to respect each other and recognize that everyone, girls and boys, should have the same opportunities.
It’s not only girls who are breaking gender stereotypes in El Salvador.
Ronald was able to achieve one of his dreams — owning his own weaving business — after participating in a Plan youth economic empowerment program. Originally taught weaving by his mother, Ronald uses a technique known as “telar de cintura” to create garments with colorful cotton thread.
But weaving is not a typical occupation for men in El Salvador, where the “machismo” culture rules. But Ronald doesn’t care, because he knows that both women and men should be able to pursue their dreams.
In Plan’s program, he learned how to develop a business strategy and launch his company. He now successfully sells his products, which include shirts, purses and bags, in a shop set up by Plan.
He’s earning an income, keeping the traditional practice of weaving alive and showing that boys and men can be free from gender stereotypes.
Learn more about our Bridges to Employment project
But weaving is not a typical occupation for men in El Salvador, where the “machismo” culture rules. But Ronald doesn’t care, because he knows that both women and men should be able to pursue their dreams.
In Plan’s program, he learned how to develop a business strategy and launch his company. He now successfully sells his products, which include shirts, purses and bags, in a shop set up by Plan.
He’s earning an income, keeping the traditional practice of weaving alive and showing that boys and men can be free from gender stereotypes.
Plan International has been working to improve children’s lives in El Salvador since 1976.
Our work in El Salvador
Office & operations
Plan International El Salvador’s country office is in San Salvador, with programs in Cabañas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlán and La Libertad.
Technical areas
Early childhood development, education, protection, disaster response and preparedness, health, skills and jobs
Number of sponsored children
As of June 2022, people like you sponsor 26,685 children in El Salvador through Plan International.
Gender equality is a fight we must all take on together. Through sponsorship, you can change lives and create long-term impact in communities.
The full circle of Fate
When you sponsor a child through Plan, you form an incredible friendship.
But that’s just the beginning. With Plan, you also have the unique opportunity to:
Send them birthday gifts and cards.
Give them special holiday presents called Little Treasures.
Subscribe them to Plan’s educational kids’ magazine, Sunny Days.
Arrange a visit (pending any travel restrictions), with individual travel assistance from us.
Each gift offering is safely hand-delivered by us, and given to your child with personalized cards from you. It’s likely that the child you sponsor will have never seen anything like these gifts, and with the exception of Little Treasures they’re available year-round to make the bond between you and your sponsored child even stronger.
Meet a child to sponsor