Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary members visit OEF Project in El Salvador

Five members of the Del Mar-Solana Beach (DMSB) Rotary Club and their families, totaling 10, traveled to El Salvador to visit the nonprofit OEF program that the Rotary Club has been supporting for 17 years. The purpose of the trip was to celebrate the 40th anniversary of OEF (Asociación para la Organización y Educación Empresarial Femenina de El Salvador) and visit the various ongoing programs. The trip lasted three days.

OEF, headquartered in San Vicente, El Salvador, is a multifaceted program working to improve the conditions of Salvadoran women, children, their parents, and students in the areas of education and female entrepreneurship. The DMSB Rotary, through its years of involvement, has provided financial support via grants for specific projects and periodic visits by club members to El Salvador, according to a news release.

During the three-day team visit, the Rotarians and their family members participated in the following activities: Celebration of the 40th anniversary of OEF, attended by program participants, staff, local dignitaries, and elected officials. Next was a visit to several women entrepreneurs who received microloans to start businesses. The businesses visited raised chickens and crops to sell and sustain their families, as well as women preparing food for sale, such as the local delicacy called Paupusia.

Next up was a visit to an after-school program, where students received needed additional support to succeed in school. The final visit was to a pre-school program for infants and older children to prepare them and their parents for attending school. OEF also provides scholarships for students to attend high school and universities, the news release stated.

Between visits to these programs, Rotarians and their families had the opportunity to be tourists and visit some of the local sites, as well as enjoy some delicious local food at various restaurants. The visit was a great success, highlighting the success of OEF, the news release stated.

For additional information, contact Herb Liberman at heliberman@icloud.com.