Hooray for the Internet
So now that the immediate crisis of food scarcity has been resolved, how do we send our scholarship recipients back to school? Like the rest of the world, school in El Salvador went virtual, but the residents of Los Tehuistes had little to no internet access. Students were using their scholarship money to pay for data to create hotspots on their phones to attend classes, and they had no other choice than to use their phones because they had no computers. Nevertheless, internet providers did not want to supply to such a remote area, so the struggle continued from the start of the pandemic till October.
In October, we were able to purchase internet antennas to provide hotspots for cellular devices, and with the help of the PRBB Foundation provide four computers. As of current, these hotspots connect directly to the new computers, so students are no longer required to use their cellphones. Generally, the school year in El Salvador begins on the last days of January and finish between October and November. Thus, the scholarship students are currently in the middle of their year and studying away!
Here is a link to Noel Santos explaining his experience on gaining stronger internet access.
A group of community members putting up an antenna to boost internet signal
Before computers were provided, a student here is using his cellphone to work on his studies