End of the Year Wrap-Up 2024
As we reach the end of 2024, we want to take a moment to reflect back on the incredible progress and meaningful change we’ve achieved together in the rural La Paz region in El Salvador. Thanks to the support of our wonderful donors, invaluable volunteers, and extremely dedicated staff, this year has been one of growth, hope, and transformation for the communities we serve.
While you read about everything new going on with CdA, you may have noticed a few changes to our website! I am so proud to say that after a year of sweat, tears, and more than one mental breakdown, we have fully updated our website! Please enjoy all of our hard work and if you have any suggestions, comments, and/or compliments please do so here!
Without further ado, check out all of the absolutely amazing projects and accomplishments we were able to complete in 2024!
10 Years Later…
We knew that when we hired Manuel Dominguez that he would do an amazing job, but 10 years later it is safe to say that he has far exceeded our expectations. Hailing from La Paz, El Salvador, Manuel graduated from the University of El Salvador with a degree in International Relations. Post-graduation, he worked with the community of Chiquimula, Guatemala which inspired him to give back to his original community back in El Salvador. He was originally hired as the Program Director for the Knowledge is Power Program in 2014, and due to his incredible work ethic, compassionate personality, dedication to CdA and his community became the Executive Director in 2019.
When he reflects back on his time with CdA he says, “Caminos de Accion has given me the opportunity to realize one of my long-awaited dreams, and that is, to have a job that allows me to accompany people who in one way or another want to improve their lives through what we can offer. CdA is that space for continuous training where you know how to take advantage of opportunities, personally speaking you grow not only in values, but also professionally with the human relationships that are developed. Everything that concerns CdA is an opportunity that has helped me to become what I am now, a professional with a more human, critical and aware thinking of social realities”.
We are truly lucky to work with Manuel. So much so that even this expression of appreciation does not feel like enough to express just how lucky we are to work with him! He is an extraordinary person, and we cannot wait to see all the amazing work he will continue to do.
Manuel posing for a picture
Manuel on the top right posing with participants at the CIS Scholarship Meetup in 2023
Central American Donor Forum in Antigua Guatemala
For the first time in CdA history, we were invited to participate at a donor forum in Antigua, Guatemala! The Central American Donor Forum (CADF), hosted by the Seattle International Foundation, “is the premier multi-sectoral networking and learning space to advance philanthropy and development efforts in Central America. Each year, CADF brings together the international philanthropic community with hundreds of civil society, corporate and government leaders in Central America” (1). This was an incredible opportunity for us at CdA to expand our network, learn about other ongoing projects, and facilitate open discussions about development, equity, and justice throughout Central America.
This forum is especially important because, “the Central American region is not a funding priority for U.S. based philanthropy. According to a report on U.S. Foundation Funding for Latin American released at CADF, just 6% of all international grant dollars from large U.S. foundations went toward Latin American…Under 1% of all international grant dollars was directed toward Central American, with the majority of those funds awarded to organizations located outside of the region” (2). Manuel and Edu both attended the meeting and learned so much and were able to make so many new connections!
(1) Seattle International Foundation. (2024, October 29). Home. CADF. https://cadonorsforum.org/en/
(2) Seattle International Foundation. (2024a, August 29). FAQ. CADF. https://cadonorsforum.org/en/faq/
Salvadoran Non-Profit Status
What made attending CADF even more special for us, was that, after years of trying, we finally obtained Salvadoran non-profit status! As Blanca and Laura founded CdA in the United States, we previously operated as a U.S. based non-profit working in El Salvador. Now, we have official non-profit status in both countries! This is amazing for a few reasons. The first is primarily because our philosophy is to operate as a grass-roots organization. We believe that the communities know what their most pressing issues are and what is most important for them. Our goal is to empower the communities of rural La Paz to work together to achieve their goals and provide them with the tools and support to do so. With our new position, there are so many new opportunities that were not available to us before. We can empower the communities in ways we could not before, and we are so excited to see what the future brings for us!
Graduation
We are so incredibly proud of all of our Knowledge is Power Scholarship Students! Over the last ten years, we have more than doubled the number of scholarship students! Nevertheless, even though we are so proud of all our students, a few deserve a special shoutout!
2024 was a huge milestone for us as we are able to celebrate our second ever university graduate! Fredy Antonio Servellon, an active participant since the beginning of CdA, graduated from Lutheran University with a degree that accredits him as an Agroecologist Technician of the Republic of El Salvador. He says this would not have been possible without the support that each donor gives to the scholarship program.
In addition to Fredy’s graduation, we absolutely thrilled to announce two more graduates! Rosa Milena Rodriguez Mejia and Daniela Emperatriz Amaya Hernandez both graduated with degrees that accredit them with Bachelors of the Republic of El Salvador! We absolutely cannot wait to see what amazing things our graduates will do!
Integration of Aquaponics
One of our most proud accomplishments this year was the successful integration of aquaponics into our Farming for the Future Program. In a simplified explanation, aquaponics is an agricultural practice that maximizes space by integrating fish into the growing process of vegetables. This system is incredibly beneficial to the residents of rural La Paz as it is relatively inexpensive to set up and the benefits are huge.
Aquaponics system installed at the Lopez House
The video below offers a more in-depth explanation of how the aquaponics system operates. Nevertheless, the picture to the right offers a simplified view of how exactly this system works within the context of our use in the rural communities of La Paz. The process begins on the right-hand side of the picture. The PVC pipes are leading directly into a maintained tilapia pond. The water from the tilapia pond is pumped through the PVC pipes to the plants, and then eventually returned to the tilapia pond on the right. So how is this a mutually beneficial system? Well, similar to how humans create carbon dioxide as a byproduct when they breathe, fish create ammonia from their waste. In their natural environment, this is not an issue because the moving water is constantly being refreshed with oxygen. However, in stagnant environments such as aquariums, man-made ponds, etc., fish will eventually poison themselves and die without proper water filtration removing the byproduct, ammonia, from the water. Nevertheless, even though these fish are on a nitrogen rich diet, they still excrete ammonia, something which plants do not love. Which is why the water next passes through a biofilter containing bacteria which helps transform the ammonia into nitrates which plants do love. Once the water passes through the biofilter, it reaches the plants which act as a natural filtration system for the water, clearing it of the chemicals that would harm the fish while the plants themselves are being supplied with the nutrients they need to grow. Eventually the water returns back to the tilapia pond to restart in the cycle.
Benefits of Aquaponics
Water Recirculation: Water is constantly being recirculated and as a result water waste and usage is significantly reduced
Reduced Waste: Everything within the system is constantly being used which results in less overall waste
Space Efficiency: Less space overall is required to implement and maintain this system
Higher Yields: With both tilapia and vegetables mutually benefitting from this system, each are able to grow together which maximizes the overall production
Chemical-Free: Through the closed, mutually beneficial system, synthetic chemicals are no longer required to facilitate growth
Natural Pest Control: The closed system ensures it is quite easy to control any unwanted pest through manual manipulation, introduction of healthy, beneficial insects, or other organic methods
Here is an amazing video fully explaining the aquaponics system! For an English translation click here!
Goal with Aquaponics
Through our trial run with aquaponics, we discovered just how beneficial this method of eco-friendly agriculture is to the members of the rural La Paz area. What is so special about this project is that it is a relatively inexpensive method of sustainable, organic agriculture for which we already have some of the supplies to set up. Eventually, we plan to replicate this project for other families across rural La Paz.
For more information about how aquaponics works please visit: What is Aquaponics and How Does it Work? - Go Green Aquaponics
Fruit Farming
Climate change is an undeniable threat. Historical agricultural practices, exploitative economic policies, and the scars of foreign intervention and colonial legacy have all contributed to the Sisyphus task of repairing what may be irreparable. Nevertheless, we have to try. This is our only Earth. Even though we are just one group, we are actively trying to create and develop resilience within our communities against the effects of climate change. We do this a number of different ways through our Farming for the Future Program, but we really intensified our efforts for planting fruit trees in 2024. We were fortunate enough to purchase these trees from a produce in the same community of Tehuiste Abajo. Through this fruit farming project, we laid out two objectives. The first is to reforest the communities and the second is to provide the participants of the program to have access to fresh fruits, rich in nutrients, and free of pesticides. Eventually, we hope that these fruit trees will be able to provide additional economic income for these families. Among some of the types of donated trees are mango honeycombs, bananas, cocoa, and Brazilian coconut.
Exchanges and Delegations
Even though we have been expanding our outreach to more communities, we know that there are still people who we could help. Knowledge and new ideas should not be gatekept and there is always potential to learn something more. This is why we are so focused on creating projects that can be easily replicated and implemented in different communities. Throughout 2024, Caminos de Accion participated in many exchanges, delegations, and partnerships all with the goal of creating transformative alliances, sharing our progress and knowledge, and learning as much as we can. Check out some of our exchanges below!
Pachamama Viva Nursery in Suchitoto, Cuscatlan
Members of the Farming for the Future Program shared experiences with the engineers in charge of the Pachamama Viva Nursery. During this visit, the site managers shared techniques and other knowledge about the creation and processing of organic fertilizers. The entire process covers the area of production and marketing of fruit, ornamental and other plants, as well we the production of foliar, repellent, organic fertilizers, and finally the diversified fruit farm. This exchange of knowledge strengthened our spirit and desire to continue caring for the Earth using ancestral techniques.
Visit from U.S. Families
Families from the United States visited participating families in the Farming for the Future Program. They wanted to learn about the programs we are developing and the progress we have made in each one. During the visit, U.S. families had the opportunity to see sugarcane crops, tilapia farming, and so much more. They also gladly assisted Rubidia and Noel Echeverria from the Tehuiste Abajo community in planting fruit trees, tomato, chili, and cucumber plants.
Participation in the International Day of Food Sovereignty
As an organization that prioritizes food sovereignty, we eagerly participated in an international conference with other like-minded organizations working in Cental and South America. The event was focused on the promotion of food sovereignty through the reimplementation of sustainable agroecological techniques. The day ended with a visit to the National School of Agronomy of El Salvador (ENA), where we were able to learn about the government’s efforts in the application of agroecological techniques.
Salvadoran Agroecological Roundtable (MAC)
Members of the Salvadoran Agroecological Roundtable or Mesa Agroecologica Salvadorena (MAC), of which we are members, visited families participating in the Farming for the Future Program to learn about and share experiences in the agroecological management of vegetables and basic grains. During this exchange, visitors shared with us suggestions, impressions, and comments on what they observed. We learned so much from them and are so glad we were able to share our knowledge as well!
Center for Interchange and Solidarity (CIS) XII Youth Meeting
In July, participants in the Knowledge is Power Program, participated in the XII Youth Meeting developed by our sister foundation The Center for Interchange and Solidarity (CIS). These students participated with other scholarship students from all over El Salvador. This was an amazing opportunity to grow and discuss different issues for young people throughout the country.
International Earth Day 2024
As members of the Peasant Agroecological Roundtable (MAC), an organization led by Caritas of El Salvador, this year it was up to us to organize the commemorative event for International Earth Day. The event was held at the San Andres Farm, Tepetitan, in the Department of San Vicente. MAC members of the communities attended, and as new members, the comrades of the Association of Base Communities Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero.
Red Cross Training
At the very beginning of 2024, we were so incredibly fortunate to have representatives of the Salvadoran Red Cross of Zacatecoluca give a workshop on first aid to the members of the Knowledge is Power Program. During the workshop, they learned techniques to attend to emergencies such as burns, asphyxia, fractures, use of first aid kits and stretchers, among others. This support was possible thanks to the efforts made by medical student, Juan Carlos Flores, who is a volunteer with the Red Cross. Thanks to our sister foundation, CIS - Center for Exchange and Solidarity, two participants were trained to upload all the information to a web portal for all students.
Dengue Prevention
Even though we had an amazing year, it was not without some bumps. Those bumps arrived over the summer in the form of a red alert declared by the Salvadoran authorities due to child deaths and massive infections caused by Dengue Fever. Dengue Fever is a mosquito-borne disease which occurs in tropical and subtropical environments, and in mild cases causes high fevers, flu-like symptoms. In a severe form, Dengue Fever, can also cause serious bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and death.
Together with the Health Promoter, a first phase was initiated that sought to eliminate mosquito breeding sites with destruction of possible sources in homes. Through the first stage, we are helping to ensure that children in the communities have a lower risk of contagion.
In order to help prevent the spread, we replicated these actions in other communities in rural La Paz. We give a huge thank you to all our scholarship participants who helped provide the support in the development of these activities.
Committed to the health of the communities where we operate, tilapia fingerlings were delivered in another effort to alleviate the proliferation of the mosquitos that transmit Dengue and other diseases. Tilapia are an excellent way to combat mosquito-larvae as they will eat them effectively keeping the population down and drinking water clean.
As of 2025, we are proud to report that our efforts have succeeded. While Dengue Fever will always be a threat to the people of El Salvador, due to the efforts of the rural La Paz communities, it is no longer presents an active danger to the communities.
