A day at the Satellite schools in El Salvador

Cafetalera del Pacífico is part of our ECOM branch in El Salvador, which started its operations in 2007 to establish a coffee exporting office. Our team there established a pilot of the ECOM Foundation Satellite School Program in 2011, for children and adults in rural coffee and cocoa farming communities.

In 2006, ECOM Agroindustrial Corp. Ltd. Foundation was founded as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization for the purpose of making a better life for the producers of coffee, cotton, cocoa and other soft commodities. The ECOM Foundation Satellite School Program is managed entirely by the ECOM Foundation and corporate volunteers with the ECOM Foundation. These Schools are established for school age children for multi-curriculum, all-grade level studies, as well as for the adult farming communities in sustainable farming studies.

El Salvador has had a tumultuous past, and various coffee-producing communities and their schools are in need of support to access high quality schooling and jobs, especially post-graduation. This is why the program in Talnique includes the creation of a computer room equipped with computers, internet, and a teacher, completely funded by the ECOM Foundation. The teacher is additionally supported by the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, who provide an online learning platform for the students including lessons in technological skills, ranging from basic computer knowledge to website development.

One of the successful schools is the San Francisco Satellite School. Originally opening its doors in 1960, San Francisco is a part of a Catholic Church in the Ataco – Ahuachapan community. In 2017, 36 computers were installed, and a computer teacher, Xiomara Cabrera, was hired to teach the 554 students. Coming from rural areas deep within the coffee-producing mountains, their parents work in the coffee fields, and thanks to scholarships from the church, the children are able to bus into school to learn and create bonds with other students. The school is bright, filled with passionate teachers, and happy students.

Another success is the San Andres Satellite School in the city of Apaneca within the Ahuachapan department. The school opened in 1970, and the Satellite School opened in 2022. Here, there are 31 computers, and 260 students, who are taught by Carlos Gomez. These students are now also able to pave their way to high school and potentially university, or jobs within their communities.

These projects would not be successful without a few key ECOM members. Ernesto Telles has been managing the Cafetalera El Salvador office since its initiation, and thanks to the support of funders, he has been able to initiate a number of social projects, such as the Satellite Schools. Bayron Moran, head of IT for ECOM in El Salvador, has taken a personal initiative with the projects by visiting the schools, meeting the teachers, and understanding the needs of the students and communities, ensuring their success. He is determined to ensure more schools are added to the program.

Overall, the Satellite School project has been effective in El Salvador and three more Satellite School projects are implemented in the western city of Sonsonate, high in the mountains. However, to make sure this project remains a success, there is always a need for funding and support as we need to keep providing computers and a platform for the students to learn. If you would like to make a donation to the schools, please follow instructions below.