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Saskatchewan Teachers visit PWRDF Partner in El Salvador

November 18, 2016

By Sheilagh

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AIDS mural by CoCoSI
CoCoSI promotes AIDS education, anti-stigma work and more in El Salvador.

PWRDF is happy to announce that we will be partnering with the Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation (SCIC) in providing an educational, justice based learning program in the summer of 2017 with our partner CoCoSI in El Salvador. The new program entitled “Educators for Solidarity” is available to Saskatchewan pre-service teachers.

 

In the summer of 2015, PWRDF and SCIC worked together to send a group of teenagers from Saskatchewan to visit CoCoSI (the Committee Against AIDS) and to learn about their work in promoting health, gender rights, and countering the stigma against those living with HIV.

 

Kayla Blakley, now a first year student at the University of Regina, was a participant in this first programShe heard about the program through a family friend who is a teacher. Kayla’s mom is a Lutheran pastor who is heavily involved in social justice work. Her sister studied International Development. She herself was interested in doing some form of mission trip so applying for the SCIC program was a no-brainer.

 

Her experience there was more than she could have ever dreamed it would be.

 

Through the program she lived with members of the Santa Marta, the community where CoCoSI is based, for two weeks. She heard their stories, learned about grassroots leadership, and experienced what partner-led international development programs look like.

 

Participants on the trip learned that solidarity is more important than missions work. Organizations like CoCoSI need our support, but they don’t need our advice or help.

 

Connecting with the people was the part of this experience that will stay with her forever. At the beginning of the trip people told her that “El Salvador will break your heart, but the people will put it back together for you”. Now she understands the meaning of this phrase.

 

Similar to Kayla’s program, this summer’s will be an immersive, international experiential learning program. It is open to people age 19-30 years of age who are currently enrolled as undergraduate students in a Saskatchewan teacher education program. To learn about the application details please click here. Applications close December 4, 2016.

 

Kayla’s advice to others is to “go and learn things. Be open minded about things. Take a close look at Canada and the role we play in the world. Being open is hard but so rewarding”.

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For media requests please contact Communications Coordinator Janice Biehn at (416) 924-9199;366.

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