Looking at El Salvador today in the context of living in a state of exception where human rights have been suspended truly makes our work more critical. We are intently focused on the release of young men from Guarjila who have been abruptly taken from their families and communities: arrested and imprisoned without cause in overcrowded facilities unfit for human survival. As the government approaches 60,000 arrests of alleged gang members, the root causes of violence and poverty remain untouched. The Tamarindo will never give in to this culture. We have proven over the past 30 years that our formula of love, faith, community, values, solidarity, service, education and economic development is our response to a culture of violence and poverty which has little regard for the dignity of all people. We are witnessing the transformation of young women and men who have become empowered to change their own lives and the lives of those around them.
The Tamarindo you and I have built together is a beautiful journey of hardworking people who care, a story about good people of faith investing in people who invest in themselves. Our mission and philosophy are based on the dignity of the whole person. Nonviolence can only grow in a peaceful environment where love, faith, responsibility, safety, and service to one another is foundational. A community requires mutual respect, freedom, and harmony for purposeful co-existence to be sustainable. Despite the current turmoil, we are increasing our impact over the next 30 years and continue to build the culture of opportunity from the ground up. Young Salvadorans living in marginal communities have few true options in life. Many live on remittance income sent from the United States, others join gangs while others choose to migrate to the US. Our mission continues to create opportunities for families to remain together and bloom in place in El Salvador. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
We know you will help us to continue to break the chains of poverty for the next 30 years and beyond.